User:MellowFig/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
Umayyad architecture

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
I chose this article because Umayyad architecture is fascinating and unique. This topic matters because interpretations and preservation of artistic endeavors are crucial to our understanding of the world, and they are so often ignored in historical narratives. I also chose this article because it was listed as Class C, and therefore seemed like it may need improvement. My preliminary impression of the article was that it was very thorough and contained several relevant and notable examples, namely Dome of the Rock and mosques.

Evaluate the article
Lead section

The lead section of the article was very thorough in briefly and concisely describing Umayyad architecture. The introductory sentence however, does not include enough information to describe the topic adequately. It does not include any information that is not in the article and mentions most of the article's major sections. While it does mention specific palaces, it does not mention the architectural significance of palaces as a whole, while it does mention that of mosques.

Content

All of the content of the article is relevant and up to date. Significant information does not appear to be missing, however, descriptions of mosaics and decor are very brief. The article also includes information relevant such as the survival of structures today and architectural influences adopted from neighboring empires. There does not seem to be any content that does not belong. The article addresses equity gaps as the civilizations and their descendants predominantly discussed by the article are historically underrepresented. The article at one point does mention that depictions of animals and people in the Great Mosque of Damascus may have been omitted by a Muslim patron but fails to mention why.

Tone and Balance

The article presents information in a neutral and unbiased tone. The sole exception is that the use of the word "important" to describe Wasit and structures in Damascus implies a certain hierarchy of locations and structures. Additionally, the article fails to immediately explain why. This could perhaps be adjusted with the words "significant" or "large." The article is not persuasive and does not rely more heavily on any particular viewpoint. Information is presented factually. There is no mention of fringe viewpoints.

Sources and References

All facts are backed by reliable sources and reflect literature on the topic. The majority of sources, however, are not current and are from 1990-2000, with two from 1977. Current sources on the topic are sparse, however, there are more current pieces of relevant literature such as "The Early Mosque Revisted: Introduction of the Minbar and Maqṣūra" by Heba Mostafa or "The Dome of the Rock in Light of the Development of Concentric Martyria in Jerusalem: Architecture and Architectural Iconography" by Rina Avner. The sources are from diverse authors. All of the links are functional, however, the hyperlink for "Palestine" in the lead section leads to the Wikipedia article for "Jund Filasṭīn."

Organization and writing quality

The article is well written. It is concise and clear. There are no errors and it is organized accessibly and efficiently.

Images and Media

The article includes relevant and helpful images that are supplemental to the content. They are laid out in a visually appealing way and have detailed and efficient captions. It is my impression that they adhere to the Wikipedia's copyright regulations.

Talk page discussion

There is no discussion on the talk page.The article is part of WikiProject Architecture, WikiProject Islam / Muslim history, WikiProject Arab world, WikiProject Middle Ages, WikiProject Former countries. It has a C-Class rating for all of these projects. Wikipedia discusses this topic in a similar way to our class. Perhaps the only difference is the lack of emphasis on art in the WikiProjects.

Overall impressions

The article is in good standing. It is efficient, interesting, and unbiased. It could be improved with the inclusion of more current sources and more details on certain aspects of the decor of structures (namely mosaics). The article is well-developed, however, there is room for improvement.