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City Tourism

Madrid-Dr. Kadhim Shamhoud Taher

Catalonia is one of Spain’s richest tourist areas, with splendid beaches as well as architecture which reveals itsglorious past and prestigious present.

Islamic Influences OnSpanish ArchitectureIslamic Influences OnSpanish Architecture

Antonio Gaudi is regarded as one of thefamous representatives of the modernclassical movement, and one of the mostbrilliant architects of the 19th and beginningof the 20th century. Since the 50’s criticsstarted to regard his architecture as asignificant period index of the developmentof modern architecture in Europe.Gaudi is an artist and architect fromCatalonia. He studied Islamic art, inparticular Andalusian and Moorisharchitecture, as well as certain workscomprising drawings and plans of ancientarchitecture. Analysts of Gaudi’s work statethat Islamic, Gothic and baroquearchitectures are the base of his creations.These influences are particularly manifest inthree of his works: the Guell Palace, El-Cabricho and Pabellones de la Finca Guell. Gaudi’s work in Barcelona and its impact onthe architects who came after him,transformed the city into a historical andartistic museum, visited by millions of touristsannually. Every street corner, balcony,window, and the even chimneys areinfluenced by the architect’s style.One of the masterpieces of this artist isundoubtedly the church La Sagrada Familiaof Barcelona. This mythical work was thequintessence of his experimentation andgenius. Even if this work was started in 1883,it is still continuing. One finds in this churchthe richness of the beautiful Gothic style withsome elements of Baroque. Thousands oftourists, who love architecture and heritagesites stand in awe of the unique building.El-Cabricho is also one of Gaudi’s (1883),great achievements, where the Islamicarchitectural influences are apparent. Theminaret at the entrance resembles Easternminarets, characterized by their round formwith a crown and a decorated balcony. �

Islamic Tourism – Issue 20 – November-December / 2005 For more information, visit our website www.islamictourism.com

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City Tourism

The minaret is decorated with ceramicsquares with paintings of sunflowers. Gaudigathered several influences of civilizations ofthe East and Occident, and modernism,classicism and realism, when he designedthis building. He succeeded remarkably inusing these styles, by amalgamating them inone architectural structure.Gaudi took the form of the tops of minaretsand used it in the tops of the chimneys anddecorated the terraces of the houses withthem as in Pabellones of the Finca Guell ofBarcelona. One finds there red bricks,ceramics and cascading arcades,characteristic of the Moorish style.The house of Vicens of Barcelona is also oneof Gaudi’s achievements. Ceramics cover allthe walls as if the building is wearing anIslamic fabric decorated with floral andgeometrical forms with beautiful brightcolors. It is well known that the ceramic is anold material which was used by theBabylonians in Ishtar Gate, in Assyrianpalaces etc; and that the Moslems brought itto Spain. The Moors used it in theirarchitecture in Spain, for example in the townof Teruel, particularly in the temples,palaces, streets and other infrastructure. Onentering the town visitors see a large sign:"Teruel El-Mudejar" (Teruel of the Moors). In the house of Vicens, one notices theintricate ends and various arcades withmultiple and varied, floral and geometricaldecorations, as if one is in the AlhambraPalace in Grenada. Gaudi shares with theIslamic Andalusian artist the importanttendency of covering all spaces withdecorations - what Arab historians describeas "the horror of the vacuum". However,Gaudi used floral and geometricaldecorative elements in realistic style,whereas Moslem artists used them in theabstract.Gaudi was more attracted by the Moorisharchitecture which started to spread duringthe 12th century in Spain, and continued untilthe 19th century. Even certain 20th centurybuildings were produced in Moorish style, asit appears in the arena of Vicens in Madrid.This style was regarded as part of theSpanish national heritage, and capable ofplaying a fundamental role in solving thearchitectural crisis of Europe. In spite of �

Islamic Tourism – Issue 20 – November-December / 2005 For more information, visit our website www.islamictourism.com

áfƒ∏°TôH ‘ ¢ùæ«ã«H ∫õæeVicens house in Barcelona

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Amateller Castle

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City Tourism

these Islamic influences, Gaudi has a greatcapacity for creativity and imagination. Hehas his own style of modern architecturedeveloping a more contained arcade, suchas the Torino coffee of Barcelona. He wasalso interested in the internal space of thehouses, such as the Guell Palace, marked bythe Andalusian model with an internal courtand fountain.Gaudi used sharp bright colors as one findsin Islamic art, in mosques and other places.He exploited Arab calligraphy as an elementof decoration, as well as the star with eightbranches, which one can see in the FigueraPalace in Barcelona. Gaudi was alsoinfluenced by the patterns of Moslemcarpets and the decorative relief in thestructure of mosques.In 1859, José Amador Rios gave a lecture atthe Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando:"The Moorish style in architecture", where hestressed that this style was one of thefundamental components of art and theculture of his time. He called it the "ModernMoorish style". It is a mixture of Islamic artand elements of modern architecture, withcertain Christian art traditions. However, theIslamic component appears to dominate allothers; the nearest examples are the arenaof Madrid and the Laredo hotel in Alcala deHenares.Gaudi was not the only architect to beinfluenced by Islamic art. Other Catalanarchitects, such as Josep Puig, who createdCasa Amateller were similarly influenced.One finds windows with arcades of variousforms, as well as frontages with thepyramidal form resembling the projectingelements at the tops of the walls andMoroccan and Andalusian minarets,decorated with beautiful colored ceramics.Two years ago, Spain celebrated the 150thanniversary of Gaudi, a genius of worldarchitecture with The International Year OfGaudi: a year of publishing books about hislife, conferences and exhibitions of hispaintings and designs and documentaryfilms about this immortal architect.

Islamic Tourism – Issue 20 – November-December / 2005 For more information, visit our website www.islamictourism.com

ƒ«JÉH ô°übBatillo Castle

In 1859, José Amador Rios gave a lecture at the Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando: "TheMoorish style in architecture", where he stressed that this style was one of the fundamental

components of art and the culture of his time. He called it the "Modern Moorish style". It is a mixture ofIslamic art and elements of modern architecture, with certain Christian art traditions.