4: Crossroads of Civilization: Medieval Mediterranean with Carla Keyvanian

““Architecture did not develop in certain regions as an exclusive product of particularly talented individuals, per se, or a specific isolated culture, but emerged as the outcome of very fruitful exchanges.” ”

Carla Keyvanian, Associate Professor of Architecture at Auburn University, talks about her module for GAHTC that looks at the ‘Medieval’ architecture as a product of the complex cultural crossroads of the Mediterranean, that includes Islamic, African and diverse Christian forces, rather than just a ‘Romanesque’ evolution. Topics include Byzantium, Armenia, Umayyads, and Córdoba. We also discuss the Crusades and their abiding influence on contemporary conflicts.

Timestamp Outline

1:34 What do you mean by a crossroads?
2:35 “Architecture did not develop in certain regions as an exclusive product of particularly talented individuals, per se, or a specific isolated culture, but emerged as the outcome of very fruitful exchanges across the Mediterranean.”
4:42 Lecture 2: development of the pendentive and squinches
5:08 “The structural components of architecture, in particular, represent inescapable evidence of cultural exchanges having happened.” “People don’t want to take risks with structure.”
7:04 Hagia Sophia (cultural exchange required for enormous spatial effects)
8:28 Josef Strzygowski and Armenia as a critical crossroads between Islamic architecture and Christian European architecture
15:19 The effect of the crusades?
18:11 “Cultural exchanges have always been a major source of innovation,” as seen through architecture
18:36 Huntington’s ‘Clash of Civilizations’ a problematic statement
19:14 Lecture 3: “Another Road out of Antiquity” and Umayyad architecture
20:50 Roman roots and Islamic-Classical hybridizations: Great Mosque of Damascus and the Dome on the Rock
22:44 Local variations in Islamic Architecture
26:01 Romanesque architecture and 19th century logic
28:02 The challenge of global history: “being able to simultaneously acknowledge and account for a certain localization while insisting on the persistent influence of non-local forces.”
28:37 Lecture 5: Islamic Spain and the Great Mosque of Córdoba
31:37 Local is already global