Raam van de Sidi Saiyyed-moskee in Ahmedabad, gedecoreerd met een palmboom en bladmotieven before 1866

This is a photograph by Thomas Biggs of a window in the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque in Ahmedabad, India. Without a date, it's difficult to place exactly when this photograph was taken. Biggs, as a British photographer, was capturing an Islamic structure during a time of British colonial rule. These photographs can serve as documents of cultural exchange but must also be viewed with an understanding of the power dynamics inherent in the colonial gaze. The palm tree and leaf motifs are not just aesthetic elements, but symbols rooted in the local environment and culture. The mosque itself, built by enslaved Africans, further complicates the narrative of power and identity. Consider how the photographer’s perspective might shape the way we see and understand the subjects, and how the act of photographing can be an act of interpretation. As you consider the image, allow yourself to contemplate the complexities of cultural representation, and the stories that are embedded within this photograph.