| publication name | Visual language in Mamluk architecture: A semiotic analysis of the Funerary Complex of Sultan Qaitbay in Cairo |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nelly Shafik Ramzy |
| year | 2013 |
| keywords | Architectural semioticsSemiotics of spaceArchitectural languageSymbolismArchitectural rhetoric |
| journal | Frontiers of Architectural Research |
| volume | 2 |
| issue | 3 |
| pages | 338-353 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| Local/International | International |
| Paper Link | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095263513000289 |
| Full paper | download |
| Supplementary materials | Not Available |
Abstract
Cultural background plays a significant role in the sphere of visual art. Semiotics as a discipline is recognized as a useful tool in gauging cultural background and identifying signs that might represent the message of a certain work. Given the rich cultural context of Mamluk architecture, this form of art can be used in studying semiotics. Semiotic tools were employed to interpret the expression of architectural forms and to formulate a subsequent understanding of these architectural forms by turning each element into a communication tool that elucidates meaning. The Sufie tradition was the dominant Islamic practice during the Mamluk period, during which metaphysics, numbers, and geometry were regarded as indispensable tools in manifesting the nature of divinity and the order of being. A semiotic reading of the Funerary Complex of Sultan Qaitbay in Cairo, regarded as one of the perfect works of this era, was …