Stealing from the Saracens

Interesting online lecture from the Victoria and Albert Museum looking at how the architecture of Syria and Islam have influenced Western architecture.

Diane Darke talked to us about her book “Stealing from the Saracens: How Islamic Architecture Shaped Europe” taking us through the influence of early Christian architecture in the Dead Cities of Syrian, that of the Umayyad Caliphate and from the Islamic expansion into Spain. She looked at how the ideas spread via pilgrims, crusaders and merchants.

In particular she introduced the premise that the Gothic style has strong Islamic influences and traced a line from the first pointed arches in Egypt through various monasteries along the pilgrim routes. She also talked about the high regard in which Sir Christopher Wren held Saracen architecture basing the Dome of St Paul’s on their principles of vaulting.

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