Author Description

"Hispano-Islamic (or Moorish-Andalusian) art and architecture combine elements of various traditions into a new, autonomous style. Among the outstanding architectural witnesses to this achievement are the Great Mosque in Cordova and the Alhambra in Granada, recognized and admired as part of the world's heritage right up to the present day. They are described in detail in this book. The main centres of Hispano-Islamic art and architecture, the cities of Cordova, Seville and Granada, are discussed within the chronological framework of developments, both political and cultural, from 710 to 1492. The author traces the changes in architectural forms over the centuries, and concludes with an attempt to identify those enduring characteristics which run like a thread through Hispano-Islamic architecture, for all the different influences to which it was subject. Alongside mosques, castle ruins and splendid palaces, the reader will find detailed photographs of Moorish decorative art in all its thousand and one variations."--Jacket.