{"product_id":"islamesque-the-forgotten-craftsmen-who-built-europes-medieval-monuments-by-diana-darke","title":"Islamesque: The Forgotten Craftsmen Who Built Europe's Medieval Monuments by Diana Darke","description":"\u003cp\u003eWho really built Europe's finest Romanesque monuments? Clergymen presiding over holy sites are credited throughout history, while highly skilled creators remain anonymous. But the buildings speak for themselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis groundbreaking book explores the evidence embedded in medieval monasteries, churches and castles, from Mont Saint-Michel and the Leaning Tower of Pisa to Durham Cathedral and the Basilica of Santiago de Compostela. Tracing the origins of key design innovations from this pre-Gothic period--acknowledged as the essential foundation of all future European construction styles--Diana Darke sheds startling new light on the masons, carpenters and sculptors behind these masterpieces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt a time when Christendom lacked such expertise, Muslim craftsmen had advanced understanding of geometry and complex ornamentation. They dominated high-end construction in Islamic Spain, Sicily and North Africa, spreading knowledge and techniques across Western Europe. Challenging Euro-centric assumptions, Darke uncovers the profound influence of the Islamic world in \"Christian\" Europe, and argues that \"Romanesque\" architecture, a nineteenth-century art historians\" fiction, should be recognized for what it truly is: Islamesque.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hurst and Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50912278839581,"sku":"9781805260974","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0511\/5897\/files\/Screenshot2026-02-03at8.17.13pm.png?v=1770167864","url":"https:\/\/www.middleeastbooks.com\/products\/islamesque-the-forgotten-craftsmen-who-built-europes-medieval-monuments-by-diana-darke","provider":"Middle East Books and More","version":"1.0","type":"link"}