Islam didn’t invent the dome or the arch, but like pottery, it worked with basic concepts and perfected them.
Devoted to building splendid mosques and palaces, Muslims introduced
a horseshoe arch, a symbol in Islamic culture of sainthood and
holiness, in the Umayyad Great Mosque of Damascus which was completed
in 715. The British refer to the design as the Moorish arch.
Intersecting, pointed, multi-foil and ogee arches (known as gothic
arches in Europe) followed and were enthusiastically adopted in Europe.
Domes were a natural development of the arch and again,
Muslims took the basics and developed them into high art. They refined
support mechanisms, simplified construction and introduced the bulbous
or onion-shaped dome, a Mughal favourite that spread to Persia (now
Iran), India, Asia and Eastern Europe.
Sir Christopher Wren had great respect for Muslim architecture and it inspired his famous dome at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
By following these links, you can explore St. Paul’s
and other famous arches and domes in England, even share your
experiences and opinions about them. Or vote if you think they are
icons of England!
