Muqarnas

Common card · No. 237935

Muqarnas (Arabic: مقرنص), also known in Iberian architecture as Mocárabe (from Arabic: مقربص, romanized: muqarbaṣ), is a form of three-dimensional decoration in Islamic architecture in which rows or tiers of niche-like elements are projected over others below. It is an archetypal form of Islamic architecture, integral to the vernacular of Islamic buildings, and typically featured in domes and vaults, as well as iwans, entrance portals, or other niches. It is sometimes referred to as honeycombs or stalactites. Muqarnas is an invention of Islamic architecture. Its structure originated from the squinch and its purpose is to create a smooth, decorative zone of transition in an otherwise bare, structural space. This structure gives the ability to distinguish between the main parts of a building and serves as a transition from the walls of a square or rectangular room to a round dome or vault above it. Muqarnas could also form entire vaults and domes. From below, these compositions can create...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Kent Wang from Barcelona, Spain, CC BY-SA 2.0