Cairo’s Islamic design appeared in European cathedrals
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Diana Darke, an Arabist educated at Oxford, identified a link between Cairo’s Islamic architecture and monuments in Europe.
Egyptian and Mamluk architectural styles spread to Europe in two periods: during medieval trade and cultural exchange, and again with the Orientalist movements of the 19th and 20th centuries. The pointed arch, a key feature of structures like the Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo, became popular after Amalfi merchants brought the design to Italy.
This architectural element then appeared in French Gothic cathedrals, including Notre-Dame, and at Canterbury Cathedral in England. While scholars debate the exact path, the arch likely traveled from Cairo through Italian ports to northern Europe. Ornamentation such as arabesques and geometric patterns also moved with the style, influencing designs across the continent, even appearing in a brick mosque in Lithuania.
