Stealing from the Saracens: How Islamic Architecture Shaped Europe

Diana Darke

Hardback

9781787383050

A revealing history of Islamic architectural influence on Europe’s cathedrals, palaces and monuments.

Against a backdrop of Islamophobia, Europeans are increasingly airbrushing from history their cultural debt to the Muslim world. But this legacy lives on in some of Europe’s most recognisable buildings, from Notre-Dame Cathedral to the Houses of Parliament.

This beautifully illustrated book reveals the Arab and Islamic roots of Europe’s architectural heritage. Diana Darke traces ideas and styles from vibrant Middle Eastern centres like Damascus, Baghdad and Cairo, via Muslim Spain, Venice and Sicily into Europe. She describes how medieval crusaders, pilgrims and merchants encountered Arab Muslim culture on their way to the Holy Land; and explores more recent artistic interaction between Ottoman and Western cultures, including Sir Christopher Wren’s inspirations in the ‘Saracen’ style of Gothic architecture.

Recovering this long yet overlooked history of architectural ‘borrowing’, Stealing from the Saracens is a rich tale of cultural exchange, shedding new light on Europe’s greatest landmarks.

Contents

1. Christopher Wren: The Arch-Synthesiser

2. Gothic Architecture: ‘The Saracen Style’

3. The Pre-Islamic Inheritance: Pagan and Early Christian Architecture in Syria

4. The First Islamic Empire: The Umayyads in Syria (661-750)

5. Andalusia: The Umayyads in Spain (756-1492)

6. The Abbasid and Fatimid Caliphates (750-1258)

7. Gateways to Europe (800-1400)

8. The Seljuks, the Ottomans and Sinan (1075-1924)

9. The Revivals: Neo-Gothic, Neo-Saracenic, Neo-Moorish (1717-2026)

10. Iconic Buildings of Europe: A Gallery of Images with Key Influences