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Origins and development of Moorish architecture in Europe from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century

Olga Shkolna Viktoriia Mulkokhainen Iryna Sytnyk Veronika Zaitseva Vadym Mykhalchuk
Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the functional, artistic, and compositional characteristics of Moorish architecture in Europe, tracing its origins in Byzantine masonry drawings from medieval Bulgaria. The study examined how the style spread across synagogues, mosques, Catholic churches, and public institutions in countries like Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Bosnia, and others. The research methodology included a combination of the chronological principle, art historical and design approaches, ontological, axiological, hermeneutical, historical-genetic, comparative, socio-cultural, cross-cultural, formal-stylistic, typological, and art historical analysis methods. Findings of the study were as follows. The few monuments with elements of “embroidered” masonry preserved in the Balkans, particularly in the old part of the Bulgarian Nessebar, have become a valuable source of the formation of Moorish (Spanish-Moorish, Andalusian) style. This tradition, which originated in the Byzantine-Mediterranean context, later transformed into a recognisable architectural trend. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the fashion for oriental forms spread across Europe, from the Caucasus to Italy. In different countries, it manifested itself in the architecture of palaces, synagogues, kenesas, theatres, administrative buildings, and sacred buildings. The study proved that the formation of the Moorish (Andalusian) style in European architecture has deeper than previously thought Byzantine-Antique roots, with further flourishing in the 19th and early 20th centuries under the influence of Oriental and Western European styles. The practical significance of these findings lies in providing architects, conservators, and urban planners with an evidence-based framework for the restoration, adaptive reuse, and sensitive integration of Moorish-style elements in European heritage and contemporary architectural projects

Keywords

monumental and decorative art; “embroidered” masonry; Orientalism; composition; environmental design

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Received 12.08.2024, Revised 16.03.2025, Accepted 01.07.2025

Retrieved from Vol. 11, No. 2, 2025

Suggested citation

Shkolna, О., Mulkokhainen, V., Sytnyk, I., Zaitseva, V., & Mykhalchuk, V. (2025). Origins and development of Moorish architecture in Europe from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century. Architectural Studies, 11(2), 45-59. https://doi.org/10.56318/as/2.2025.45

https://doi.org/10.56318/as/2.2025.45

Pages 45-59

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ISSN 2411-801X e-ISSN 2786-7374  UDC 71;72
DOI: 10.56318/as