Description

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The minbar of Saladin, an intricately designed wooden pulpit, was one of the masterpieces of Islamic art. Made in the 12th century, on Saladins conquest of Jerusalem, it was placed in the al-Aqsa Mosque, where it remained for almost 800 years. Then, in 1969, it was burned down by an Australian fanatical Christian. This book charts the difficult process of reconstructing the minbar from scratch, a challenge made even more difficult by the lack of the necessary skills and the loss of the secrets of its original construction and decoration. Thus, it covers both Islamic art and the revival of lost traditional skills.