An exhilarating, meticulously researched book that sheds light on centuries of borrowing, tracing the roots of Europe’s major buildings.’ — The Guardian
‘Diana Darke writes about Syria and its cultural heritage with love, clarity and authority.’ — Sir Michael Palin
Against a backdrop of Islamophobia, Europeans are increasingly airbrushing from history their cultural debt to the Muslim world.
But this legacy lives on in some of Europe’s most recognisable buildings, from Notre-Dame Cathedral to the Houses of Parliament. This beautifully illustrated book reveals the Arab and Islamic roots of Europe’s architectural heritage.
Diana Darke traces ideas and styles from vibrant Middle Eastern centres like Damascus, Baghdad and Cairo, via Muslim Spain, Venice and Sicily into Europe. She describes how medieval crusaders, pilgrims and merchants encountered Arab Muslim culture on their way to the Holy Land; and explores more recent artistic interaction between Ottoman and Western cultures, including Sir Christopher Wren’s inspirations in the ‘Saracen’ style of Gothic architecture.
Recovering this long yet overlooked history of architectural ‘borrowing’, Stealing from the Saracens is a rich tale of cultural exchange, shedding new light on Europe’s greatest landmarks.
Diana Darke is an Arabist and cultural expert who has lived and worked in the Middle East for over thirty years. She is the author of The Merchant of Syria: A History of Survival and My House in Damascus: An Inside View of the Syrian Crisis.
اطلاعات بیشتر در پیوند زیر:
https://memorients.com/events/stealing-from-the-saracens-a-talk-by-diana-darke
Seminar: Stealing from the Saracens - A Talk by Diana Darke
Southwark Cathedral London Bridge London SE1 9DA
23rd September 2020, 6:30pm – 8:00pm BST
وبگاه تاریخپژوهی و نظریهپژوهی معماری و هنر
