Lambrequin arch

The lambrequin arch,^[1][2][3][4] also known as (or related to) the muqarnas arch,^[5][4] is a type of arch with an ornate profile of lobes and points. It is especially characteristic of Moorish and Moroccan architecture.

A lambrequin arch in the Mosque of Tinmal

The "muqarnas arch" is both another name for this type of arch as well as a more specific type of arch whose intrados (inner surfaces) are made up of muqarnas sculpting, which has a very close resemblance to the lambrequin arch.^[4] Some scholars speculate that the lambrequin arch was itself derived from the use of muqarnas in archways.^{[6]: 232 [3]: 123} Moreover, lambrequin arches were indeed commonly used with muqarnas sculpting along the intrados of the arch.^[6][7][1] Its origins are also traced further back to the "mixtilinear" arches seen in the oratory of the 11th-century Aljaferia Palace in Zaragoza.^[4]

This type of arch was introduced into the Maghreb and Al-Andalus regions during the Almoravid period (11th-12th centuries), with an early appearance in the funerary section of the Qarawiyyin Mosque (in Fez) dating from the early 12th century.^[6]: 232 It was a Maghrebi innovation that grew in importance during the following Almohad period.^[3]: 123 It remained common in the subsequent architecture of the region, in many cases used to highlight the arches near the mihrab area of a mosque.^[6][8][9][3] Muqarnas arches are also found abundantly the Alhambra palaces in Granada, for example, particularly the Court of Lions.^[4]

• 
  Example of more primitive "mixtilinear" arches (left and center) in the Aljaferia of Zaragoza (11th century)
• 
  Lambrequin arches in the qibla aisle of the Mosque of Tinmal (mid-12th century)
• 
  A lambrequin or "muqarnas" arch with muqarnas decoration in the Madrasa al-Attarine, Fes (1323-1325)
• 
  A muqarnas arch (top) in the gallery of the Courtyard of the Lions in the Alhambra, Granada (14th century)
• 
  Lambrequin arches in the Bahia Palace in Marrakesh, Morocco (late 19th century)

See also

• Horseshoe arch
• Multifoil arch

References

1. Parker, Richard (1981). A practical guide to Islamic Monuments in Morocco. Charlottesville, VA: The Baraka Press.
2. Erzini, Nadia (2006). "The Survival of Textile Manufacture in Morocco in the Nineteenth Century". In Behrens-Abouseif, Doris; Vernoit, Stephen (eds.). Islamic Art in the 19th Century: Tradition, Innovation, And Eclecticism. Brille. p. 176. ISBN 9789004144422.
3. Bloom, Jonathan M. (2020). Architecture of the Islamic West: North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, 700-1800. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300218701.
4. De Montéquin, François-Auguste (1991). "Arches in the Architecture of Muslim Spain: Typology and Evolution". Islamic Studies. 30 (1/2): 67–82 – via JSTOR.
5. Ragette, Friedrich (2003). Traditional Domestic Architecture of the Arab Region. Edition Axel Menges. p. 47. ISBN 9783932565304.
6. Marçais, Georges (1954). L'architecture musulmane d'Occident. Paris: Arts et métiers graphiques.
7. Maslow, Boris (1937). Les mosquées de Fès et du nord du Maroc. Paris: Éditions d'art et d'histoire.
8. Salmon, Xavier (2018). Maroc Almoravide et Almohade: Architecture et décors au temps des conquérants, 1055-1269. Paris: LienArt.
9. Salmon, Xavier (2016). Marrakech: Splendeurs saadiennes: 1550-1650. Paris: LienArt. ISBN 9782359061826.