Sitarah for the Prophet’s Mosque

Location: Istanbul

Materials: dark-green silk with orange and red silk appliqués, relief-embroidered in silver and silver-gilt wire over card and cotton thread padding

Dimensions: 271 x 150cm

Accession Number: TXT 334

Other Notes: The inscription embroidered within the arched panel at the top is Surat al-Ahzab, XXXIII, verses 45–6. Below it, on gold-embroidered ground, is Surat al-Nur, XXIV, beginning of verse 35, (‘God is the Light of the heavens and the earth’) with the shahadah to either side. In the red panels is the ‘Verse of the Throne’ (Surat al-Baqarah, II, verse 255) around the name of Allah.
The border has a repeated supplication for the intercession of the Prophet.

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