_Art and Architecture and the Qur’an

There are, first of all, references to categories of manufacture and especially of construction. One rather striking set of examples involves concrete items which are mentioned only once. All of them are described as being in the possession of Solomon, the prophet–king whose patronage for works of art was legendary and whose artisans were usually the no less legendary jinn. The association of Solomon with unusual buildings is confirmed by Q27:44, where, in order to test the Queen of Sheba and ultimately to demonstrate his superiority to her, Solomon orders the construction of a sarh covered or paved with slabs of glass. Matters are almost as complicated with the word mihrab, which also possesses a range of practical and symbolic meanings.