Gothic Architecture

Located in North Cyprus, the Lal Musafa Mosque was built between 1298 - 1400. In 1328, it was declared as a Christian Cathedral. However; during the reign of the Ottoman Empire the mosque was converted into a mosque. During Ottoman attacks in 1571 the building was damaged, and this damage was exacerbated by earthquakes that followed in 1735. Muslim architects removed all art in the mosque that contained human figures, and elements such as the mihrab and minaret were added. Altars were demolished any stained glass containing human depictions were removed.\

Ball-flower: An architectural ornament of a ball inserted in the cup of a flower which came into use in the latter part of the 13th.  It is generally placed in rows at equal distances in the hollow of a molding.

Buttress: A structure, usually brick or stone, built against a wall for support or reinforcement.

Capital: The crowning feature of a column; the top of a column or pillar.

Cornice: Horizontal moulded projection that completes a building or wall.

Sir Christopher Wren (1632 - 1723), was one of England’s most highly acclaimed architects and scientists. Wren began his architectural career in the 17th century; he attained his Master’s degree in 1651 from Wadham College, Oxford, where he studied astronomy, physics and anatomy. Coming from a purely scientific background, Wren began to develop a taste for architecture and design after completing his studies. By 1663 Wren launched into his first year of architectural design, in which he created the classic Roman theatre of Marcellus.