In this episode I talked to Professor Mahmoud Hawari, a leading scholar in the history of Ayyubid Jerusalem. The conquest of Jerusalem by Saladin in 

583/1187, after nearly nine decades of Frankish rule, opened a new era of cultural, socio-economic and architectural changes. The renewed political fervour that followed it gave a fresh impetus to an extensive building activity initiated by the Ayyubids, which signified a renaissance in the style of Islamic architecture. Such style is exemplified in a large variety of monuments which would come to influence the magnificent Medieval Islamic architecture of Jerusalem. After unpacking Ayyubid Jerusalem we also discussed the question of the Citadel and the Tower of David, its archaeological appropriation and transformations. We ended the conversation with a virtual tour of Ayyubid Jerusalem where visitors can still see the visible signs of this almost forgotten dynasty.

Originally published on 02/02/2023

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