Судан и Большой Ближний Восток

315 Vassilios Christides. The Cycle of the Arab-Byzantine Struggle in Crete... Fig. 13. Nicephorus Phocas’ triumphant entrance into Constantinople on horseback through the Golden Gate. Fol. 145r, bottom Fig. 14. An Arab prisoner demonstrating his dexterity in horsemanship in the Byzantine hippodrome. Fol. 55r, top heads, lifting their hands upwards. This is not a gesture of prayer, as it is wrongly suggested by Grabar and Manoussakas, since the Muslim posture of praying is definitely different. 1 The Emir is depicted somewhat different from the six Andalusians and is seated on a humble throne in a conventional edifice. Obviously, utterly unaware of the appearance of an Arab emir, his attire and manners, the Byzantine painter created an imaginary image irrelevant to the reality. It is worthy to compare this 1 A. Grabar and M. Manoussakas, op. cit., 37.