A Espada de Damasco era uma arma utilizada pelos exércitos muçulmanos medievais. Está de tal forma associada à civilização islâmica que se tornou um de seus símbolos. Esta espada se caracterizava tanto por suas ótimas propriedades mecânicas como por seus belos desenhos ondulados. Estes atributos, somados à sua mística, a fizeram objeto de imitação e cobiça no Ocidente. Entre os séc. VIII e XIII d.C. o mundo muçulmano viveu seu apogeu como civilização, compilando, traduzindo, analisando e desenvolvendo um enorme corpo de conhecimento, em diversas áreas, trazido das grandes civilizações com as quais interagiu. No campo militar, as invasões dos povos nômades da Ásia Central trouxeram inovações, sendo claramente responsáveis pela introdução do sabre. O Império muçulmano medieval reuniu, assim, as condições necessárias para o advento da Espada de Damasco, principalmente por ter absorvido de outros povos, tanto a oeste, como a leste, uma série de elementos e influências fundamentais para a concepção desta arma: seu formato, o sabre, foi trazido pelos povos turcomanos nômades, e a tecnologia do aço de cadinho, sua matéria prima principal, era proveniente do Oriente; da Índia e da Ásia Central. Este trabalho se propõe a discutir de que forma a lendária Espada de Damasco pode ser entendida como um produto único da civilização islâmica medieval. Para alcançar este propósito, duas das principais características desta arma serão discutidas, seu formato como sabre, e sua matéria prima, o aço de cadinho. Finalmente, a etapa experimental realizada nos permite avaliar sob nossa própria perspectiva as duas principais hipóteses para explicar a formação do padrão de damasco, propostas por Verhoeven e Sherby. Além disso, as tentativas de reprodução do aço de cadinho nos levam a propor a hipótese do ferro fundido, invenção sabidamente chinesa, ter sido descoberto de forma acidental ao tentar produzir aço de cadinho. / The Damascus sword was the weapon of choice of the Muslim medieval armies. It is so closely related to the Islamic civilization that it became one of its symbols. This saber was known by its great mechanical properties, as much as its pleas-ant wavy pattern. All these attributes, added to its mystical meaning, turned it into an object to be reproduced and desired by the West. Between the 9th and 13th centuries AD, the Muslim society experienced its height as civilization, compiling, translating, analyzing and developing a wide body of knowledge of many fields, imported from the main civilizations with whom it coexist-ed. On military matters, nomadic peoples from central Asia invaded the Islamic world, bringing innovations with them, such as the saber. The Muslim medieval Empire pro-vided suitable conditions to allow the Damascus sword to be created. Specially, be-cause this civilization assimilated several influences from East and West, essential to the development of this weapon: its shape as saber was taken from the nomadic Turkic peoples, the technology of the crucible steel came from the East; Central Asia and India. This thesis discusses how the legendary Damascus sword may be understood as a unique product of the medieval Islamic civilization. Two of the most important features of this weapon will be discussed in order to reach our purpose: its design as a saber, and its raw material, the crucible steel. Finally, the experimental part allow us to assay, through our own perspective, the two main hypothesis what explain the origin of the Damascus pattern, suggested by Verhoeven and Sherby. Moreover, the different attempts to reproduce the UHC crucible steel lead us to formulate a hypothesis on the origin of the cast iron, a known Chinese invention, which could have been discovered by accident while trying to produce crucible steel.

A Espada de Damasco era uma arma utilizada pelos exércitos muçulmanos medievais. Está de tal forma associada à civilização islâmica que se tornou um de seus símbolos. Esta espada se caracterizava tanto por suas ótimas propriedades mecânicas como por seus belos desenhos ondulados. Estes atributos, somados à sua mística, a fizeram objeto de imitação e cobiça no Ocidente. Entre os séc. VIII e XIII d.C. o mundo muçulmano viveu seu apogeu como civilização, compilando, traduzindo, analisando e desenvolvendo um enorme corpo de conhecimento, em diversas áreas, trazido das grandes civilizações com as quais interagiu. No campo militar, as invasões dos povos nômades da Ásia Central trouxeram inovações, sendo claramente responsáveis pela introdução do sabre. O Império muçulmano medieval reuniu, assim, as condições necessárias para o advento da Espada de Damasco, principalmente por ter absorvido de outros povos, tanto a oeste, como a leste, uma série de elementos e influências fundamentais para a concepção desta arma: seu formato, o sabre, foi trazido pelos povos turcomanos nômades, e a tecnologia do aço de cadinho, sua matéria prima principal, era proveniente do Oriente; da Índia e da Ásia Central. Este trabalho se propõe a discutir de que forma a lendária Espada de Damasco pode ser entendida como um produto único da civilização islâmica medieval. Para alcançar este propósito, duas das principais características desta arma serão discutidas, seu formato como sabre, e sua matéria prima, o aço de cadinho. Finalmente, a etapa experimental realizada nos permite avaliar sob nossa própria perspectiva as duas principais hipóteses para explicar a formação do padrão de damasco, propostas por Verhoeven e Sherby. Além disso, as tentativas de reprodução do aço de cadinho nos levam a propor a hipótese do ferro fundido, invenção sabidamente chinesa, ter sido descoberto de forma acidental ao tentar produzir aço de cadinho. / The Damascus sword was the weapon of choice of the Muslim medieval armies. It is so closely related to the Islamic civilization that it became one of its symbols. This saber was known by its great mechanical properties, as much as its pleas-ant wavy pattern. All these attributes, added to its mystical meaning, turned it into an object to be reproduced and desired by the West. Between the 9th and 13th centuries AD, the Muslim society experienced its height as civilization, compiling, translating, analyzing and developing a wide body of knowledge of many fields, imported from the main civilizations with whom it coexist-ed. On military matters, nomadic peoples from central Asia invaded the Islamic world, bringing innovations with them, such as the saber. The Muslim medieval Empire pro-vided suitable conditions to allow the Damascus sword to be created. Specially, be-cause this civilization assimilated several influences from East and West, essential to the development of this weapon: its shape as saber was taken from the nomadic Turkic peoples, the technology of the crucible steel came from the East; Central Asia and India. This thesis discusses how the legendary Damascus sword may be understood as a unique product of the medieval Islamic civilization. Two of the most important features of this weapon will be discussed in order to reach our purpose: its design as a saber, and its raw material, the crucible steel. Finally, the experimental part allow us to assay, through our own perspective, the two main hypothesis what explain the origin of the Damascus pattern, suggested by Verhoeven and Sherby. Moreover, the different attempts to reproduce the UHC crucible steel lead us to formulate a hypothesis on the origin of the cast iron, a known Chinese invention, which could have been discovered by accident while trying to produce crucible steel.

L’objet de ce travail est d’étudier le lien entre le mécénat et le décor architectural à Damas de l’arrivée des Salğūqides à l’irruption des Mongols en Syrie et l'occupation destructrice de la ville, soit la fin de la dynastie ayyūbide.Un recensement des monuments conservés, replacés pour certains dans le contexte d’un mécénat qui dépasse largement la métropole syrienne, permet de mettre plusieurs groupes de mécènes, un groupe princier (le dynaste et sa famille directe), celui des émirs qui gravite autour de ce pouvoir central sans toujours résider et se rend ainsi visible dans la capitale, et celui des groupes de juristes et de religieux (soufis notamment) qui, tracent avec leurs fondations une géographie dans la ville et dans ses faubourgs.Une présentation des monuments par étapes chronologiques, et par réseaux (familiaux, sociaux) illustre des moments-clefs de la création artistique à Damas (milieu du XII° siècle: Nûr al-Dîn; début XIII°: al-'Âdil) et des groupes d’édifices liés par des caractères originaux: muqarnas de plâtre au XII° siècle et de pierre au XIII° siècle n'ornent longtemps que les portails des familles princières.Le décor réside dans les choix architecturaux (salles à coupoles, transition sur trompes ou sur pendentifs), mais aussi dans le choix des matériaux avec le goût pour la peinture et la sculpture sur plâtre et pour les assises de pierre colorées (ablaq).L’étude des ornements, montre des liens durables avec l’art fatimide jusqu’au début du XIII° siècle, mais aussi des échanges constants avec les foyers de l'espace zankide et ayyûbide, mais aussi de Mésopotamie, d’Iran et d’Asie Centrale, qui pourvoient Damas en savants et combattants. / This work is a study about the link that we can find between the Architectural Ornament and the patronage in medieval Damascus from the arrival of Salğūqids to the Mongol conquest.A listing of the still existing (or documented) monuments, put for some patrons into the context of their known architectural activity in order to point out the importance of the destroyed monuments, throws light on the activity of rulers and their family, military circles, and religious circles. This patronage outlines a geography of these groups in and around the city of Damascus.The study of the monuments, chronologically and by circles of patronage (families, social groups…) illustrates some moments of important artistic activity ( Middle of the XIIth century: Nûr al-Dîn; Beginning of the XIIIth century: al-Âdil), and also some groups of monuments with original ornamentation, or conception: plaster and stone muqarnas only occcur on portals built by the ruler and his family, not by the amirs, nor scholars.Architectural ornament is also based upon some choice, for cupolas on squinches or pendentives, for cut plaster or painted plaster, couloured stones for stripped walls (ablaq).The study of ornaments shows the links with Fatimid art till the beginning of the XIII° century, and with close Syrian and Mesopotamian sources, but also with the more remote oriental sources, with Iranian and Central Asian art, in this time many scholars and warriors.come to Damascus from these countries.

This paper treats the relationship between form and meaning in conditional constructions in Damascus Arabic (DA). More specifically, it treats two, main formal categories of DA conditional constructions: the conditional marker and the verb morphology and, further, how these are related to various degrees of conditional hypotheticality. Apart from the introductory section (Introduction, Aim, Method and Classification of DA), the paper consists of three larger sections: Section 2 gives a basic, theoretical background of crosslinguistic conditional constructions as well as what previous scholars have said about the crosslinguistic relationship between conditional form and meaning. It is found that many of these scholars tend to describe form, but neglect deeper discussions of meaning. This section also provides a general background of the verbal system in DA and the primary TAM (Tense-Aspect-Mood) categories of DA verb forms. The main analysis of this thesis is found in section 3. In this section, I first suggest a method of analysis called ‘the hypotheticality continuum’ which is then employed in the following sub-sections, following Comrie (1986). Thereafter, attention is first paid to DA protasis markers and how the choice of marker is related to hypotheticality. Thirdly, I deal with verb morphology and how the choice of verb form together with a given protasis marker contributes to creating even more fine-grained distinctions of hypotheticality in DA conditional constructions. Lastly, a presentation of results and final discussion in section 4 conclude the paper.

Cette thèse présente une étude historique : l’apparition du papier au Moyen Orient. L’identification des centres de fabrication papetières de cette région, les différentes méthodologies constatées, puisées dans des sources arabes anciennes. Une étude analytique : analyses des sujets présents dans les firmans d’Alep qui contiennent plusieurs sujets traitant de la vie politique, économique, religieuse, militaire et sociale de cette ville. Ces sujets nous donnent une idée plus claire et réelle de ce qui s’est passé dans cette région et d’une manière plus large dans l’empire ottoman. Une étude technique des papiers filigranés des collections ottomanes conservées au centre des archives de Damas : de manière à peu près constante, les papetiers d’Occident se sont appliqués à signer leur production en utilisant une marque inscrite en filigrane dans la feuille à sa fabrication. Cette marque qui s’exprime par le dessin d’une figure ou des lettres, constitue en quelque sorte l’enseigne du papetier. Des solutions de conservation préventive par la surveillance climatique et la sensibilisation des différents acteurs : chercheurs, responsables et lecteurs sur les bonnes pratiques de consultation. Des solutions de conservation curatives sont proposées par l’utilisation de méthodes de restaurations reconnues au niveau international et par la création d’un type de reliure de conservation économiquement et techniquement transposable en Syrie pays où cet artisanat est absent. / This thesis presents a historical study: the appearance of the paper in the Middle East. Identification of paper mills manufacturing centers of this region, the different methodologies identified, drawn from ancient Arabic sources. An analytical study: analysis of subjects in the firmans Aleppo containing several topics dealing with political, economic, religious, military and social life of the city. These subjects give us a clearer and real idea of what happened in this region and more broadly in the Ottoman Empire. A technical study paper watermarks Ottoman collections housed at the center of Damascus archives: in order almost constant, papermakers west have applied to sign their production using a registered trademark implicit in the sheet manufacture. This brand is expressed through drawing of a figure or letters, is something of the sign in the paper. Preventive conservation solutions for climate monitoring and awareness of various stakeholders: researchers, managers and players on good consultation practices. Curative conservation solutions are offered by the use of methods restorations internationally recognized and the creation of a type of conservation economically and technically binding transposable Syria country where the craft is away.

ABSTRACT SYRIAN ARMENIANS DURING THE LAST DECADES OF THE NINETEETNH AND THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURIES MemiS, Serife (Eroglu) MS, Department of Middle East Studies Supervisor: Prof. Dr. &Ouml / mer Turan December 2007, 161 pages This thesis analyses the situation of the Syrian Armenians during the last decades of the nineteenth and the first quarter of the twentieth centuries. The central position of the Provinces of Aleppo and Damascus, parts of today&rsquo / s Syria, for both the Armenian communities of Aleppo and Damascus and the Ottoman Empire are the main incentives that determine the focus of this study as Syrian Armenians. Apart from the representation of the social, economic, political, religious, cultural and educational life of the Armenian communities in the Provinces of Aleppo and Damascus, the thesis also includes information about the situation of them during the relocation process. Within this context, the thesis also includes information representing the issue of Armenian Question in a different aspect since untouched fields of research, the cases of Aleppine and Damascene Armenians, provide some similarities and differences with the Armenian community&rsquo / s situation in the Ottoman Empire before World War I and during the relocation process.

The subject of this dissertation is the life achievement of Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani (1923-1998). The study follows two tracks, one literary focused on the poetry and biography of the poet, and one historical focused on the concurrent political and social developments in the Arab world in the twentieth century. The two tracks contextualize and elucidate each other to form a mega-narrative of Arab life in modern times. The narrative begins by investigating the intellectual world in which Nizar grew up, continues on to examine his unique personal and familial makeup as well as the social and political context of the times, then proceeds to analyze his poetic achievement as it unfolded. In so doing, a picture emerges of the Arab experience in modern times as reflected in Nizar's own creative experience and tumultuous life.The narrative concentrates initially on Syria, more specifically on Damascus, being the birthplace and the breeding ground where the poet's character was first shaped. But once the poet leaves on his many journeys, a wider perspective is adopted to highlight the many other influences that ultimately went into his making, reverting back to Syria insomuch as it continued to influence the poet's unfolding narrative. Although a chronological line threads through the work starting from the poet's birth in 1923 to his passing in 1998, this line is accentuated throughout the life of the poet by the many places he lived in - cities that left their distinctive mark on his consciousness and poetry. As such, the mega-narrative, much like a journey, sets a background of progressive time against a foreground of places that give meaning to the timeline. In general terms, this study views the life of Nizar Qabbani in three interrelated and overlapping stages: a sensuous period (1923-52) that can be poetically described as local, direct, masculine, confident, and joyful; a period of social responsibility (1952-1973) that can be described as mixed, confused, itinerant, transvestite (both feminine and masculine), rebellious and conformist, happy and unhappy at the same time; and an exilic period (1973-1998): committed, feminine, rebellious, esoteric, melancholic and despairing.

Thèse--Paris. / "Edition mise à jour." Bibliographie: p. [401]-408

La thèse traite du décor de stuc à Damas à l'époque des Zanguides et des Ayyoubides; nous avons sélectionné neuf monuments de la vieille ville de Damas et de ses faubourgs, aux décors en stuc abondants les plus marquants à cette époque. Ce sont: al-Bïmaristan al-Nürï, al-Madrasa al-Nüriyya, al-Madrasa al­Badriyya, al-Turba al-Hatünïyya, al-Madrasa al-Sâmiyya al-Barrâniyya, la Mosquée d'al-Hanâbila, la Mosquée d'al-Tawba, al-Bïmaristân al- Qaymarï et al-Turba al-Takrïtiyya. La thèse est organisée en deux volumes : un premier volume d'étude et un second rassemblant un catalogue et les illustrations. Le premier volume s'organise en trois parties. La première partie est consacrée au contexte géographique et historique de la ville de Damas, à travers son expansion intra et extra-muros au cours du temps, suivie par une présentation du stuc en tant que matériau: caractéristiques, techniques utilisées et évolution chronologique à partir du début de l'époque islamique. La deuxième partie présente une étude détaillée des monuments par ordre chronologique; chaque monument est décrit sous trois aspects: historique, architectural et surtout ornemental. Une datation approximative du décor est proposée, suite à l'analyse et à l'étude comparative du décor. Chaque panneau décoratif est détaillé en suivant cinq axes de recherches. Nous abordons en premier lieu le cadre du décor, son schéma directeur et sa composition décorative; puis, nous identifions les motifs et nous dénombrons en vue de statistiques les motifs utilisés dans chaque panneau décoratif; nous commentons ensuite le traitement intérieur des motifs. La troisième partie de notre étude aborde la synthèse, sous forme d'étude analytique comparative de chaque étape de l'étude du décor, en établissant une iconographie des différents motifs floraux à partir du répertoire ornemental des neuf monuments étudiés; ces motifs sont classés en fonction de leur forme la plus simple et de leur type. L'étude comparative a été réalisée à partir de ces monuments ou d'autres monuments de la même époque, sur différents matériaux. Nous avons abordé l'étude typologique des motifs à partir de leur origine. L'analyse comparative des procédés de décoration nous a permis de dégager certains points : les motifs floraux utilisés en soulignant les plus fréquents et les plus rares, ainsi que les écoles artistiques dominantes dans le décor de stuc de Damas à l'époque zanguide et ayyoubide. / This research deals with the stucco decoration in Damascus during the Zangid and Ayyubid period. Nine monuments have been selected in the old city of Damascus and its outskirts, because of their particular importance. These are al-Bîmaristan al-Nürî, al-Madrasa al-Nüriyya, al-Madrasa al- Badriyya, al-Turba al-ljatünîyya, al-Madrasa al-Samiyya al-Barraniyya, al-ijanabila mosque, al­Tawba mosque, al-Bîmaristan al- Qaymarî and al-Turba al-Takrîtiyya. The thesis is organized in two volumes: the first volume is dedicated to the study of the decoration, the second volume contains the catalogue and the figures. The study volume is divided into three parts. The first part presents the geographical and historical context of Damascus through its expansion intra-muros and extra-muros through the time, followed by a presentation of the stucco as a material, its characteristics, its techniques and its chronological evolution since the early Islamic period. The second part is devoted to the detailed study of the monuments in chronological order. Each monument is described through three aspects: historical, architectural and ornamental. An approximate dating of the decorations is proposed according to the analysis and comparative study. Each decorative unit is detailed according to five lines: the environment of the decoration, its design blueprint and decorative composition, the identification of decorative patterns, the statistical use of each separate pattern, and finally the inner treatment of each pattern. The third part provides a synthesis with an analytical and comparative study. A directory of the different floral patterns used in the nine monuments has been established and organizcd according to their basic type. The comparative study is conducted through these monuments and other contemporary monuments, displaying various techniques. This comparative analysis allowed to highlight some aspects such as: the most commonly used floral designs or the rarest, and the different styles dominating the stucco decoration in Zangid and Ayyubid Damascus.

This thesis investigates references to Paul's Christophany in the undisputed Pauline letters. Paul's Christophanic experience has been the subject of much scholarly analysis. However, treatments of this phenomenon, while widely varied, have primarily concentrated on reconstruction of the cause, event, and effects of this phenomenon, discovery of the foundation of Paul's Christology and/or reconstruction of his Christology, and on conversion/call in general. Few have focused on the purpose behind Paul's employment of his Christophanic references in their particular literary and socio-historical contexts and none have undertaken a full-length study of each Pauline Christophanic references seeking to discover the extent to which Paul uses these references in context to shape his various communities. This is the task of this thesis. It begins by setting criteria for establishing which of the many proposed references can be deemed a Christophanic reference and based on these criteria confirms five pericopae for further evaluation: Gal 1:11-17; 1 Cor 9:1-2, 16-17; 1 Cor 15:1-11; Phil 3:4-14; and 2 Cor 3:1-4:6. Each of these confirmed references is then evaluated within their specific literary and socio-historical contexts. Special attention is given to possible intertextual links which aid in interpreting Paul's larger purposes within the epistles as well as more specific purposes behind his employment of the Christophanic reference. A significant reliance on Isaiah, especially Isa 40-66, is highlighted. Through this assessment, the importance of Paul's Christophanic references as part of his larger arguments is established. It is shown how Paul uniquely shapes the various Christophanic references to fit the needs of his argument and through it, the needs of the community. Furthermore, it evidences that Paul's Christophanic references are not primarily used to establish his apostolic status or to assert his apostolic authority. Through this study, the corporate nature of Paul's Christophanic references becomes increasingly evident and multiple general conclusions are drawn, which provide a possible glimpse into Paul's understanding of his Christophanic experience. Specifically, it is argued that Paul's Christophanic references primarily functioned in three ways. They functioned didactically, providing an avenue for instruction within Paul's overall argument. They functioned paradigmatically, offering the various communities a model of correct identity and action that should be imitated. Lastly, a few of the references also functioned analogously, illustrating Paul's understanding of the shared elements of their conversion, calling, and identity, which are made possible through a revelation of Christ/Spirit to all believers.