Moorish Architecture in AndalusiaSpain owes its special historical position in Europe very largely to his intensive encounter with the Orient. In the summer of 710, a small force under the command of a Berber named Ta f ibn M lik landed to the west of Gibraltar. The Islamic armies that followed in its wake succeeded in conquering large areas of Spain within a short span of years. The conquerors gave the country the name of ""al-andalus."" Thus began a period of cultural permeation that was to last for almost 800 years. In spite of intolerance and animosity, there developed between Muslims, Christians, and Jews a shared cultural environment that proved the basis for great achievements. Moorish-Andalusian art and architecture combine elements of various traditions into a new, autonomous style. Among the outstanding architectural witnesses to this achievement are the Great Mosque in Cordova and the Alhambra in Granada, recognized and admired as part of the world's heitage right up to the present day. They are described in detail in this book. The main centres of Hispano-Islamic art and architecture, the cities of Cordova, Seville and Granada, are discussed within the chronological framework of developments, both political and cultural, from 710 to 1492. |
Contents
Introduction | 11 |
The Expansion of Islam | 24 |
The Architecture of the | 39 |
Copyright | |
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11th century 1980 TASCHEN est Abbasid Abd ar-Rahmân Abû aisles al-Andalus al-Hakam al-Hakam II Alcazaba Alcázar Alhambra Aljafería Almería Almohad Almoravid Andalusia Arabic arches architecture Bâb Berber Bobastro building built Caliphate capital castle central Chief Mosque Christian church circumference wall Comares complex Cordova courtyard dating decoration domes dynasty East Emir Ewert example excavated façade faïence forms fortified fortress Friday mosque garden gate Generalife Granada ground plan Guadalquivir Iberian idem inscription Jaén later Lion Court Madînat al-Zahrâ Madrid Maghreb Málaga Marrakesh Mérida metres mihrab minaret Morocco mosaics Mosque in Cordova motifs mudéjar Muhammad multi-lobed muqarnas Murcia Muslims Nasrid nave North Africa op.cit oriental original ornamentation Patio prayer hall probably qibla qibla wall rectangular remains ribs Roman ruler Salón Rico Saragossa Seville side Spanish structure stucco Syrian taifa taifa period TASCHEN est 1980 tion Toledo Torres Balbás towers town Umayyad vault vegetal Visigothic Yûsuf Zirid