Mozarabic art

Mozarabic art

Architecture and religious arts of the Mozarabs, Christians who lived in the Iberian Peninsula after the Arab invasion of 711. Exposure of the conquered Christians to Islamic culture and art forms proved influential, and their art became a synthesis of the two traditions. The subject matter is Christian, but the style shows the assimilation of Islamic decorative motifs and forms. Islamic influence is seen especially in Mozarabic architecture, with its horseshoe-shaped arches and ribbed domes. Through the emigration of Mozarabs, Islamic influence in the arts spread northward into the rest of Europe.