Geoffrey R D King

Biography

Dr King researched principally on the architecture, archaeology and art of Arabia, greater Syria, Iran and the Indian Ocean. His first degree is from the Slade School of Fine Art, University of London and he paints, particularly water-colours. His M.Phil. (1972) was on a mosque in Toledo and his Ph. D. (1976) was on the mosaics of the Great Mosque of Damascus. Subsequently he taught at the American University in Cairo, Egypt (1977-1980) and King Saud University, al-Riyad, Saudi Arabia (1980-1987). He held a research fellowship at the Classics Department of King's College London from 1987 until 1989 when he joined SOAS. He directed a survey of Byzantine and Islamic sites in Jordan from 1980 until 1983 and excavated with a Saudi team of archaeologist at the Islamic pilgrimage road site of Rabadha from 1980 until 1987. He directed the British team excavating at Julfar, Ra's al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 1989 until 1993 and was Academic Director of the Abu Dhabi Islands Survey from 1992 until 2003. He worked with Iranian colleagues on Islamic devotional architecture in Iran and also worked on inter-relationships between Arabia, Iran, Africa and China via the Indian Ocean. Dr King has contributed to BBC World Service radio programmes on the archaeology of Yemen, of Abu Dhabi, Syria and on the Islamic pilgrimage and the Ottoman railway system from Damascus to al-Madina al-Munuwarra; he has also participated in programmes on Islamic art, architecture and culture on UK's Channel 4 and on Iranian and Syrian television.

Research Interest

Art and Archaeology