The eleventh lesson in a 22 lesson course on Monuments of Islamic Architecture developed by Professors Gulru Necipoglu and David Roxburgh at the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University. This lesson will explore how new kinds of cities and palaces developed under the Mongols to reflect forms of cultural and artistic adaptations and assimilations. These adaptations were driven by Mongol lifestyle which was nomadic, and the sedentary territories over which they ruled. What were the effects of adapting to aspects of sedentary culture? How did this relate to changes in artistic and architectural practices? How do we define permanent and portable architecture? How do these differences relate to nomadic and sedentary lifestyles? Another part of what we will focus on today involves the very close connections that are established between Qubilai Khan, the Great Khan of China and Mongolia, and the lands of Greater Iran ruled over by the Ilkhanid dynasty founded by Hülegü, Qubilai Khan’s brother. How does urban planning in contemporary China compare and contrast with Iran? Citation Necipoglu, Gulru and David Roxburgh. “Between Portable and Permanent Architecture.” Lesson 11/22 presentation developed for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme, 2019.

The twelfth lesson in a 22 lesson course on Monuments of Islamic Architecture developed by Professors Gulru Necipoglu and David Roxburgh at the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University. This lesson explores a dialogue between soft and hard architecture, between an architecture that is portable, ephemeral and essentially nomadic in nature, and its intersection with sedentary forms of architecture that were mostly permanent and fixed. What exchanges occurred between temporary and permanent architecture? How do ceramic tiles reflect the impact of portable architecture? In Timurid Samarqand, we will explore a slightly different process of assimilation than that of the Ilkhanid projects, which primarily functioned as translation from the nomadic to sedentary. Rather, we will investigate how Timur and the nomadic tribes of Central Asia, who were already deeply familiar with the traditions of sedentary Islam, accumulated and redirected diverse cultural and aesthetic traditions. Citation Necipoglu, Gulru and David Roxburgh. “Timurid Cities in Iran and Central Asia.” Lesson 12/22 presentation developed for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme, 2019.

The fifteenth and sixteenth lessons in a 22 lesson course on Monuments of Islamic Architecture developed by Professors Gulru Necipoglu and David Roxburgh at the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University. Th lessons explores the ways in which the Mamluks inscribed their political power and presence on the urban landscape of Cairo. How did they transform the monumental topography of Cairo? On which parts of the city was Mamluk patronage activity focused? We will learn about architectural innovations in Cairo through one main case study, the construction of the Sultan Hasan complex. How did the waqf system become a tool for the Mamluk elite to display their piety to the public and also to protect their wealth. Citation Necipoglu, Gulru and David Roxburgh. “The Madrasa-Mosque Complex of Sultan Hasan and the Mamluk System of Charitable Endowments.” Lesson 15-16/22 presentation developed for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme, 2019.

The nineteenth lesson in a 22 lesson course on Monuments of Islamic Architecture developed by Professors Gulru Necipoglu and David Roxburgh at the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University. This lesson explores the development of the Safavid empire, which reached its apex in the capital city of Isfahan. The city as a global metropolis is characterized by its economic growth, cultural efflorescence, and social diversity. Throughout this lesson we will explore how it was that the city evolved, as well as how it embodied ideas about the ruler, the state, and society, in addition to cultivating an economic upsurge. What is the story that the city is telling us about the Safavid elite and its relationship to this multi-ethnic, multi-confessional population? Citation Necipoglu, Gulru and David Roxburgh. “Isfahan under Shah Abbas.” Lesson 13/22 presentation developed for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme, 2019.

*The twentieth lesson (part 1 of 2) in a 22 lesson course on Monuments of Islamic Architecture developed by Professors Gulru Necipoglu and David Roxburgh at the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University. This lesson explores the architectural and social formation of Safavid Isfahan that was shaped by the political and economic aims of Shah ʿAbbas and his successors and the sociopolitical reorganization shared in the alliances and competitions among vested groups. This included a royal monopoly in the silk trade, and their Armenian and European facilitators, as well as the “capitalist” ventures of the new mercantile communities that engaged in long‐distance trade. Citation Necipoglu, Gulru and David Roxburgh. “International Trade and the King’s Silk Monopoly Part One.” Lesson 20A/22 presentation developed for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme, 2019.*

The twentieth lesson (part 2 of 2) in a 22 lesson course on Monuments of Islamic Architecture developed by Professors Gulru Necipoglu and David Roxburgh at the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University. This lesson explores the architectural and social formation of Safavid Isfahan that was shaped by the political and economic aims of Shah ʿAbbas and his successors and the sociopolitical reorganization shared in the alliances and competitions among vested groups. This included a royal monopoly in the silk trade, and their Armenian and European facilitators, as well as the “capitalist” ventures of the new mercantile communities that engaged in long‐distance trade. Citation Necipoglu, Gulru and David Roxburgh. “International Trade and the King’s Silk Monopoly Part Two.” Lesson 20B/22 presentation developed for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme, 2019.

The ninth lesson in a 22 lesson course on Monuments of Islamic Architecture developed by Professors Gulru Necipoglu and David Roxburgh at the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University. This lesson addresses the artistic and architectural developments from 1050 to 1250 will be discussed with a major focus on the mosque and hospital complex in Divriği, north central Anatolia. Citation Necipoglu, Gulru and David Roxburgh. “The Mosque and Hospital Complex of Divrigi.” Lesson 9/22 presentation developed for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme, 2019.