Decorated Walls, Description, and Cultural Memory. Between Byzantium, Persia, and Early Islam

Wall mosaics from early Byzantine buildings, though rare, hold significant cultural and religious meaning. A study reveals that two ninth-century texts—al-Buhturī’s Arabic poem 'Īwān Kisrā' and the Greek Letter of the Three Patriarchs—expand our understanding of these artworks by describing likely mosaics in the Sasanian palace at Ctesiphon and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. These descriptions highlight how monumental art facilitated cross-cultural communication, shaping identities for Byzantine, Persian, and early Islamic viewers. The research suggests that such mosaics were potent symbols, bridging traditions and influencing cultural memory beyond their original contexts.

Leatherbury, S. V. (2021). Decorated Walls, Description, and Cultural Memory. Between Byzantium, Persia, and Early Islam. Convivium, 8(2), 56–77. https://doi.org/10.1484/j.convi.5.131115