Acknowledgements
This book would not have been possible without the support of advisors, mentors, friends, family, as well as multiple institutions and funding bodies. These acknowledgements can never do justice to how I have been lifted by every person and institution named and unnamed. I wish to thank my academic advisors without whom none of this would have been possible. I owe immense gratitude to my thesis supervisor at the Department of Architecture at Cambridge University, Wendy Pullan, for her expansive vision that laid the foundation for this work. She inspired, nurtured, and led by example. I could not have wished for a better guide. A special thanks to my advisor and mentor Bernard O’Kane, with whom I began my academic journey and who remained a steadfast guide and inspiration all these years. To my colleagues and mentors who read earlier versions of this work, I am eternally grateful. I wish to thank my advisor at Cambridge University, Peter Carl, who taught me so much about how to solve history problems like an architect. I also wish to thank my dissertation examiner Hugh Kennedy whose generosity and thoughtful considerations of this work’s scope enriched it immensely. My mentor and friend, Jere Bacharach, not only inspired through his brilliant scholarship but also believed in me resolutely and encouraged me to think boldly but write clearly.
The earliest iteration of this work was generously funded by Cambridge Overseas Trust, The British Petroleum Scholarship, and King’s College, Cambridge. A special thanks to the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies and the Sultan Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for much needed funding. A thanks to the Department of Art History at UC Berkeley for offering guidance and mentorship early in my academic career. I owe a debt of gratitude also to my supervisor at UC Berkeley, Nezar AlSayyad, who offered encouragement and mentorship during the various stages of this book. A heartfelt thanks to my colleagues at the University of Kansas and the generous financial support of the Murphy Travel Fund. A special thanks to my Department Chairs, Linda Stone-Ferrier and David Cateforis, my faculty mentor, Anne D Hedeman and colleagues Sherry Fowler, Majid Hannoum, Katie Batza, and Pamela Sullivan who exemplified academic wisdom and kindness. Parts of this research were carried out while I was a postdoctoral fellow at the Kunsthistorisches Institut-Florenz. Being part of the KHI was an intellectual turning point and it inspired so many trajectories brought to fruition here. I wish to thank everyone at the KHI, particularly my supervisor, Gerhard Wolf, who inspired new ways of asking questions. I would also like to thank the Getty Foundation and the conveners of the Arts of the Crusades: A Reassessment which funded fieldwork and afforded opportunities to deepen my understanding of early Islamic architecture. A special thanks to Scott Redford, Doris Behrens-Abouseif, Robert Ousterhout, Eva Hoffman, Maria Georgopoulou and Edna Stern who offered guidance, collegiality, and friendship.
Parts of this book appear in earlier publications. Portions of Chapter 2 and 3 derive from “The Early Mosque Revisited: Introduction of the Minbar and Maqṣūra.” Muqarnas 33 (2016): 1–16. Chapter 6 also integrates material from “The Appointed Time: Early Islamic Temporality and the Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem.” Time and Presence in Art. De Gruyter, (2020): 53–70. I would like to thank the editors of these publications for their insight and rigor. A special thanks to Prof. Gülru Necipoğlu (Editor-in-Chief) and Karen Leal (Editor). I owe gratitude to my friends and collaborators, the editors of Art and Presence, Andrew Griebeler and Armin Bergmeier for their generosity and vision.
The University of Toronto has been my home for many years. I could not have hoped for a more nurturing institution. I was fortunate to receive multiple forms of support in terms financial, intellectual, and moral. Thank you to my former Department Chair, Carl Knappett, who took time out of a busy schedule to read my work, met for many lunches and coffees, and helped me stay the course. A special thanks to my Department Chair, Giancarla Periti, for reading portions of this book and for her unwavering faith in my abilities. I would like to also thank Joseph Clarke, convener of the Architectural History Working Group, which has been a home to experiment and think expansively. My colleagues in Toronto were a constant source of support, wisdom, and guidance. I would like to thank Elizabeth Legge, whose warmth and encouragement set me on a steady path at UofT. A special thanks to John Paul Ricco who was a friend and companion on this writing journey. I also wish to thank my colleagues Adam Cohen, Linda Safran, Jill Caskey, Jordan Bear, Mark Cheetham, Seungjung Kim, Christy Anderson, Matt Ethan Kavaler, Elizabeth Harney, Kajri Jain, and Katherine Blouin. You all encouraged and motivated me along this path, including me in your intellectual communities and offering your support and generosity. My writing partners, Deepali Dewan and Sarah Fee, shared many triumphs and challenges along this journey. I owe you both so much and look forward to many years writing together. Being part of a stimulating community of Islamic art historians in Toronto has contributed so much to my happiness and fulfillment. I wish to thank my co-chairs of the Islamic Art and Material Collaborative at the Institute of Islamic Studies at UofT; Anver Emon, Ruba Kana’an, Fahmida Suleman, Ulrike al-Khamis, and Michael Chagnon.
On the long road to complete this book, the support of my students and research assistants was one of a kind. A warm thanks to Xin Yue Wang and Sanniah Jabeen. You enriched the experience of writing this book and offered valuable supports and insights into its reception among graduate students. A very special thanks to Jillian Husband, who was my intellectual support for the duration of this book’s completion, providing invaluable feedback and research support that solidified my process and enriched my experience. My students across the globe at so many institutions motivated me in many ways and were my mainstay and inspiration. A warm thanks to my designer Reham Shadi, who brought creativity and insight to the graphics of this book. I would also like to thank my copyeditor, Roxanne Bess Goldberg, for her thoroughness and precision. A special thanks also to the editors of this series, Marcus Milwright, Margaret Graves, and Mariam Rosser-Owen. A thanks also to Teddi Dols, editor at Brill, for her support and patience bringing this book to completion. Finally, a very warm thanks to my anonymous readers who gave of their time so generously and engaged so thoughtfully.
My family and friends have been a source of comfort and inspiration. They listened to endless renditions of this book’s premise, offering unwavering love and motivation. My parents, Azza Naguib and Hosam Mostafa, taught what it means to persevere, dream big and believe in myself. They trained me to be fearless in the face of challenges, to channel my creativity and to write with generosity and grace. My lifelong companions and sisters, Hoda, Magda and Mona Mostafa, were the ones that nurtured and cheered me along this entire journey. I would not be here without them. My nieces, Jenna and Zeina, and nephews Abdelrahman, Hassan, Mahmoud, Tameem, and Hashem were always there to bring joy and happiness to my life. A special thanks also to my brothers-in-law, Ashraf Tawfik and Hisham Issa. I have been fortunate to have extended family all over the world who were lovingly engaged throughout this journey. My dear cousins Yasser Mohsen, Sherif Aboushadi, Heba and Shahira al-Soufany, Ahmed, Tarek, and Dina Naguib were my friends and companions. My Uncle Hassan and Aunt Marsha Naguib were there for so many of the highs and lows. I am grateful for all their love. I wish to also thank my friends Rose Marie, Antoinette, and Joseph Pietras, who stood by me during challenging times and whose love and kindness meant so much. The Lolley family were such a great support, a warm thanks to Brenda, James, Christine, Tom, Sarah, Peter, and the children. I am eternally grateful to my dearest friends Alia al-Kadi, Aliaa Abaza, Inji Mekhemer, Ed Shadi, Rizwan Mawani, Carol Bier, Jeanne Pansard-Besson, Katrina Gold, Amir Gohar, Mohamed Safwat, Philippe Lavoie, and Lia Grimberg Lavoie. Some of you wrote with me, some of you thought with me, and all of you fought with me. You will never know what a difference that made. A final special thanks to the Belinko family who cheered me on in the critical final stages. To my loved one who asked not to be named. You live in my heart and you are its fortress. Your love can be traced through many of these pages.