The Qasr Burqu‘ Building Inscription Of Prince Al-Walīd Dated 81 AH / 700 CE
Islamic Awareness
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First Composed: 29th November 2005
Last Modified: 29th November 2005
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Assalamu ʿalaykum wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu:
(a)
(b)
Figure: (a) Partial photo of the inscription. (b) The full trace of the same inscription including missing parts.
Date
81 AH / 700 CE.
Script
Kufic.
Contents
The translation of the inscription is:
- O my God! Bismillah. This is what
- the Amīr al-Walīd, son of the Commander of the Faithful, built
- these houses, in the year 81.
Comments
This building inscription in Qasr Burquʿ was built by al-Walid before his ascension to the throne (705-715 CE). The inscription covers the lintel of the door that leads to the apse-shaped throne room. Its three lines are incised in irregular fashion and become increasingly squashed towards the bottom.
A partial picture of this inscription was taken by Henry Field. Florence E. Day produced a full trace of the inscription in 1960.
Location
Qasr Burquʿ, Jordan.
References
[1] H. Field, "Early Man In North Arabia", Natural History, 1929, Volume 29, pp. 33-44. Only partial photograph was taken.
[2] F. E. Day, "Appendix E: Historical Notes On Burqu‘, Bayir And Dauqara" in H. Field, North Arabian Desert Archaeological Survey, 1925-50, 1960, Papers Of The Peabody Museum Of Archaeology And Ethnology, Harvard University, Volume 45, No. 2, pp. 154-155; Also reproduced by A. Grohmann, Arabische Paläographie II: Das Schriftwesen. Die Lapidarschrift, 1971, Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften Philosophisch - Historische Klasse: Denkschriften 94/2. Hermann Böhlaus Nachf.: Wein, p. 84.
[3] B. Gruendler, The Development Of The Arabic Scripts: From The Nabatean Era To The First Islamic Century According To The Dated Texts, 1993, Harvard Semitic Series No. 43, Scholars Press: Atlanta (GA), pp. 18-19.
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