Qaryat al-Faw was one of Arabia’s most important pre-Islamic cities. The city flourished from the fourth century BCE to the fifth century CE and prospered through its strategic location along the renowned Incense Trade Route. Dealing in this precious commodity, more valuable than gold, propelled Qaryat al-Faw to become the largest and wealthiest city in Arabia during its heyday, surpassing even the prosperous Nabataeans of Petra. This prominence attracted artists from diverse corners of the world, including Greece, Egypt, Rome, and Iran, which resulted in a striking blend of local Arabian aesthetics with the cultural influence of Hellenistic art. Today, Qaryat al-Faw is celebrated as one of Saudi Arabia's most iconic archaeological sites, as the country celebrates its recent UNESCO World Heritage status in 2024.
The site of Qaryat al-Faw has brought to light several artworks of interest for art historians and archaeologist, ranging from intricately decorated stone buildings to finely cast bronze statues. While some of these artefacts remain unpublished, discussions on the available material recognise characteristics that point to a syncretic development of styles. However, no review has yet fully contextualised these styles. This project aims to analyse a selection of artefacts and buildings in situ, document them, and study the data against material from the broader Mediterranean and West Asia. The result will be an enhanced understanding of the site, with a new catalogue of the material culture of al-Faw, showing a landscape that fostered the movement of artisans, artists, and craftspeople across these different regions.
This Project is kindly funded by an IASA Main Research Grant.
Principal Researcher
Dr Juan de Lara (KRC, Oxford)
Public outcomes:
De Lara, J. 2025. (in print) From Qaryat al-Faw to Qusayr ʿAmra: Arabian Painting in Context. Muqarnas 42.
De Lara, J. 2024a. The mrzḥ of Qaryat al Faw: the frescoes and their Egyptian Connections. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 53: 52–78.
De Lara, J. 2024b. Qaryat al-Fāw/Qaryatum dhāt Kāhlim: On the identity of the god Kahl. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy 35: 136–154.
De Lara, J. 2024c. The City of Paradise: Qaryat al-Fāw - An Emporium Between the Classical and Islamic World. The Royal Asiatic Society. 14 March 2024.
De Lara, J. 2024d. The Art of Qaryat al-Faw: A Reassessment and Contextualisation. The 57th Seminar for Arabian Studies, Paris, France. June 2024.
De Lara, J. 2024e. Qaryat al-Faw, la Ciudad del Paraíso en Arabia. National Geographic – Historia, May 2024 - v. 245.
De Lara, J. 2024f. Qaryat al-Faw, la cita nel paradiso. National Geographic – Storica, Iulio 2024 - v. 245.
De Lara, J. 2023. “The marzēaḥ of Qaryat al Faw: The Third-Century CE Frescoes and their Egyptian Connections.” The 56th Seminar for Arabian Studies, Moesgaard Museum and Aarhus University, Denmark. August 2023.
De Lara, J. 2022b. Cross-culturation with Classical Hellenism in Late Antique Arabia. In: Ozturk, O; Gazi, X; and Bowker, S. (Eds.) Deconstructing the Myths of Islamic Art. New York; London: Routledge. 28–45.
De Lara, J. 2021a. ‘Islamic Hellenism:’ The Emergence of Islamic Art in Arabia within the Globalised Culture of Late Antiquity." VIAHSS: The Virtual Islamic Art History Seminar Series. Harvard University. 26 May 2021 (Online). Available at: https://www.academia.edu/video/kbQbvl
