Reflections on Forty Years of Muqarnas: The Broadened Range of Publication Venues for Islamic Art and Architectural History

Abstract On the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of Muqarnas, I examine the place of this groundbreaking publication in a changing scholarly landscape. Even though the field of Islamic/Islamicate studies has burgeoned—as evidenced by the establishment in recent years of many specialized series and journals—Muqarnas continues to fulfill the enduring need for a global perspective open to all subjects and critical methods. My “Reflections” combine a historiography of the journal with an overview of more specialized new publication venues, while highlighting the reasons for the revised title: Muqarnas: An Annual on Visual, Material, and Architectural Cultures of the Islamic World.