Artistry in Abbasid Architecture: The Stucco Decorations from Samarra

The city of Samarra at the banks of the River Tigris (nowadays in Iraq), was one of the most extraordinary cities of its time. Founded by the Abbasid caliph al-Muʿtasim in 221 AH/ 836 CE, Samarra served as the temporary capital of the Abbasid caliphate until 279 AH/ 892 CE, when the caliphs returned to their former capital of Baghdad.

The Abbasids turned their new cities of power into– what we would label today– a ‘Silicon Valley’. Thanks to the vigorous patronage of the Abbasid caliphs, these cities quickly turned into important cultural and commercial hubs, attracting scholars and thinkers from all over the Islamic world. From vast engineering projects to artistic and technological innovations to great developments in the fields of learning and science, the Abbasids set new architectural and artistic trends and scientific standards; their prolific art industry prompted important technological innovations in glass, ceramic and stucco industries.

While virtually nothing of the splendour of Abbasid Baghdad remains today, the site of Samarra stands as a unique witness to the grandeur of the Abbasid court, greatly contributing to our modern understanding of Abbasid art and architecture.

Archaeological evidence, historical photographs taken on-site, and precise documentation in situ during the excavation campaigns in Samarra have so far offered a wealth of information about this former seat of caliphal power. Here, some of the largest and most impressive palaces were built, accompanied by vast gardens and hunting grounds. The iconic minaret of the mosques of al-Mutawakkil and Abu Dulaf set the style that was later emulated and adapted in regions as far as Egypt, as for example in Ibn Tulun’s mosque. Even today, modern buildings like the Monument to the Unknown Soldier in Baghdad or al-Fanar Islamic Cultural Center in Doha, generally considered unique landmarks, evoke reminiscence of the Abbasid past.

Surra Man Ra’ā – ‘He who sees it is delighted’

Despite its short lifespan, Samarra became one of the most extraordinary and spectacular cities of its time. Luxurious palaces, royal residences, private houses and majestic mosques decorated with various colourful high-quality materials from all over the caliphate that stretched from North Africa to Western Central Asia once shaped the cityscape of Samarra. Skilfully carved stucco and marble revetments, painted wooden beams, vibrant wall paintings, mother-of-pearl inlays, polychrome floor tiles, millefiori glass and other decorative elements were carefully arranged as part of a specific decorative program, particularly for the interiors of the imposing palatial complexes of the Abbasid caliphs.

The concept of monumentality and the extensive use of space became the trademark of Abbasid palaces in Samarra. While the splendid exteriors of these buildings were visible to all sorts of people, the interiors often remained restricted, accessible only to a selected few.

A Fascination with Samarra

Samarra’s ruins remained untouched until the early 20th century, when parts of the huge site were excavated by German and Iraqi excavation campaigns. The Samarra finds, and, in particular, the famous richly ornamented stucco revetment that was used as a three-dimensional wallpaper to cover the lower parts of the interiors, attracted most attention.

The stucco panels displayed at MIA were excavated by the Directorate-General of Antiquities of Iraq (DGA), under the supervision of Tariq Al-Janabi during 1979 and 1982, and belong to the same building (House 10). Another fragment of the same characteristics as this one can be found in the David Collection in Copenhagen (43/1992).

The so called ‘Bevelled Style’

Samarra has played a pivotal role in the establishment of Islamic art and archaeology as academic discipline. This is mainly the outcome of the work of one scholar: the German archaeologist Ernst Herzfeld (1879−1948) who excavated the site of Samarra in 1911–1913 and published parts of his results in 1923.

Herzfeld studied the excavated stucco finds mainly based on their decorative stylistic criteria and as autonomous units without a closer look at techniques, material compositions and functions, or within their archaeological or even cultural context. He suggested that a distinctive style and a new carving technique, mainly used for stucco decoration, emerged in Samarra for the first time. Based on ornamental characteristics, he divided the excavated stucco material into three categories (Style 1, 2 and 3, later re-labelled by Creswell as Style A, B, C) and started his publication with the so-called ‘Bevelled Style’ (Style 1/ Style C), arguing that most of the stucco decorations belonged to this category.

The decoration of this stucco panel belongs to what is generally known as the characteristic Samarra or ‘Bevelled Style’, believed to have spread as a new visual language from Samarra to other centres of the Abbasid Empire. According to Herzfeld, this specific style features new abstract geometric forms instead of vegetal and floral patterns and is carved in a bevelled cut. However, the technique of a multi-layered bevelled cut – evident on this stucco panel at MIA – was not discussed by Herzfeld and has so far only been seen on stucco revetments from Samarra.

Architectural Wall Decorations Beyond Ornamentation

The stucco panels from Samarra have been mainly discussed as isolated objects with a unilateral focus on their ornamentation, without a closer look at techniques, material composition and functions or within its archaeological or even cultural context.

New research suggests that the stucco materials and other architectural fragments from Samarra should be recognised as part of a broader and thoughtful narrative of complex interior design, reflecting the grandeur and artistic innovation of the Abbasid era.

The Legacy of Stucco Decoration

The art and architecture created during the Abbasid caliphate had an enormous legacy for the following centuries, sometimes even visible to the present day.

The traditional use of gypsum-based plaster (locally known as juss) is, for instance, still visible in Qatar. Carved stucco plasterwork above doorways along with rectangular decorative wall panels below the wooden roof level are key elements of traditional houses and palaces, such as the Radwani House and the historic residential complex of Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani in Doha. Some of these 19th and 20th-century stucco examples are on display at the National Museum of Qatar. These architectural elements continue to be common in Qatar and other Gulf states to this day.

Simone Struth, Curator for Central Islamic Lands, MIA

See It In Person

Discover the intricate Abbasid stucco panel in Gallery 6 at the Museum of Islamic Art. Plan your visit to explore this masterpiece and other highlights from our collection that illuminate the beauty and innovation of early Islamic art.