Speaker: Ian Cockburn
6 April 2021
The Alhambra of Granada, the Great Mosque of Cordoba and the Alcazar of Seville are the three most impressive monuments to the architectural creativity of the Moors in Spain, but there are many other examples worthy of mention too.
The classical origins that influenced the Moorish style are less well-known, but fascinating to explore, as too is the unique interior decorative style developed by the Moors, which gives their architecture its beauty and exotic appeal – an appeal so strong that the Christians sometimes copied it, even as they slowly reconquered the territory from its Islamic rulers. This lecture provides a comprehensive introduction to the Iberian peninsula’s Moorish architecture.
Profile
Ian is an art historian with a BA (Birkbeck College) in art history and an MA (Courtauld Institute of Art) in medieval Spanish art history. He is a specialist in the nearly 800 years of Moorish occupation and Christian reconquest of medieval Iberia.
He is the founder and director of an art tours company, specialising in guided cultural tours in Spain and he lectures in London at institutions such as the V&A, SOAS, Christies Education, and the London Art History Society. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of Art History Link-Up, a charity that offers an education in Art History to young people regardless of their background.