Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T22:40:02.190Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Islamic Archaeology in Libya, 1969–1989

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2015

G. R. D. King*
Affiliation:
King's College, University of London

Extract

In the course of the two decades since 1969, archaeological and architectural investigations relating to the Islamic period in Libya have made sufficient progress for it to be possible now to see the country's Islamic antiquities with a reasonable degree of perspective within Libya and in relation to a broader context. Nevertheless, a great deal of work remains to be done, both with regard to extending the geographical scope of research on Islamic Libya and to studying relatively neglected periods. At present we are better informed about certain Fāṭimid monuments in Libya than any other Islamic buildings in the country. While the importance of Libya in the tenth and eleventh centuries AD is a matter of great interest, it must not be forgotten that even today, we know very much less in detail about the mosques and houses of later times. A marked imbalance therefore exists in the relative degree of information available for an account of the Islamic archaeology and architecture of Libya in the period as a whole. This imbalance is very clear in the present survey.

The extent of the increase in knowledge of the Islamic archaeology of Libya becomes immediately clear by referring to K. A. C. Creswell's A Bibliography of the Architecture, Arts and Crafts of Islam to 1st Jan. 1960 and the Supplements to it (Creswell 1973; Pearson et al. 1984). In his original Bibliography Creswell found nothing on Libyan architecture except for some studies on Tripoli. Even in the 1960s, very little further research on the Islamic period was published, although it was in this period that Ajdābiyah and Madīnah Sulṭān were initially investigated: this work formed the foundation of that which was to follow after 1969. Bys the time that the latest Supplement to Creswell's Bibliography appeared in 1984, a plethora of published material had emerged as a result of the sharp rise of interest in Islamic Libya during the period from 1969 onwards. As a result, no comprehensive survey of Islamic archaeology and architecture in North Africa written in the future will be complete without giving some account of the information that has been accumulated during the period 1969 to 1989.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Libyan Studies 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abdussaid, A. 1964. Early Islamic Monuments at Ajdabiyah. Libya Antiqua 1: 115119.Google Scholar
Abdussaid, A. 1967. An early Mosque at Medina Sultan (Ancient Sort). Libya Antiqua 3–4: 155160.Google Scholar
Abdussaid, A. 1971. Barqa modern EI-Merj. Libya Antiqua 8: 121128.Google Scholar
Abdussaid, A. 1976. The Old Islamic City of Ajdabiyah. Some Islamic Sites in Libya. AARP: 1924.Google Scholar
Abdussaid, A., Shaglouf, M. and Fehervari, G. 1977. Excavations at El-Medeinah, Ancient Surt 1977. Libyan Studies 8: 912.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abdussaid, A., Shaglouf, M., Fehervari, G., King, G. R. D. and Chin, E. 1978. Second Season of Excavations at El-Medeinah, Ancient Surt. Libyan Studies 9: 1318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abu-Hamed, M. 1973. Some Reflections on Epigraphy During the II Ottoman Domination in Tripoli. Libya Antiqua 9–10: 223226.Google Scholar
Allan, J. A. 1976. An unusual view of Early Twentieth Century Benghazi. Libyan Studies 7: 5760.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allan, J. W. 1973. Some Mosques of the Jebel Nefusa. Libya Antiqua 9–10: 147169.Google Scholar
Bailey, D. M. 1985. Excavations at Sidi Khrebish, Benghazi (Berenice), III, part 2, The Lamps: 171173.Google Scholar
Barker, G. W. W. and Jones, G. D. B. 1982. The UNESCO Libyan Valleys Survey 1979–1981: Paleoeconomy and Environmental Archaeology in the Pre-desert. Libyan Studies 13: 134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barker, G., Lloyd, J. and Reynolds, J. (eds.). 1985. Cyrenaica in Antiquity. Society for Libyan Studies Occasional Papers I, BAR International Series 236, Oxford.Google Scholar
Blake, H., Hutt, A. and Whitehouse, D. 1971. Ajdabiyah and the earliest Faṭimid architecture. Libya Antiqua 8: 105120.Google Scholar
Brett, M. 1978. Tripoli at the beginning of the fourteenth century A.D./eighth century AH. Libyan Studies 9: 5559.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brogan, O. 1971. Expedition to Tripolitania, 1971. Libyan Studies 2: 1011.Google Scholar
Brogan, O. and Kenrick, P. 1973. Work in Tripolitania. Libyan Studies 4: 89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brogan, O. and Smith, D. 1984. Ghirza. A Libyan Settlement in the Roman Period. Tripoli.Google Scholar
Catalogue 1976. Islamic An and Architecture in Libya. London.Google Scholar
Creswell, K. A. C. 1961. A Bibliography of the Architecture, Arts and Crafts of Islam to 1st Jan. 1960. Cairo: 258259.Google Scholar
Creswell, K. A. C. 1973. A Bibliography of the Architecture, Arts and Crafts of Islam, Supplement, Jan. I960 to Jan. 1972. Cairo: 43.Google Scholar
Donaldson, P. 1976. Excavations at Ajdabiyah, 1976. Libyan Studies 7: 910.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Evans, J. Martin 1976. The Traditional House in the Oasis of Ghadames. Libyan Studies 7: 3140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fehervari, G., Shaglouf, M. and Bishop, H. (with contributions by Hamdani, A., Hamid, M., Hughes, T. and Riley, J.). 1983. Excavations at Surt (Medinet Sultan) between 1977 and 1981. Libya Antiqita (forthcoming).Google Scholar
Goodchild, R. G. 1951. Boreum of Cyrenaica. The Journal of Roman Studies 41: 1116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodchild, R. G. 1964. Medina Sultan (Charax-Iscina-Sort). Libya Antiqua 1: 99106.Google Scholar
Goodchild, R. G. 1967. Byzantines, Berbers and Arabs in 7th century Libya. Antiquity 41: 115124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hutt, A. 1972. Survey of Islamic Sites. Libyan Studies 3: 56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hutt, A. 1977. Islamic Architecture: North Africa. London.Google Scholar
Jones, D. L. 1978. Qallaline Tile Panels: Tile Pictures in North Africa. AARP, London.Google Scholar
Jones, G. D. B. 1983. Excavations at Tocra and Euhesperides, Cyrenaica, 1968–1969. Libyan Studies 14: 109121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, G. D. B. 1984. The Byzantine Bath-house at Tocra: a Summary Report. Libyan Studies 15: 107111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, G. D. B. 1985. Beginnings and endings in Cyrenaican cities. In Barker, et al. 1985: 2741.Google Scholar
Kenrick, P. M. 1977. Summary of Data Deposits. In Lloyd, et al. 1977: 289311.Google Scholar
Kezeiri, S. K. 1985. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: the Problems of Deteriorating Historic Centres. Libyan Studies 16: 8594.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lézine, A. 1971. Sur deux châteaux musulmans d'Ifrīqiya. Revue des études islamiques 39: 87103.Google Scholar
Little, J. 1985. Urban change at Ptolemais. In Barker, et al. 1985: 4347.Google Scholar
Lloyd, J. A. 1973. Sidi Khrebish Excavations, Benghazi, 1972–1973. Libyan Studies 4: 1118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lloyd, J. A. 1977. The Excavations. In Lloyd, et al. 1977: 11214.Google Scholar
Lloyd, J. A., Reece, R., Reynolds, J. M. and Sear, F. B. 1977. Excavations at Sidi Khrebish Benghazi (Berenice) I. Supplements to Libya Antiqua V, Tripoli.Google Scholar
Lowick, N. M. 1972. Early Arabic Inscriptions in Libya. Libyan Studies 3: 45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lowick, N. M. 1974. The Arabic Inscriptions on the Mosque of Abū Ma'rūf at Sharwas (Jebel Nefusa). Libyan Studies 5: 1419.Google Scholar
McLachian, K. 1978. Tripoli-City, Oasis and Hinterland-Reflections on the Old City 1551 to the Present. Libyan Studies 9: 5354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mostafa, M. 1967. Excavations in Medinet Sultan: a preliminary report. Libya Antiqua 3–4: 145154.Google Scholar
Pearson, J. D., Meinecke, M. and Scanlon, G. T. 1984. A Bibliography of the Architecture, Arts and Crafts of Islam, Second Supplement, Jan. 1972 to Dec. 1980. Cairo: 124126.Google Scholar
Pringle, D. 1981. The Defence of Byzantine Africa from Justinian to the Arab Conquest. BAR International Series 99 (i), Oxford.Google Scholar
Ramadan, A. M. 1975. Reflections upon Islamic Architecture in Libya. Tripoli.Google Scholar
Reece, R. M. 1977. The Coins. In Lloyd et al. 1977: 229232.Google Scholar
Riley, J. A. 1973. Sidi Khrebish — A Note on the Coarse Pottery. Libyan Studies 4: 1820.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Riley, J. A. 1979. Islamic Wares. Excavations at Sidi Khrebish. Benghazi (Berenice) II, Supplements to Libya Antiqua V, (ed. Lloyd, J. A.): 371372.Google Scholar
Riley, J. A. 1982. Islamic Wares from Ajdabiyah. Libyan Studies 13: 85104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Riley, J. A. 1983. Pre-Islamic Pottery from Ajdabiyah. Libyan Studies 14: 138142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shagluf, M. 1976. The Old Mosque of Ujlah. Some Islamic Sites in Libya. AARP, London: 2528.Google Scholar
Shagluf, M., Fehervari, G. and Chin, E. 1979. Excavations at El-Medeinah, ancient Surt, third season, 1979. Libyan Studies 10: 510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ward-Perkins, J. B., Little, J. H. and Mattingly, D. J. 1986. Town houses at Ptolemais, Cyrenaica: a summary report of survey and excavation work in 1971, 1978–1979. Libyan Studies 17: 109153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warfelli, M. 1976. The Old City of Tripoli. Some Islamic Sites in Libya. AARP, London: 218.Google Scholar
Whitehouse, D. 1972. The Excavations at Ajdabiyah: An Interim Report. Libyan Studies 3: 1221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitehouse, D. 1973. Excavations at Ajdabiyah: Second Interim Report. Libyan Studies 4: 2027.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ziegert, H. and Abdussalam, A. 1973. The White Mosque of Old Zuila. Libya Antiqua 9–10: 221222.Google Scholar