The geometric patterns seen here create an order in the midst of apparent unorder. Sometimes a grid, as in the
Minbar from Kutubiyya Mosque in Marakesh, this decoration creates an orderly pattern of decoration that could relate to ideas of an orderly Paradise. This particular minbar was made in
Cordoba and then taken to Marakesh, showing the network between
Andalusia and the other parts of the Islamic world.
1 Qurans also utilize these geometric, star patterns to show mystical ideas and order. These patterns can be seen in Andalusia on Christian monuments and objects as well.
The choirstall backs in the
Sevilla Cathedral use a geometric star pattern in the choir, showing that Christians use these Islamic patterns even for religious decoration. This is an example of Andalusian artists developing "the existing decorative vocabulary into a complex and forceful language of its own."
2 The order of these carefully laid out geometric designs contrasts to the mayhem found in the figural carvings on the choirstalls below. Perhaps referring to the order of the cosmos, these star patterns could be symbolizing the integration of the various religious groups in Sevilla, as a hybrid city.
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