IFAO

The architectures we will discuss here show the rich panorama of cultural and artistic connections between al-Andalus and Egypt, the exchanges, references and multiple identities built over centuries on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Historiography has often focused on specific aspects, such as the rivalry between the Umayyad and Fatimid caliphates, or the links between al-Andalus and the Maghreb, giving only a partial view where al-Andalus seems to follow or react to external influences. In fact, the palace of Madīnat al-Zahrā’ and the Great Mosque of Córdoba underline the singularity and creative vitality of Andalusi culture in the 10th century. The Mamluk monumental architecture from Egypt, for its part, had an enormous influence in the Mediterranean area throughout the Middle Ages, particularly in the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada and in the Crown of Castile. The Īwān Kabīr of al-Nāṣir at the Cairo Citadel, the great mausoleums and madrasas as well as the central-plan or the use of the muqarnas domes demonstrate the impact of Mamluk architecture, often overlooked by the general studies on the Islamic architecture of the West.