The Qasr Burqu‘ Building Inscription Of Prince Al-Walīd Dated 81 AH / 700 CE

Islamic Awareness

© Islamic Awareness, All Rights Reserved.

First Composed: 29th November 2005

Last Modified: 29th November 2005

submit to reddit

Assalamu ʿalaykum wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu:

(a)

(b)

Figure: (a) Partial photo of the inscription. (b) The full trace of the same inscription including missing parts.

Date

81 AH / 700 CE.

Script

Kufic.

Contents

The translation of the inscription is:

  1. O my God! Bismillah. This is what
  2. the Amīr al-Walīd, son of the Commander of the Faithful, built
  3. these houses, in the year 81.

Comments

This building inscription in Qasr Burquʿ was built by al-Walid before his ascension to the throne (705-715 CE). The inscription covers the lintel of the door that leads to the apse-shaped throne room. Its three lines are incised in irregular fashion and become increasingly squashed towards the bottom.

A partial picture of this inscription was taken by Henry Field. Florence E. Day produced a full trace of the inscription in 1960.

Location

Qasr Burquʿ, Jordan.

Bookmark and Share


References

[1] H. Field, "Early Man In North Arabia", Natural History, 1929, Volume 29, pp. 33-44. Only partial photograph was taken.

[2] F. E. Day, "Appendix E: Historical Notes On Burqu‘, Bayir And Dauqara" in H. Field, North Arabian Desert Archaeological Survey, 1925-50, 1960, Papers Of The Peabody Museum Of Archaeology And Ethnology, Harvard University, Volume 45, No. 2, pp. 154-155; Also reproduced by A. Grohmann, Arabische Paläographie II: Das Schriftwesen. Die Lapidarschrift, 1971, Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften Philosophisch - Historische Klasse: Denkschriften 94/2. Hermann Böhlaus Nachf.: Wein, p. 84.

[3] B. Gruendler, The Development Of The Arabic Scripts: From The Nabatean Era To The First Islamic Century According To The Dated Texts, 1993, Harvard Semitic Series No. 43, Scholars Press: Atlanta (GA), pp. 18-19.

The images above are reproduced from the stated sources under the provisions of the copyright law. This allows for the reproduction of portions of copyrighted material for non-commercial, educational purposes.

With the exception for those images which have passed into the public domain, the use of these images for commercial purposes is expressly prohibited without the consent of the copyright holder.

Back To The Arabic & Islamic Inscriptions