No abstract

The history of the industrial and commercial district between al-Raqqa and al-Rāfiqa is reconstructed on the basis of literary sources, numismatic finds and aerial views from the early twentieth century. It probably came into being during the 160s/780s when the ‘old market of the caliph Hishām’ was transferred from within al-Raqqa to the free land between the two cities. The decision of Hārūn al-Rashīd to reside in al-Raqqa created a new demand, and consequently glass furnaces and pottery kilns were set up for mass production. A road running from the east gate of al-Rāfiqa connected this area. After 198/213 the governor of the west, Tārhir ibn al-Husain, erected a wall north of the area in order to protect it from Bedouin raids. During the third/ninth century at the latest the area developed into a third urban entity. Al-Muqaddasī mentions an al-Raqqa al-Muhtariqa. The identification with the commercial and industrial area is proposed. The decline of al-Raqqa al-Muhtariqa began in the 270s/880s and 280s/890s. The devastating rule of the Hamdânids probably marks its end.

The Tall al-Bī ʿ a hoard of ten silver dirhams and one copper coin (t. p. q. 186) probably constitutes a cash deposit drawn from circulation in the urban market of al-Raqqa. It seems to be a negative selection. The hoard reflects the preponderance of the North African dirhams in circulation at the time of Hārūn al-Rashīd. New silver from North African mines and the trade network of the Ibāḍī movement provided for cheap supply whereas a shortage of silver coins in the central lands created a huge demand. The lesser weight and presumably slightly lesser amount of intrinsic silver led to a discrimination of North African dirhams in circulation, especially in saving hoards. The overvaluation allowed the application of Gresham’s law and suggests the acceleration of velocity of circulation. These forces allowed for a rapid movement of North African dirhams to the central lands of Islam.

No abstract

A pair of almost life-sized polychrome stucco sculptures attributed to the Seljuq period in Iran was closely examined prior to the reinstallation of the Islamic galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2011. Iconographical analysis of their crowns and other accoutrements suggests that they represent a pair of royal figures that were once part of a larger decorative program dated to 1050–1150. Given the itinerant nature of the Seljuq court, it is proposed that this stucco decoration was created for a temporary reception structure, or kūshk, probably in western Iran. While scientific analyses have indicated that much if not all of the polychromy is modern, technical examination of the plaster used to create these figures and related examples in other collections is ongoing.