Su una possibile raffigurazione della storia di Giona a Qusayr ‘Amra

Two aquatic scenes are depicted at Qusayr ‘Amra, both in the hall: the first, in the alcove of the south wall, below the portrayal of the enthroned prince; the second, on the north wall, right of the entrance. The key element of both representations – now recognizable thanks to the graphic reconstruction of C. Vibert-Guigue – is the particular sea monster provided with two front legs, along with other important details, as well as the boat loaded with wares illustrated in the first scene, and the swimming person portrayed in the second scene. The Prophet Jonah (Yunus, or Dhu’l-nun, or Sahib al-hut) is mentioned six times in the Qur’an. An important tradition on Jonah and on his arrival on the mainland was certainly present since before the advent of Islam in the Syro-Palestinian area, as evidenced by the “[place] of St. Jonah” in the Madaba mosaic (6th century). Iconographic prototypes of Jonas’ story can be also found: a very interesting example is the 5th-6th century mosaic floor of