The digitalisation of the Great Mosque of Damascus’ mosaics survey

In December 2017 Art Graphique & Patrimoine realized for the Louvre Museum the digitisation of the nine surveyed panels of the Great Mosque of Damascus’ golden mosaics. The ultra-high precision digitization was carried out by AGP’s photogrammetry team in the Museum’s reserves, away from the visitors’ eyes, where the artworks have been preserved since the 1930s. The render will indeed be used for an exact digital reproduction of the panels and for the realization of life-size replicas, in order to allow their exhibition to the public, while ensuring the protection of these exceptional masterpieces. As the most authentic record of the Great Mosque of Damascus’ 8th century mosaics, the panels were rediscovered between 1999 and 2006 after a long period of oblivion. They had been bequeathed to the Louvre Museum by their sponsor, Eustache De Lorey, former director of the French Institute of Damascus.