The Surface Decoration of an Andalusian Prayer Hall in the Madrasa al-Yusufia

Abstract

This thesis discusses the architecture decoration of the prayer of the madrasa al-Yusufia, the first madrasa in Granada, specifically the plasterwork. The madrasa was constructed under the Nasrid Sultan Yusuf I in 1394 by the initiative of his great vizier al-Hajeb Redwan. The madrasa was considered an important cultural, religious, and educational establishment during the Nasrid dynasty. It had a significant location next to the Great Mosque of Granada and the main commercial center of Nasrid Granada. The prayer hall, the only surviving room of the madrasa, underwent several restorations. Most of the publications focused on the cultural and religious significance of the madrasa and several studies were made on the restoration of the prayer hall. The architecture decoration of the prayer has been overlooked by scholars. This paper will focus on the plasterwork that covered the wall of the prayer hall. It will discuss the material and techniques used, the proportionality of the decorated surfaces which followed the proportional system used by the Nasrids in the Alhambra, and the style, geometry and symmetric groups of the patterns that cover the surfaces.