SHUM 4664

Death in the City: Funerary Architecture in Muslim South Asia

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2021-2022.

This seminar examines the development and transformation of Muslim funerary landscapes in the Indian subcontinent from the twelfth to the nineteenth centuries. It explores the relationship between sepulchral spaces and the urban environments with which they are connected, highlighting their role as spaces of sociability as well as piety. We will study the long history of funerary architecture through a series of case studies. This examination will involve architectural analysis of sites such as the shrine of Nizam al-Din Awliya in Delhi, close readings of poetic compositions, for example, the Maklinamah of Mir Sher 'Ali Qani, and travelogues like the Rihla of Ibn Battuta, to unravel the processes by which sites are re-imagined and re-made over time. For longer description and instructor bio visit the Society for the Humanities website.

When Offered Fall.

Breadth Requirement (HB)
Distribution Category (HA-AS, HST-AS)

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