Islamesque

Description

Who really built Europe’s finest Romanesque monuments? Clergymen presiding over holy sites are credited throughout history, while highly skilled creators remain anonymous. But the buildings speak for themselves.

This groundbreaking book explores the evidence embedded in medieval monasteries, churches and castles, from Mont Saint-Michel and the Leaning Tower of Pisa to Durham Cathedral and the Basilica of Santiago de Compostela. Tracing the origins of key design innovations from this pre-Gothic period—acknowledged as the essential foundation of all future European construction styles—Diana Darke sheds startling new light on the masons, carpenters and sculptors behind these masterpieces.

At a time when Christendom lacked such expertise, Muslim craftsmen had advanced understanding of geometry and complex ornamentation. They dominated high-end construction in Islamic Spain, Sicily and North Africa, spreading knowledge and techniques across Western Europe. Challenging Euro-centric assumptions, Darke uncovers the profound influence of the Islamic world in ‘Christian’ Europe, and argues that ‘Romanesque’ architecture, a nineteenth-century art historians’ fiction, should be recognised for what it truly is: Islamesque.

Reviews

‘Magnificently lively, detailed and bold, a real revolution in how we think about the development of medieval art and architecture. But it also does a fine and timely job of unsettling all kinds of assumptions about mutually impenetrable and isolated civilisations.’ — Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury

‘Once again, Diana Darke forces us to open our eyes and see the wealth of outside influences on Europe’s architecture. With an often-startling originality she brings to life the charm and elegance that Islam brought to soften the northern vigour of Romanesque and Gothic.’ — Simon Jenkins, Guardian columnist, and author of Cathedrals: Masterpieces of Architecture, Feats of Engineering, Icons of Faith

‘A thrilling detective story that begins with a zigzag and ends with a radical reappraisal of our religious past. Whenever you visit a church or cathedral, take this book; you will learn a new way to read religious buildings, and a new way to think about Islam’s place in Europe.’ — Edward Stourton, BBC Radio 4

‘In this truly beautiful book, Diana Darke masterfully explores and unveils the much-ignored Islamic contribution to European architectural heritage. It is fascinating, enlightening and also educating to all those who see only stark gaps between civilisations.’ — Mustafa Akyol, Senior Fellow on Islam and Modernity, Cato Institute, and author of Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and Tolerance

‘Learned but lively, Islamesque invites us to look again at medieval European architecture, demonstrating beyond doubt that the spirit, techniques and crafts of Islam inspired many of its most glorious expressions.’ — Tim Winter, Lecturer in Islamic Studies, University of Cambridge

‘A guide to some of the most remarkable buildings in Europe, Islamesque persuasively argues that the innovative techniques and motifs of Romanesque architecture can only be explained by wealthy Christian patrons employing architects and craftsmen from formerly Muslim Spain and Sicily.’ — Julia Bray, Emerita Abdulaziz Saud AlBabtain Laudian Professor of Arabic, University of Oxford

‘It’s rare to read a historical account of architecture where bias is eliminated and prejudice overcome. Diana Darke does just that, writing out of love and respect for places and peoples. In times of severe division, she dedicatedly turns the compass towards the true essence of civilisations: human cooperation.’ — Marwa Al-Sabouni, architect, public speaker and author of Building for Hope and The Battle for Home

Author(s)

Diana Darke has spent four decades in the Middle East. Her books include Islamesque and Stealing from the Saracens (both published by Hurst), My House in Damascus and The Ottomans. A non-resident scholar at Washington DC’s Middle East Institute, she holds degrees in Arabic and in Islamic Art and Architecture.