19th or early 20th century Turkish, painted over text from an older Arabic religious treatise as seen to verso. Not an exciting text discussing the times of prayer.  A very good plan to use it for this delightful painting. Framed and glazed on both sides. From a fine interiors collection in Gloucestershire.
 
This wholly irresistible Noah’s ark with splendid animals is relatively modern but with  a wealth of history behind it.
Ottoman historians of the 15th century claimed that the Ottoman dynasty descended from Japheth, son of Noah, who was generally regarded as the ancestor the Turks in Muslim historiography.  The Prophet was descended from Shem, who was therefore owed greater respect. Thereafter there was a hiccup when historians decided instead that the Ottoman’s were descended from either Issac, who was descended from Shem, or, later, Esau, his son and the brother of Jacob. Later again, Japheth was reinstated as the ‘authentic ancestor’.
Noah, Nuh, himself is an important figure in Islamic tradition, a prophet and messenger of God, Nuh’s story in the Quran is very similar to the biblical tale. The interpretation of the ultimate resting place of his Ark varies slightly from the biblical Mount Ararat but, whichever mountain, it was in Turkey. Noah himself lived to be 950 and his possible tombs exist in several places.
This is what Mark Twain said when he visited the tomb at Karak Nouh in Lebanon:
‘Noah’s tomb is built of stone, and is covered with a long stone building. Bucksheesh let us in. The building had to be long, because the grave of the honored old navigator is two hundred and ten feet long itself! It is only about four feet high, though. He must have cast a shadow like a lightning-rod. The proof that this is the genuine spot where Noah was buried can only be doubted by uncommonly incredulous people. The evidence is pretty straight. Shem the son of Noah, was present at the burial, and showed the place to his descendants, who transmitted the knowledge to their descendants, and the lineal descendants of these introduced themselves to us to-day. It was pleasant to make the acquaintance of members of so respectable a family. It was a thing to be proud of. It was the next thing to being acquainted with Noah himself.’
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