The Ghurid Portal
Of the Friday Mosque of Herat, Afghanistan
A part of the subject areas Architecture, History and Cultural studies
More about the book
About the book
This book describes the architectural restoration of the monumental Ghurid portal of the Friday Mosque of Herat, Afghanistan - a remnant of the original
12th-century architecture and decorative artwork of the Ghurids. The restoration
took place under the auspices of UNESCO and the Afghan government in 1964, fifty years ago. The portal was also passionately preserved and redecorated by the Timurid rulers and artisans of Herat in the late 15th Century; this makes it
unique among Ghurid monuments. Erik Hansen, A.W. Najimi and Claus Christensen, using photographs primarily by Kickan Hansen and field drawings by Erik Hansen, illustrate this book with historic and practical accounts of the architecture and restoration of this very important monument. This book also manifests the strong academic relationship of Danish scholars and conservation architects with Afghanistan society and monuments since the second half of the 20th century. The potential readership is envisioned to be students, architects, art historians and academics interested or engaged with the architectural conservation of historic Buildings in the Islamic World whether through research, restoration or teaching.
Table of contents
The Ghurid Dynasty in Afghanistan
The Friday Mosque of Herat
The Portal of the Ghurids
The Rebuilding by the Timurids
Restoration in Afghanistan, 1964
Restoration of the Ghurid Portal, 1964
The Ghurid Wall Decorations
The Timurid Wall Decorations
Masonry, Mortar and Plaster
Continued Conservation of Cultural Heritage in Afghanistan
