A Journey Through Spanish-Islamic Art and Architecture
Muslim Influence in Spain
Muslim: The arrival of Islam in Spain began with the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in 711 CE. This period saw a flourishing of Islamic culture, particularly during the Caliphate era (929-1031 CE) with Cordoba as its capital. Islamic architecture in Spain is characterized by its unique blend of aesthetics and functionality. Key features include:
- The use of cubic volumes, often exceeding the size of traditional brick or stone structures. Plaster and wood were commonly used building materials.
- Harmony with the surrounding landscape was a priority.
- Columns and pillars were often repurposed from older buildings, resulting in slender and elegant supports for lightweight roofs.
- Domes and vaults were prominent, with a variety of styles including cross vaults, gallon vaults, stalactite vaults, and puffed vaults.
- A diverse range of arches were employed, including the Visigothic horseshoe arch, pointed arches, poly-lobed arches, and stilted arches.
- Decoration was primarily focused on interiors, featuring intricate plant motifs, geometric patterns, and epigraphy. Exteriors were less ornate, with emphasis on the coverings of roofs and domes.
Medina Azahara
Medina Azahara: This palatial city from the Caliphate period exemplifies major civil architecture. Its architectural style echoes that of mosques, with horseshoe arches and decorative plasterwork. Notable features include:
- The “wasp nest” capital, a unique Caliphate design inspired by the Corinthian order but executed with Byzantine-influenced deep drilling.
- A fusion of artistic influences from Africa and Constantinople.
- Historical documents describe its grandeur and rich ornamentation, including mosaics, marble, alabaster panels, and intricate acanthus and interlacing patterns.
The Art of the Taifa Kingdoms
The fragmentation of the Caliphate in the 11th century led to the rise of numerous Taifa Kingdoms. This period saw a diversification of artistic expression, with a greater emphasis on external ornamentation. Building materials remained modest, but decorative richness flourished.
Examples
The Aljafería Palace in Zaragoza: This example of a fortified palace served as the residence of the governor. Other examples include the Alcazabas of Malaga, Almeria, and Granada.
The Art of the Almohads
The Almohads: This Berber Muslim empire dominated North Africa and Spain in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, following the decline of the Almoravids.
Characteristics
– Use of abundant decoration, masking the clear construction design. – Fill the spaces with smooth “sebka cloths” (networks of diamonds). – The alfiz down to the ground. – The openings are closed in a bow without constructive role. – Almoravids retain some features: the use of glazed ceramics, the honeycomb, the pointed horseshoe arch, the preference of the column pillar. La Giralda de Sevilla – La Torre del Oro NASRID ART Palace in Islamic Architecture: General Features – Along with the palace mosque comprises the most typical of Islamic architecture, with Granada’s Alhambra palace best medieval Arabic preserved, not having been transformed beyond The Alhambra, built on a hill in the city, is a real city-palace consists of: * The citadel or fortress, with military defensive function.* The palace itself. * A vast walled enclosure which circumscribes the whole. – The Islamic tendency to emphasize to all the decorative aspects, attained in a much higher level Alhambra in Cordoba. It has the simple function to highlight some areas of the building, but extends on all sides to completely transform your appearance. – The Alhambra is a very simple structure, small enclosures covered by flat roofs and made with cheap materials, which has favored the exaltation of the decorative against the structural and that poverty should be concealed. – The main materials used in the decoration of the Alhambra are as follows * Wood: * The role AzulejoEl YesoEl Water and vegetation-The Alhambra is a work product of a mature art whose features are already well defined, capable of creating eminently pictorial architecture, where the apparent illusion and hide the real structure of the building through lush decor, water garden and light. – It is an architecture where the building is built into the outside world through the garden, which penetrates inside the courtyards while enveloping the entire building