Pointed arch
Archaeologists uncovered crude pointed arches at the Bronze Age site of Nippur before 2700 BC. These early structures predate all known European examples by millennia. The palace of Nineveh also contained pointed arched drains, though they lacked a true keystone. Engineers later built the Byzantine Karamagara Bridge with a pointed arch spanning thirty meters. Such findings prove that pre-Muslim origins of pointed architecture are an unassailable contention. Many Greek and late Roman examples exist in Syria and Mesopotamia. The clearest surviving example from this era appears in the two pointed arches of Chytroi-Constantia Aqueduct in Cyprus dating back to the 7th century CE.
The pointed arch became an early feature of architecture in the Islamic world during the Umayyad period. It appeared in both Umayuad and Abbasid structures between the late 7th and 9th centuries. The most advanced form was the four-centred arch which emerged under the Abbasids. Early examples include the portals of Qubbat al-Sulaiybiyya and the Qasr al-Ashiq palace at Samarra. Caliphs built these structures for their new capital in the 9th century. The evolution involved increases between the centers of circles forming the sides of the arch. This process made the arch less blunt and more sharp over time. Measurements show changes from one point five times the span in Qusayr Amra to three times the span in Fustat. Fatimid architecture in Egypt later adopted this style as well.
Medieval builders in France and England began using the pointed arch in the 12th century. They combined it with rib vaults and flying buttresses to create cathedrals of unprecedented height. One of the first Gothic rib vaults appeared at Durham Cathedral between 1135 and 1490. Architects also used them in the deambulatory of the Abbey of Saint Denis in Paris from 1140 to 1144. Lessay Abbey in Normandy featured similar designs starting around 1064. The reduction of thrust on supports allowed walls to be thinner and higher than before. Thin stone ribs distributed weight outwards and downwards to rows of pillars below. Flying buttresses supported weight by curving columns outside the building itself. This engineering shift enabled immense stained glass windows to fill the spaces between columns.
The reduction of thrust provided by a pointed arch compared to a semicircular one was quickly recognized. Medieval European builders achieved this through experimentation rather than complex formulas initially. Technical literature dating to the Renaissance suggests formulas for determining thrust may have been in use during the medieval period. In a barrel vault, round arches pressed down directly onto thick walls requiring few windows. Rib vaults changed this dynamic by distributing weight to four pillars equally. A quadripartite vault reduced compartments from six to four to span wider spaces. This design gave structures like Amiens Cathedral and Chartres Cathedral unprecedented height. Walls could become taller because the load moved away from the center of gravity. Large windows filled with light replaced solid masonry blocks that previously blocked the view.
Stone cutters drew arcs on stone using a cord and marker to create equilateral arches precisely. The three sides of an equilateral triangle had equal length representing the Holy Trinity. Lancet windows took their name from the lance shape used in tall slender designs. These were often grouped into sets of two or three adjacent windows. Flamboyant Gothic windows occupied nearly all space of the walls at Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes between 1379 and 1480. Some forms borrowed modifications of the horseshoe arch from Islamic architecture. The Tudor Arch was a variation of the Islamic four-centred arch used widely in English architecture. It featured a pointed sub-type of general flattened depressed arch during the Tudor dynasty from 1485 to 1603. Two notable types included the Persian arch which was moderately depressed and the flatter Tudor arch.
Horace Walpole built Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham, London starting from 1749 onward. This residence revived the use of pointed arches after they were largely abandoned during the Renaissance. Architects later applied them to British Houses of Parliament between 1840 and 1876 following a fire. A Gothic train station appeared in Peterhof, Russia in 1857 as another example. Pointed arches reappeared in varied structures throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. They were usually used in churches and chapels before expanding to public buildings. The movement brought back forms that had been replaced by more classical styles for centuries. This resurgence demonstrated enduring appeal across different cultures and time periods.
Common questions
When were the earliest pointed arches discovered at Nippur?
Archaeologists uncovered crude pointed arches at the Bronze Age site of Nippur before 2700 BC. These early structures predate all known European examples by millennia.
What is the clearest surviving example of a pointed arch from the 7th century CE in Cyprus?
The clearest surviving example from this era appears in the two pointed arches of Chytroi-Constantia Aqueduct in Cyprus dating back to the 7th century CE. This structure demonstrates that pre-Muslim origins of pointed architecture are an unassailable contention.
How did Medieval builders in France and England use pointed arches during the 12th century?
Medieval builders in France and England began using the pointed arch in the 12th century. They combined it with rib vaults and flying buttresses to create cathedrals of unprecedented height.
Which specific Gothic rib vault appeared at Durham Cathedral between 1135 and 1490?
One of the first Gothic rib vaults appeared at Durham Cathedral between 1135 and 1490. Architects also used them in the deambulatory of the Abbey of Saint Denis in Paris from 1140 to 1144.
When was Strawberry Hill House built in Twickenham, London to revive pointed arches?
Horace Walpole built Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham, London starting from 1749 onward. This residence revived the use of pointed arches after they were largely abandoned during the Renaissance.