Mshatta Facade

This was only a relatively small section of the full length of the facade, surrounding the main entrance; most of the wall was undecorated and remains in situ.

[2] The decoration of the facade is primarily made up of relief carvings depicting swirling grape vine designs interspersed with vegetal motifs, birds, and other animals.

The facade frieze is bisected by a zigzag line of acanthus leaves that creates a series of alternating upright and inverted triangles.

[3] Greco-Roman and Sasanian Influence The imagery used on the Mshatta facade, like much early Islamic art, draws inspiration from different historical referents.

The grape vine, acanthus leaf, and amphora motifs provide a clear link to Greco-Roman and Byzantine visual culture.

The appearance of a Zoroastrian mythical creature suggests that visual culture from the Sasanian Empire influenced the design of the Mshatta facade.

Among the grape vines are pine cone-like buds and winged palmettes that draw reference to the iconic crown of the Sasanian kings.

One theory suggests that Al-Walid II intentionally commissioned imagery from the former ruling empires of Syria to represent the cultural heterogeneity of his subjects.

[5] Combined with the use of military architecture employed throughout the palace complex, this multicultural imagery could have been used to convey the widespread power of the Umayyad Caliphate.