Public Events

This lecture will take place in person at ISAW. Registration is required; click through for the registration link. This lecture is given in conjunction with ISAW's exhibition Madinat al-Zahra: The Radiant Capital of Islamic Spain. Madīnat al-Zahrā’, the 10th-century caliphal city of the Umayyads of al-Andalus, presents an exemplary site for the investigation of the intertwined notions of nature, humanity and materiality embodied in landscape architecture.

This workshop will take place in person at ISAW. Registration is required; click through for the registration link. Please join illustrator and teaching artist Joan Chiverton for an afternoon of sketching in the galleries in conjunction with the exhibition Madinat al-Zahra: The Radiant Capital of Islamic Spain. Develop your drawing skills and discover a new way of seeing the exhibit, as you sketch masterpieces and other objects. Following a brief introduction and tutorial, Ms. Chiverton will circulate the galleries and provide individual coaching, if desired. All skill levels are welcome, from beginner to advanced. Participants should bring their own drawing pad or paper with a board, but we will have paper on hand if necessary. Gallery specific pencils will be provided by ISAW. For conservation reasons pens, pastels, charcoal and paints need to be kept at home.

This lecture will take place in person at ISAW. Registration is required; click through for the registration link. This lecture is given in conjunction with ISAW's exhibition Madinat al-Zahra: The Radiant Capital of Islamic Spain. When Abd al-Rahman I established independent Umayyad rule in Cordoba in the mid-eighth century, most of his subjects were Christian. By the time Madinat al-Zahra flourished under his descendants, Abd al-Rahman III and al-Hakam II, the majority of the caliph’s subjects were Muslim.

Come join us for an evening performance of traditional Andalusian music and song! Immerse yourself in the spirit of intercultural exchange and the cosmopolitan synergy of Al-Andalus, brought to life by the New York Andalus Ensemble.

This workshop will take place in person at ISAW. Registration is required; click through for the registration link. Please join illustrator and teaching artist Joan Chiverton for an afternoon of sketching in the galleries in conjunction with the exhibition Madinat al-Zahra: The Radiant Capital of Islamic Spain. Develop your drawing skills and discover a new way of seeing the exhibit, as you sketch masterpieces and other objects. Following a brief introduction and tutorial, Ms. Chiverton will circulate the galleries and provide individual coaching, if desired. All skill levels are welcome, from beginner to advanced. Participants should bring their own drawing pad or paper with a board, but we will have paper on hand if necessary. Gallery specific pencils will be provided by ISAW. For conservation reasons pens, pastels, charcoal and paints need to be kept at home.

This lecture will take place in person at ISAW. Registration is required; click through for the registration link. This lecture is given in conjunction with ISAW's exhibition Madinat al-Zahra: The Radiant Capital of Islamic Spain. Islam’s first dynasty is usually presented as two separate phenomena: the Umayyads of Syria (r. 661-750), ruling from Damascus, and, later, a “second” Umayyad dynasty that flourished in Spain (756-1031), centered around Cordoba and Madinat al-Zahra.

This lecture will take place in person at ISAW. Registration is required; click through for the registration link. This lecture is given in conjunction with ISAW's exhibition Madinat al-Zahra: The Radiant Capital of Islamic Spain. Of the many beautiful objects associated with Madinat al-Zahra and the Cordoban Umayyad caliphate, perhaps none are as celebrated as a series of ivory pyxides and caskets produced for members of the royal family.

This workshop will take place in person at ISAW. Registration is required; click through for the registration link. Expanding the Ancient World is a series of professional development workshops and online resources for teachers. Learn more about Islamic art and material culture during the early Medieval Period (711–1031 CE) through the ISAW exhibition "Madinat al-Zahra: The Radiant Capital of Islamic Spain."

This event will take place in person. Registration is required; click through for the registration link. Please join us as Roberta Casagrande-Kim, ISAW Exhibitions Director, hosts a conversation with Antonio Vallejo Triano (Madinat al-Zahra Museum) and Eduardo Manzano Moreno (CSIC, Madrid) to discuss the genesis of this project. Antonio and Eduardo will address the themes of the exhibition, discuss the ancient artifacts on display, and evaluate the role of the Umayyad dynasty in the understanding of medieval Spain.