4 - The Horseman of Baghdad Responds to the Horseman of Constantinople

Summary

In the centuries after Justinian’s death, Constantinople’s bronze horseman became a defining presence on the city’s skyline. It signified imperial power and elicited competitive emulation. In the eighth–ninth centuries the lofty monument emerged as a powerful emblem in Byzantine–Abbasid relations. Abu Ja’far al-Mansur, the creator of Baghdad, placed a prominent equestrian statue atop the tallest, central dome of his new capital. This chapter discusses the so-called "crown of Baghdad," a forgotten sculptural monument which once mirrored Constantinople’s horseman in form and function. The dome and its sculpture immediately became iconic features of the city. They could be seen from the outskirts of Baghdad or even at a more distant approach to the city. The dome and its monument were calculated statements of imperial power that were deeply embedded in the Abbasid–Byzantine dialogue. I argue that this bronze, sculptural monument in the heart of Baghdad was created as a conscious and deliberate response to the bronze horseman of Constantinople. It grew in mythology, stature, and significance to rival the bronze horseman. By contextualizing the Baghdad monument within a competitive relationship, a forgotten facet of Abbasid–Byzantine cultural dialogue has emerged.