This document provides an overview of Islamic art in the Iberian Peninsula, including key architectural elements like horseshoe arches, carved wood ceilings, and muqarnas decorations. It describes important sites from the Umayyad period like the Great Mosque of Cordoba with its hypostyle hall and mihrab. Other influential periods and locations mentioned are the Taifa kingdoms, Aljaferia Palace in Zaragoza, and the Alhambra in Granada from the Nasrid era. Architectural styles evolved over time with influences from the Almoravids and Almohads, incorporating mosaics, calligraphy, and other Islamic decorative traditions.

1. THE ISLAMIC ART IN THE IBERIAN
PENINSULA

2. Essential concepts
ARCHS
HORSESHOE LOBED
PARTS OF A
COLUMN
CARVED CAPITAL

3. LIGHT DOME ROOF
CARVED WOOD CEILING

4. A. COLONNADE, B. SHADED
WALKWAY
A.
B.

5. DECORATION TYPES
MOSAIC: GLAZED TILES
WITH STRAPWORK
(GEOMETRIC FORMS)
CALLIGRAPHY
KUFIC
NASKHI

6. ARABESQUE: STYLIZED
VEGETAL FORMS
MUQARNAS

7. LIGHT

8. WATER

9. The Umayyad period: the Emirate and
Caliphate of Cordoba

10. The mosque of Cordoba

12. Plan of
Cordoba’s
great mosque
with the
different
extensions

13. Interior of the mosque with the double moorish
arcades and alternating red and white voussoirs

14. Mihrab

15. Mihrab, dome

16. Maqsura

17. Exterior
South-west façade Al- Hakam’s II door

18. Minaret (muslim times and now)

19. Madinet al- Zahra

20. Salon Rico

21. Bab al-Mardum Mosque (Toledo)

22. Taifa kingdoms

23. Aljaferia (Saragossa)

24. Alcazaba of Almeria Alcazaba of Malaga

25. Ziri Granada:
Bañuelo (hammam)

26. Ziri Granada
Minaret of S. José Gate of Monaita

27. Granada Ziri:
Ziri Wall Tableros Gate

28. Almoravid Period

29. Monteagudo Castle

30. Almohad period

31. Seville
Giralda
Torre del Oro

32. Cuatrovitas minaret (Seville)
San Juan de los Reyes minaret
(Granada)

33. NASRID PERIOD

34. THE ALHAMBRA

35. CORRAL DEL CARBÓN ALCAZAR DEL GENIL

36. CUARTO REAL DE SANTO
DOMINGO
DAR-AL-HORRA

37. COBERTIZO DE STA. INES HOUSE
MADRAZA

38. GLOSSARY:
• Arch: arco
• Horseshoe arch/ moorish arch: arco de herradura
• Lobed arch: arco lobulado
• Voussoir: dovela
• Column: columna
• Base: basa
• Shaft: fuste
• Capital: capitel
• Carved capital: capitel tallado
• Light dome roof: cúpula iluminada (con lucernario)
• Carved wood ceiling: armadura (techo realizado en madera)
• Colonnade/ arcade: columnata
• Shaded walkway: espacio porticado, pórtico
• Mosaic: mosaico
• Glazed tile: azulejo
• Strapwork: lacería
• Calligraphy: caligrafía
• Kufic: cúfica
• Naskhi: nasjí
• Arabesque: arabesco, ataurique
• Muqarnas: mocárabes