Muqarnas

Muqarnas (Arabic: مقرنص; Persian: مقرنس, or Persian: آهوپای, romanized: ahoopāy), also known in Iberian architecture as Mocárabe (from Arabic: مقربص, romanized: muqarbaṣ), is a form of three-dimensional decoration in Islamic architecture in which rows or tiers of niche-like elements are projected over others below.^[1] It is an archetypal form of Islamic architecture, integral to the vernacular of Islamic buildings,^[2][3] and typically featured in domes and vaults, as well as iwans, entrance portals, or other niches.^[3] It is sometimes referred to as "honeycomb vaulting"^[4] or "stalactite vaulting".^[1]

The muqarnas structure originated from the squinch. Its purpose is to create a smooth, decorative zone of transition in an otherwise bare, structural space. This structure gives the ability to distinguish between the main parts of a building and serves as a transition from the walls of a square or rectangular room to a round dome or vault above it.^[5][3] From below, these compositions can create an elaborate visual effect based on the interplay of light and shadow across the surfaces sculpted into three-dimensional patterns.^[1]

Muqarnas most likely first developed in eleventh-century Iraq, though the earliest preserved examples are also found outside this region.^[6][1] As the technique became widespread in the 12th century, regional styles and variations developed across the Islamic world.^[1]