An important influence on Renaissance architecture was the Dome of the Rock, famous for its spatial harmony, balance and overall perfection. . . . The Dome of the Rock is basically a Byzantine building [with] classical columns, topped by arches in alternating black and white marble, the dome, and the gold and semi-precious mosaics that decorate the walls all speak of Byzantine heritage" (p. 119).

Some scholars, though, have argued that authentic Islamic architecture essentially ended in 900 C.E., with the sole exception of Egypt, and even in this venue Islamic architectural development all but ceased for a period of four centuries until the middle of the Bahri Mamluk period (Blair & Bloom, 2003). It is important to note, though, that the Mamluk sequence of sultans continued until 1517 and there was ample evidence for a comparable tradition of Islamic architecture in a number of countries besides Egypt (Blair &...
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