Elizabeth Gittings teaches History of Landscape Architecture at The Boston Architectural College. Her interests include gardens, palaces, and architectural representations in the Islamic and Byzantine worlds, and the artistic patronage of Byzantine women. Nomadic and tribal arts of Islam and the relationships of nomadic peoples to land are also recent focuses. Elizabeth has conducted research on early Islamic palaces in Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Israel, and participated in the archaeological excavation of the Umayyad palace in Aqaba, Jordan. She holds two Master of Arts degrees in the History of Art and Architecture, from Harvard University and from Tufts University.