Date of Graduation

5-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Architecture

Advisor/Mentor

Sexton, Kim

Committee Member/Reader

Diaz Montemayor, Gabriel

Committee Member/Second Reader

ten Haff, Rachel

Abstract

Medieval Spain is a unique summation of religious and cultural communities. Through the built forms of Al-Andalus, there is unique preservation of societal imprints that parallel the formation of the Castilian language. These two mediums—architecture and language—are a telling of the culture and history of the region. By first observing the historical formation of Spanish, and in turn the various communities which inhabited the Iberian Peninsula, one may find many correlations with architecture created at the same time. After understanding the historical making of the Spanish language, it is important to analyze the language itself and how it differs from English, as a point of reference. Drawing out these theories entails conjecturing over their origin stories, structural similarities, and finally by comparing various equivalencies between the two forms. The landscape of central to southern Spain is a unique area which contains an overlaying of societies and religious groups which used similar styles in their architecture. Through the study of the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian social and political groups, architecture and language can be theorized as more the same than not. The cities of Toledo, Córdoba, and Granada have prominent works which showcase these attributes during the Middle Ages. By studying the culture of Al-Andalus through the forms of architecture and language, one can also see the reflection of language within architecture.

Keywords

Spain; Mudejar; Architecture; Medieval; Language; Spanish

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