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Modern Architectures of North America

Temple of Israel Facade

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Steph - Moorish Revival Architecture
What is Moorish Architecture and how did it come to the United States?
The term "moor" refers to the Islamic peoples of northern Africa and thus the moorish style is a specific branch of Islamic art. There are several, more general motifs of Islamic art that are represented in the moorish style. For example, elaborate, floral tile work and decorations, horseshoe and multi-foil arches, and stars (with points in multiples of eight) are common in both general Islamic art and the moorish style. However, the moorish style does have some characteristics that set it apart from other Islamic styles, such as its greater density and bulbous minarets. (Hillenbrand, 2003 and Graves, 2009)

Moorish revival architecture is unique in comparison to other revival styles in that it is not simply reusing stylistic elements, but it combines those elements with those of other cultures. For example, Gothic revival architecture is predominantly true to the style's original cannon, meanwhile, Moorish revival architecture is greatly influenced by other styles (including Gothic) and thus is a new style all together. On this page, one will observe the characteristics of Moorish style and how they interplay with Western styles and purposes proposed by other cultural groups (most prominently, how the style underwent changes in the hands of early American Christians in the South and in the hands of the Jews who would later bring the style to the United States).
Moorish/Islamic Spain
In 711 CE, Muslim forces from Northern Africa invaded the Iberian Peninsula and by 720 CE, had control over almost all of Spain. Under Moorish rule, Spain went from a Christian to Muslim territory. Muslim law dictated restrictions on the practices of Judaism and Christianity. For a time, religious minorities were not treated so poorly and there was a degree of inter-faith tolerance in Islamic Spain that was very uncommon for the time. However, by the 11th century, the treatment of religious minorities had become increasingly severe and when Christians became the dominant force in Spain once more, they greeted the Muslims with just as, if not more, severe treatment (through eventual forced conversion). This being said, Christians reclaimed Spain in 1492 and converted the Moorish Mosques into cathedrals for Christian worship. (BBC-Religions, 2009)

   This video tours and documents the history of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. While watching this video, observe the details of the building's architecture and compare it to the images of the Moorish revival style buildings.

   Likewise, when Spanish Christians came to colonize the modern day United States, they brought this style of architecture with them. In the Eastern U.S., Spain colonized modern Florida and New Orleans. As seen above, the Moorish revival style is present in such regions in the form of cathedrals. Although this building was not constructed during the time of Spanish colonization, the Spanish influence remained in the region for several decades afterward (the building itself standing as testament to that fact).

Orientalism
   Seen above is an example of a mansion built in the Moorish revival style in Natchez, Mississippi (another state that was once part of the Spanish colonies). When observing this building, one must question how concepts such as orientalism come into play. Is this a building designed to embody the romanticized concept of the "exotic orient" or, were the designers aware of the style's origins at all? It is likely that the designer's were not fully aware of the style's history and therefore attributed it to the Spanish. So, is this a case where orientalism can be applied at all? Could one even consider the Spanish's adoption of this style orientalism, as it was not a deliberate adoption?

One must remember that there is a great difference between simply being influenced by a culture and appropriating it. Orientalism is the misinterpretation of Eastern culture, the romanticizing of those cultures, and often labeling those cultures as inferior to Western ones. In the case of this mansion, the most crucial question is whether or not the use of Moorish elements is using the "exotic" to appeal to on-lookers or if it is out of reverence for a culture (however, we cannot determine whether or not that culture was interpreted as Moorish or Spanish by the building's designers). (Boer, Oxford Art Online)

   To learn more about orientalism on a broader scale, one should pursue the work of Edward Said, who is the most renowned writer on the subject and coined the term itself.

Moorish Style and the Jews
The other venue through which the Moorish style came to the United States was via Jewish immigrants. In the early 1800s in Germany, the Moorish style had become wildly popular amongst German Jews, who built their synagogues in the style. The trend permeated throughout Europe, from the already Moorish-influenced Spain to Ukraine. The reasoning behind this is somewhat unclear. Many scholars argue that the German Jews were influenced by Spanish Jews, while others claim that Moorish architecture was a venue through which the Jews could proclaim their "oriental origins". Whatever the case, the style found its way to North America with the Jews and became a prominent feature of American synagogues. (Kalmar, 2001)

   The relationship between the Jews and Moorish architecture is perhaps most prevalent in Eastern Europe, where there are several still-standing synagogues in the style. This video presents an overview of a synagogue in Prague that was completed in the Moorish style.

A New Style in Revival
As the images above demonstrate, the Moorish revival style is heavily influenced by the original Moorish style. However, this new style has been greatly altered to suit the needs of particular religious sects and the standards of other cultures. The Immaculate Conception Church utilized Moorish stylistic elements, but in a Christian/Western framework. The Temple of Israel displays a similar manipulation of the style to suit the needs of a synagogue. Lastly, the Longwood Mansion uses Moorish elements to enhance its visual appeal and to seem more like a palace rather than plantation house. Through these filters, the Moorish style has been changed and westernized to create something new in the United States. While this filtering proposes many questions (is this appropriation or appreciation? and so forth), one cannot deny the vast history that lies behind the creation of this style and the great role circumstance played in its development. Indeed, the Moorish Revival style has taken many forms and many sub-styles as it has transformed to suit the needs of different identities.

Bibliography

Kalmar, Ivan Davidson. "Moorish Style: Orientalism, the Jews, and Synagogue Architecture." Project MUSE-Indiana University Press. 2001. Accessed March 29, 2016. https://muse.jhu.edu/journals/jewish_social_studies/v007/7.3kalmar.html.

BBC. "Muslim Spain (711-1492)." BBC-Religions. 2009. Accessed March 29, 2016. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/spain_1.shtml.

Hillenbrand, Robert. 2003. “Studying Islamic Architecture: Challenges and Perspectives”. Architectural History 46. SAHGB Publications Limited: 1–18. doi:10.2307/1568797.Copy

Graves, Margaret. "Portals In Islamic Architecture." Oxford Art Online. July 2, 2009. Accessed March 29, 2016. http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T2082247?q=islamic architecture&search=quick&pos=2&_start=1#firsthit.

Boer, Inge. "Orientalism." Oxford Art Online. Accessed March 29, 2016. http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/opr/t234/e0382?q=orientalism&search=quick&pos=2&_start=1#firsthit.