Question

Explain the architectural and decorative forms of the mihrab dome at the Great Mosque at Cordoba. What engineering device is used to support the dome (pendentive or squinch)? Who were the artists who created the mosaics that decorated the dome? How does the inscription (calligraphy) depicted in the dome relate to the decorative brickwork we studied at the Theotokos church at the Monastery of Hosios Loukas in Greece?

Answer 1

The mihrab dome at the Great Mosque at Cordoba is decorated with gold mosaic and supported by a squinch. The mosaics were created by Byzantine craftsmen. The calligraphy inscription in the dome relates to the decorative brickwork at a church in Greece.

Step-by-step explanation:

The architectural and decorative forms of the mihrab dome at the Great Mosque at Cordoba are characterized by a dome with crisscrossing ribs that create pointed arches, all covered with gold mosaic in a radial pattern. The dome is built using a structural engineering device called squinch, which is used to transition from a square space to a circular dome. The mosaics that decorate the dome were created by craftsmen from the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople. The calligraphy inscription depicted in the dome relates to the decorative brickwork at the Theotokos church at the Monastery of Hosios Loukas in Greece. Like the decorative brickwork, the calligraphy inscription serves as a form of decorative ornamentation and adds to the overall aesthetic appeal of the dome.