During the Dark Ages, the spread of Islam introduced a unique blend of cultural and architectural innovations worldwide, creating a distinct architectural style.
Let us explore the key elements of Islamic architecture. 🧵⤵️
Rooted in the early Islamic period, this architectural style has evolved by assimilating various elements from Mesopotamian, Roman, Byzantine, Chinese, and Mughal architectures.
One of the hallmark features of Islamic architecture is the dome, a structural element that not only serves as a significant component of mosque design but also symbolizes the heavens.
Arches are another defining characteristic of Islamic architecture, serving as gateways to the divine.
Minarets, towering above mosque complexes, serve both as architectural landmarks and as points from which the call to prayer is issued.
Islamic decorations, known for their use of geometric patterns, calligraphy, and floral motifs, demonstrate a profound appreciation for symmetry and continuity.
The intricate decorative feature known as Muqarnas, which resembles stalactites or honeycombs, showcases the complexity and artistic creativity of Islamic architecture.
The Mihrab, a semicircular niche indicating the direction of the Qibla, is a focal point in mosque design, guiding worshippers in their prayers.
Courtyards and gardens are integral to Islamic architecture, providing serene environments for communal gatherings and personal reflection.
Hypostyle halls, with their grid of columns supporting a roof, are a testament to the Islamic architectural preference for spaces that inspire awe and spiritual reflection.
The Iwan, an architectural element characterized by a vaulted space open on one side, exemplifies the Islamic architectural tradition's ability to merge form with function, providing a majestic yet welcoming entrance to mosques and palaces.
An article on Islamic architecture was published today in our newsletter:
What if the greatest British export isn’t the language or the empire…
…but a sense of timeless beauty etched in stone and paint?
Most people don’t realize how bold British art and architecture really is.
Let me show you the masterpieces they never taught you about: 🧵👇
Most cities hide their secrets underground.
London built its greatest secret above ground.
The Royal Naval College in Greenwich looks like something out of ancient Rome yet it was designed by Christopher Wren to be “the Versailles of the sea.”
Its twin domes once trained the world's most powerful navy.
How do you immortalize love, sorrow, and empire… with one sculpture?
Answer: the Albert Memorial.
Critics mocked it when it was built. Now they quietly admit it’s one of the most emotionally overwhelming monuments in Europe.
Civilizations don’t begin with kings or armies — they begin with stories.
The Epic of Gilgamesh, Homer’s Iliad, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings — separated by thousands of years, they’re all asking the same question:
How do you turn chaos into meaning? 🧵
The oldest epic we know is about Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, who lost his closest friend and went searching for immortality, only to learn that no man escapes death.
He learned that meaning lies in what we build and leave behind.
Across time, stories help us face death and make sense of a broken world.
That was 4,000 years ago. But the pattern never changed.
Every epic since has wrestled with the same truth: chaos comes for all of us.