Moorish architecture

thumb|340px|Stone relief with arabesques of tendrils, palmettes and half-palmettes in the [[Umayyad Mosque, Damascus, Syria]] thumb|Part of a 15th-century ceramic panel from Samarkand ([[Uzbekistan) with white calligraphy on a blue arabesque background]]The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foliate ornament, used in the Islamic world, typically using leaves, derived from stylised half-palmettes,

national museum in Tunis, Tunisia

architectural style historically developed in the western Islamic world

thumb|William Henry Playfair, [[University of Edinburgh: bevelled edges of each stone block emphasise the voussoirs, which have a curved base and together form a semi-circle at the top of each arch.]] A voussoir (UK: ; US: ) is a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, which is used in building an arch or vault. thumb|Joggled voussoir arch, located at the Mausoleum of Theodoric in [[Ravenna, Italy. (520 CE)]] Each voussoir is formed in a specific way to fit within the arch or vault created. Normally, different colored stones are shaped to fit together in a curved way that relies on the balanc

thumb|A wall covered in zellīj at the Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakesh Zellij (), also spelled zillij or zellige, is a style of mosaic tilework made from individually hand-chiseled tile pieces. The pieces were typically of different colours and fitted together to form various patterns on the basis of tessellations, most notably elaborate Islamic geometric motifs such as radiating star patterns composed of various polygons. This form of Islamic art is one of the main characteristics of architecture in the western Islamic world. It is found in the architecture of Morocco, the architecture of Alg

traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden or courtyard

thumb|A tadelakt-covered wall

thumb|Reception hall of Azm Palace|Azem Palace in [[Damascus, Syria, using ablaq technique (18th century)]]Ablaq (; particolored; literally 'piebald') is an architectural technique involving alternating or fluctuating rows of light and dark stone. It is an Arabic term describing a technique associated with Islamic architecture in the Arab world. The technique is used primarily for decorative effect. It may have its origins in earlier Byzantine architecture in the region, where alternating layers of white stone and orange brick were used in construction. Its use began early in the history of Is

building in Mauritania

thumb|A sebka motif on Hassan Tower in [[Rabat, Morocco, (late 12th century)]] Sebka () refers to a type of decorative motif used in western Islamic ("Moorish") architecture and Mudéjar architecture.

mosque in Tunisia

museum

building in Algeria

national museum in Algiers, Algeria

mosque in Salé, Morocco

mosque in Algiers, Algeria

architectural element

architectural element

villa in Algiers, Algeria

thumb|Socarrat representing an ox Socarrat are fired clay tiles covered with a white base and generally painted in red and black. These were placed between beams and joists in buildings’ ceilings and eaves. Their origin is typically medieval but subsequent production of these objects is known, mainly in Valencia. There are other words to name objects with similar function such as rajola, maó prim, atovó or cairó. The first register about its existence was likely in 1604, when D. Feliciano de Figueroa, Bishop of Segorbe, refers to a group of roof and wall tiles written and coloured with koranic