An epigraphical and artistic study of four tombstones from the Qāsimī State Era in Yemen

Abstract

This study examines four tombstones associated with significant figures in Yemen's history during the early Qāsimī State era: ʿAlī b. Imām al-Muʾayyad Muḥammad b. al-Qāsim (1013–1078 Hiǧrī (h)/ad 1603–1617) and his brother al-Qāsim b. Imām al-Muʾayyad Muḥammad b. al-Qāsim (1024–1127 h/ad 1632–1715). The research sheds light on their biographies and historical roles. It aims to document and study these stone artefacts from both archaeological and artistic perspectives, providing a detailed description and analysing the inscriptions in terms of form and content. The inscriptions contain valuable historical information, religious and historical titles and supplicatory phrases. The researcher employed a descriptive–analytical approach and an inductive method by describing the four artefacts, reading their written texts, analyzing their contents and referencing various archaeological evidence sources and historical references. The study emphasises the importance of preserving these artefacts due to their significant archaeological and cultural value amid the ongoing armed political conflict in Yemen.