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Another aspect of Lighting

About the exhibition

In Raqqa, windows made of stucco and inlaid with glass were excavated in the reception rooms of several Abbasid palaces. This is a unique discovery; until now, only a few similar fragments have been found at other contemporary sites. The windows, likely placed above the doors, displayed rectangular or rounded stucco frames with small circular openings.

These openings were closed with tiny glass panes in a surprising variety of colours: pink, light and dark green, light and dark blue, transparent white, yellow and honey-coloured. Towards the centre of the frame, the design becomes more intricate, featuring delicate pieces of plaster arranged in interlocking circles. While most of the panes were transparent white, they often featured painted black rosettes or geometrical patterns. Other windows have oval panes, decorated with branches and fruit or small leaves.

These frames were rather thick with the glass set closer to one end (photo from the back). The visible face was darkened, likely to enhance the effect. They are quite different from the intricate window grilles - qamriya - found in earlier Umayyad palaces or the Great Mosque of Damascus, which were made of alabaster and marble and may have had glass window panes or been left open.

No. 846 Window fragment, Raqqa, Abbasid palaces, 8th/9th century. Plaster, glass. W: 8,8 cm; L: 5,2 cm Th: 2,5cm
Reconstruction drawing of the stucco decoration and windows in an Abbasid palace. Drawing by Kurt Schmidt, Berlin. 2010
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