Window sketches of the Sitte Dudu House and the Mosque of al-Sharani (1567) by Martha Dannerbeck Peterson 1986 -2002, Cairo
The unique features of Islamic stained glass windows captured the curiosity of Martha Dannerbeck Peterson, an art historian and independent scholar, prompting her to undertake an in-depth study and documentation project from 1986 to 2002. Peterson’s study, titled Glass and Plaster Windows Research, was never published but she donated her field notes and photographs to AKDC so that other scholars could access her findings. Her work meticulously documents window details across more than 100 historic buildings in Egypt, 7 in Damascus, and 33 in Türkiye (including Istanbul and Anatolia). The collection includes photographs and detailed files for each building, with hand-drawn illustrations that depict the precise location and intricate details of the windows—their designs, colors, and patterns. Peterson’s field notes, drawn from her observations and both published and unpublished sources, provide unique insights into architectural traditions across these regions. This unpublished work also preserves the memory of architectural features that may no longer exist in their original form.
Aga Khan Documentation Center, Department of Distinctive Collections, MIT Libraries: AKDC-2024-0002