Damascus, Once the World Leading Centre of Astronomy
In the 14th century, Syria had two of the most notable astronomers who contributed to the world of astronomy and the Syrian Muslim community. Al Khalili came up with tables
July 3, 2024
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The French Notre Dame’sThe French Notre Dame’sSyrian Origins
A further testament to the cultural and historical significance of Syria. We explore some of the features of the Notre-Dame in Paris that surprisingly have origins in Syria. The information is based on the 2019 writings of Middle East researcher Diana Darke.
There are many artistic and historical overlaps that exist between Syria and the many cultures of Europe. One example is the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris (12th c.), which has a variety of architectural elements that actually originate in Syria. In 2019, the cathedral caught fire and was heavily damaged to the horror of many around the world, an event that triggered a renewed discussion about the structure’s eastern inspirations.
Middle East expert Diana Darke revealed that the Notre-Dame cathedral is derived from the 5th-century church of Qalb Loze in Syria’s Idlib Governorate. The layouts of the two structures have many similarities. Qalb Loze is the earliest known example of the twin tower façade flanking a highly elaborate arched entrance. This structure, built during the Byzantine era in Syria, came to inspire the Gothic style of architecture of Notre-Dame.
Inside Qalb Loze, as in the Notre-Dame, pillars divide the church into three broad aisles echoing the Holy Trinity, with three sweeping arches resting on broad capitals to distribute weight. As for the Notre-Dame’s former spire, the first known example of such an architectural feature is said to come from the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus (8th c.), one of the first monumental works of architecture in Islamic history.
Analyses of stained glass in the main cathedrals of England and France, built between 1200-1400, showed that all utilize the same plant ash composition of Syrian raw materials. Imported from Syria, this raw material was used in glass windows, such as those of the Notre-Dame; luckily, they survived the fire! For colored glass, the alkaline plant called ushnaan (which is native to parts of the Middle East, including the Syrian desert) was added to silica made from crushed pebbles of the Euphrates River.
This produced the world’s finest and most delicate glass, based in Raqqa, the Syrian city located on the fringes of the Syrian desert by the banks of the Euphrates. It was the center of the Syrian glass industry from the 9th-14th centuries.
It is believed that Crusaders brought Qalb Loze’s architectural style to Europe in the 12th century. However, merchants, pilgrims and monks had been traveling between Europe and the Levant for centuries, so It’s not surprising to find this overlap. This is yet another strong testament to Syria’s cultural and historical richness.
