How Islam Shaped British Architecture

Cathedrals, parliament buildings, royal palaces, stately homes are among the many UK structures that have been inspired by Muslim architecture from Andalusia, the Mughal Empire in India, the Ottoman Empire and the Arab world. Some of these buildings even have stolen artefacts from these lands, and the owners are having to acknowledge their role in looting these objects.

Muslim building designs and architecture have been copied right across the western world from the advent of the world’s fastest growing religion.

Scholarship in recent years has started to tell a more holistic history, which depicts the influence and pivotal role the Muslim world has had on civilisations across the globe, especially in the west.

The presence of Islam in the UK goes deep, and has been here for centuries. It can be seen across the board, but one of the most striking visual examples is in British architecture. 

Islam is not new to Europe and the UK, and this is something people just have to accept. And this recognition might go a long way in fostering more tolerant and accepting attitudes to a religion that has historically been depicted as alien and backward.

Islamic architecture has always adapted to local traditions of building, and developing these further with Muslim principles and teachings. This has created the unique and impactful buildings that we see around the Muslim world today. These Muslim buildings, imbued with a spiritual connection, have moved and inspired construction across the globe.

Brighton Pavilion:

One of the most striking examples of Muslim influenced architecture in Britain is the Brighton Pavilion.

It was supposed to be a seaside villa retreat for fun-loving, extravagant King George IV when he was Prince Regent.

In 1815, King George appointed architect John Nash to turn the villa into an exotic palace, mimicking the visual styles of Mughal India and the Islamic world.

It is interesting to note also that Brighton Pavilion was used to house wounded Indian soldiers (Muslims, Hindus & Sikhs) from the First World War.

More than one million Indians fought with the British in the Great War. The Indian Army provided the British with the largest number of troops of anywhere in the Empire.

Big Ben:

The famous tall clock standing majestically in Westminster is a striking sight. I worked in the Parliament many years ago and was lucky to soak in the beauty of the whole complex almost everyday 

But did you know that Big Ben completed in 1856, was inspired by Muslim buildings that came way before?

There are undeniable similarities between the famous London landmark and the minaret from the Great Mosque of Aleppo, built in 1090, but sadly destroyed by the Syrian war in 2013.

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament were built in Gothic style. In fact, the pointed arch, the trefoil arch, ribbed vaulting and many other features used in Gothic architecture, do not originate in Europe, but come from the Muslim east. These architectural elements such as trefoil arches which were first created by Muslim empires dating back to the 7th century. 

Sir Christopher Wren (b.1632), acclaimed English architect, wrote in the 1700s: “Modern gothic… from all the marks of the new architecture, it can only be attributed to the Moors; or what is the same thing, to the Arabians or Saracens”.

Saracen was a derogatory term used for Muslims at this time, and even to this day. It’s original Arabic meaning is linked to the word ‘to steal’. It was supposed to reference Muslims as thieves and looters.

The reality was the opposite as it is western empires that raped and pillaged other lands. This is documented in many places throughout western history. In fact, Muslim culture and innovations were stolen and worst of all appropriated. So much so that people are often surprised about the link of western world to Islam, and its debt to the Muslim world 

Diana Darke, author of ‘Stealing from the Saracens: How Islamic Architecture Shaped Europe’ writes about extensively about the origins of Gothic architecture in Europe and the western world, in her book. She says in an interview with the Guardian: “Against a backdrop of rising Islamophobia, I thought it was about time someone straightened out the narrative.”

Leighton House, London:

Frederic Leighton (1830-1896) was a Victorian artist who travelled extensively in the Muslim world, and built his home in Holland Park, London as a visual representation of his travels.

The most stunning room in the house is the Arab Hall, which was inspired by Middle Eastern Islamic architecture and motifs.

He collected the most beautiful Islamic tiles and art, and this specific room was supposed to have been inspired by the 12th century La Zisa Palace in Sicily which also has Arab roots.

Durham Cathedral:

Durham Cathedral was built in the late 11th to early 12th century, and is a fine example of Norman architecture. What is less known, however, is the influence of Islamic architecture on this Christian place of worship.

The cathedral has elements of Andalusian architectural style with direct inspiration from the Jafiriyya Palace in Saragossa, in Northern Spain and the Great Mosque of Cordoba completed in 987.

Many cathedrals in Europe, in fact, incorporate features such as pointed stone arches and soaring ribbed vaults which are not Christian in origin but can be traced back to a seventh-century Islamic shrine in Jerusalem and the Cordoba Mosque.

The Arab Room at Cardiff Castle:

Cardiff Castle was built around the 11th century on the site of a Roman fort.

The Arab Room was added to this historical building by its Victorian owner, John Crichton-Stuart, the 3rd Marquess of Bute. The expertise of architect William Burges (1827-1881) was employed to create this Muslim-inspired space, in which he used Moorish (another name for Muslim) designs in particular, as well as other elements from the Islamic world.

These are just some of the examples that are inspired by Muslim architecture, but there are many more out there. Unfortunately, the Muslim elements are not always clearly explained or documented. What you many often find is terms like Orientalist, Moorish or Eastern which are all basically referring to Muslim. We have to be mindful of the alternative terms that are used, just to avoid saying ‘Muslim’.

British history is part of world history, and we often forget that there has always been an interaction with the west and the Muslim world since the early days of Islam. When Muslim empires were in their Golden Age, they dominated the world stage and their power, wealth and influence was far-reaching. As a result, there has been an intrigue and fascination with the Muslim east, as well as an historic rivalry. This created a dichotomy of wanting to copy the more superior culture, but at the same time removing the connection and rewriting the narrative.

This is why we are only now rediscovering these stories that are thankfully being unearthed or told by alternative voices, and reconnecting Muslims to the global landscape.

See my article in TRT World

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