# Help me find pictures for my PPT thingie... Islamic architecture **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 24, 2008, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-pictures-for-my-ppt-thingie-islamic-architecture/474173 "2008-11-24T01:03:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-pictures-for-my-ppt-thingie-islamic-architecture/474173/1 "2008-11-24T01:03:21Z")
I am putting together the powerpoint to go with my presentation about Islamic influence on gothic architecture. I have enough pictures of most things, but I wanted to include a few pictures of good examples of pre-1200ish Islamic architecture that people would look at and instantly go “oh yeaaah I see how that shows up in gothic” sort of thing. I figured it was worth a shot to see if anyone here knew of any specific buildings, cities, or other search terms that would give good examples, since most of my generic Googling so far is coming up with irrelevant stuff or diagrams and drawings. I know a lot of you have traveled a lot more than I have and probably have even seen this stuff first hand. Thanks for your help! ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-pictures-for-my-ppt-thingie-islamic-architecture/474173/2 "2008-11-24T16:26:59Z")
Isfahan for pointed arches. Konya, Minare. Samarra. Also try Seville, la Giralda for some mutlilobed action. My eyes are dilated right now and I’m half blind, so more later. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-pictures-for-my-ppt-thingie-islamic-architecture/474173/3 "2008-11-24T18:20:08Z")
The [Great Mosque in Damascus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umayyad_Mosque) would seem to have been an obvious [influence](http://www.sacredsites.com/middle_east/syria/images/umayyad-mosque-500.jpg). Another old one the Crusaders would have been exposed to is the [Ibn Tulun Mosque](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosque_of_Ibn_Tulun) in Egypt. It’s claimed as the first to make repeated use of pointed arches. ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-pictures-for-my-ppt-thingie-islamic-architecture/474173/4 "2008-11-24T18:25:07Z")
[How about the Qutub Complex](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qutub_Complex) in Delhi? The Qutub Minar was started before 1200. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-pictures-for-my-ppt-thingie-islamic-architecture/474173/5 "2008-11-25T03:50:46Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > The [Great Mosque in Damascus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umayyad_Mosque) would seem to have been an obvious [influence](http://www.sacredsites.com/middle_east/syria/images/umayyad-mosque-500.jpg). > > Another old one the Crusaders would have been exposed to is the [Ibn Tulun Mosque](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosque_of_Ibn_Tulun) in Egypt. It’s claimed as the first to make repeated use of pointed arches. Yeah that Ibn Tulun one is awesome–that was one I had already found. Thanks for the help guys! (Aren’t these buildings just so _pretty??_ Part of my problem is I start off on tangents looking at the pretty pictures and lose sight of what I’m supposed to be searching for!) ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-pictures-for-my-ppt-thingie-islamic-architecture/474173/6 "2008-11-25T04:12:03Z")
[http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.debian:en-US:unofficial&hs=A89&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=Abbasid+dynasty+architecture&spell=1](http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.debian:en-US:unofficial&hs=A89&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=Abbasid+dynasty+architecture&spell=1) Also try Abbasid with Round City, Baghdad, Samarra, and palace. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-pictures-for-my-ppt-thingie-islamic-architecture/474173/7 "2008-11-25T04:20:42Z")
good words! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-pictures-for-my-ppt-thingie-islamic-architecture/474173/8 "2008-11-25T07:46:44Z")
Not to hijack, but to a large degree didn’t Roman architecture inspire Islamic architecture by way of Istanbul? There were definitely mosques being patterned on the Roman arch inspired the arched pendentives of Hagia Sophia centuries before Constantinople fell, and the [courtyard of the al-Hambra](http://www.photoatlas.com/photo/spain_granada-alhambra.jpg)is very definitely based on the [Roman peristyle](http://www.freewebs.com/auc753/peristyle.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-pictures-for-my-ppt-thingie-islamic-architecture/474173/9 "2008-11-25T10:34:09Z")
Oh absolutely. The Islamic world had a huge appreciation for Greek and Roman stuff, and it’s because they preserved it all that we really have it today. (Writings of the philosophers, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-pictures-for-my-ppt-thingie-islamic-architecture/474173/10 "2008-11-25T16:51:31Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > the [courtyard of the al-Hambra](http://www.photoatlas.com/photo/spain_granada-alhambra.jpg) . That garden’s actually the most famous feature of the [Generalife](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generalife), the seperate but adjoining summer palace. Which is kind of a meaningless nitpick in one sense 🙂 - it’s part of the same overall complex in Granada. But it’s usually spoken of seperately. The water jets are very likely a Spanish ( Christian ) addition ( though an early one - 16th century ). But yes it looks very Roman in that sense. Whether that came via Byzantium in some circuitous fashion or was a copy of designs found in Roman villas in Spain, I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-pictures-for-my-ppt-thingie-islamic-architecture/474173/11 "2008-12-18T02:34:20Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > The Islamic world had a huge appreciation for Greek and Roman stuff… Whilst I am temped to say this is because Greek to Arabic translation was easiest I cannot discount the influence of Greek culture, even upon the Oriental mind, Inshall, Allah.