Pagan statues in Islamic context

This chapter aims to examine the reception of Roman statues during the first centuries of the Muslim domain in the Iberian Peninsula. It focusses on a statue located at the main gate of Córdoba, considered to be “the lady” (ṣāḥiba) of the city. I will argue that, despite the religious concerns regarding any pagan idol of the pre-Islamic times, this and other statues ended up becoming talismans and symbols in the new Islamic realm. I analyse this major shift as an example of Iconotropy, pointing out that function and meaning of images are dynamically constructed and susceptible to the change according to the circumstances.