A History of Agriculture in India v2.c53.s9: Architecture
A History of Agriculture in India v2.c53.s9
- Language
- English
Contents
- v2.c53.s9.t1 Chahar-Bagh Design — 2 parts
Architecture
v2.c53.s9.1
The dome and the horseshoe arch are distinct contributions of the Arabs to the architecture of Spain. The architecture of Moorish places, known as the Alhambra and the Alcazar, is marked by dignity and splendour. As the painting and sculpting of the human form was forbidden by Islam, the Moslem architects and masons took recourse to geometry. The vaults of mosques and palaces were encrusted with circular and polygonal studs, the stalactites. A new type of beauty, the beauty of crystals, emerged. The use of brilliantly coloured and decorated tiles further enriched their buildings.
Chahar-Bagh Design
v2.c53.s9.t1.1
From the Persians, the Arabs learnt the *chahar-bagh* design of the garden lay-out. Thus when they were in Spain they introduced two great innovations, viz. the cultivation of date-palms and the lay-out of gardens with crossed channels containing fountains of water. On this pattern, the Arabs raised splendid gardens at Cordoba, Seville and Granada.
v2.c53.s9.t1.2
The gardens of Alhambra and Generalife in Granada, with their canals, jets of water and flower-beds, also bear the impress of the Persian *chahar-bagh*. The Arabs left an indelible impress on the horticulture of Spain and Portugal, where the entire vocabulary concerned with irrigation is Arabic, and so are the names of numerous flowers, fruits, vegetables, shrubs and trees.