The Ahl al-Bayt in Cairo and Damascus: The Dynamics of Making Shrines for the Family of the Prophet

In Cairo and Damascus, the Ahl al-bayt are commemorated in a variety of shrines and mosques, small and large, old and of recent date. Many of these shrines and mosques are still standing and are being used today; some have been lost and others are neglected or in ruins. My dissertation topic, "The Ahl al-bayt in Cairo and Damascus: The Dynamics of Making Shrines for the Family of the Prophet," examines a selection of shrines built in Cairo and Damascus for members of the Prophet of Islam's household who are collectively known as the "Ahl al-Bayt" or "people of the house." The scope of my inquiry ranges in time from the medieval to the contemporary, exploring the dynamics that were involved in the making and remaking of these shrine spaces for the Ahl al-bayt in both cities. Challenging the Shi'i label usually associated with these buildings; my dissertation proposes an alternative understanding of the continuity of these shrines' revered status under both Sunni and Shi'i patronage. It argues that the main impetus for this continuity was linked to the sustained engagement between the set of narratives that came to be attached with the buildings, the shrines' architectural forms and sustained ritual performance within them. The dynamic relationship between these three aspects of the shrines' spaces, as this work will propose, was the main factor that contributed to the making and maintaining of active shrines for the Ahl al-bayt. Following an introductory chapter that addresses the theoretical framework of this study; three main chapters comprise a series of essays on the central issues dealing with the shrines during the contemporary, early modern and pre-modern periods. Using insights from recent studies that highlight the importance of analyzing performance and reception in art historical inquiries, the essays in each chapter move beyond the study of architectural form to include an analysis of the function and use of the shrines' spaces. For centuries, various powerful groups have subjected the Ahl al-bayt shrines to restoration, recreation and contested them with attempts of reclamation and revival. The shrines' spaces provided a dynamic architectural backdrop for the public ceremonies and ritual performances enacted within them. Moreover, the narrative revolving around these spaces continued to revitalize the shrines and authenticate their revered status among their devotees. This dissertation investigates the complex relationships between narratives and architecture, patronage and popular piety and their materialization at these popular shrine spaces.