Previous   Next
Home » Images » 0032 Pictures From History » CPA0015807

Iraq: Muezzin in a minaret. Illuminated miniature from the Kitab al Bulhan or 'Book of Wonders', Baghdad, 14th century

Iraq: Muezzin in a minaret.  Illuminated miniature from the Kitab al Bulhan or 'Book of Wonders', Baghdad, 14th century

The Kitab al-Bulhan, or Book of Wonders, is an Arabic manuscript dating mainly from the late 14th century CE and probably bound together in Baghdad during the reign of Jalayirid Sultan Ahmad (1382-1410). The manuscript is made up of astrological, astronomical and geomantic texts compiled by Abd al-Hasan Al-Isfahani, as well as a dedicated section of full-page illustrations, with each plate titled with 'A discourse on….', followed by the subject of the discourse (a folktale, a sign of the zodiac, a prophet, etc.).

Quick links to other images in this gallery: