摩尔人在科尔多瓦建造的大清真寺至今依然屹立。还记得伊斯兰教徒们是如何在君士坦丁堡把基督教的圣索菲亚教堂变成清真寺的吧。在科尔多瓦，发生的事正好相反。当西班牙人最终把摩尔人赶出时，他们将伊斯兰教的清真寺改建成了教堂。直到今天，它还是教堂。
但迄今为止西班牙最著名的伊斯兰教建筑要数阿尔汉布拉宫了。阿尔汉布拉宫是西班牙格兰纳达的摩尔诸王建造的要塞宫殿。它建造在一座高高的悬崖陡峭的石山上，有利御敌。在宫殿内不同的建筑里设置有保安室和大厅，花园和庭院，里面都装饰着成千上万的阿拉伯图案。你也许听说过阿兰布拉宫的狮子庭院吧。它看起来像是一座修道院，因为它的四面都是拱廊。庭院的中间设置了一个很大的大理石盆，安放在十二头狮子背上，用作喷泉。
接下来我想你肯定要问一个令人棘手的问题了。说它棘手，是因为我根本就回答不了。
“既然摩尔人不允许雕刻活物，那这些狮子雕像是怎么一回事呢？”我不知道。也许这些狮子是个例外吧。也许这些狮子先是基督徒雕刻的，之后被摩尔人俘获，运送到阿尔汉布拉宫的。也许是这样……可谁又能知道呢？看看下面这幅图吧。看到阿拉伯图案了吗？
西班牙另外一座由摩尔人遗留下来的著名建筑叫做吉拉尔达塔。吉拉尔达塔意为风向标。很自然的，风向标安放在塔的顶端。塔尖是一个宗教图案，随风摆动。塔顶三层是文艺复兴时期的基督教风格建筑，因为当基督徒最终把摩尔人赶出西班牙时，他们把伊斯兰教建筑物据为己有，常以往上加盖的方式为我所用。
我们现在从西方的西班牙来到东方的印度。在印度的阿格拉住着一位伊斯兰教统治者，他为了纪念妻子而建造了这样一座建筑物。当你听到这是什么建筑物时一定会大吃一惊。它是一座陵墓！而当陵墓建好时，他的妻子还活着。
这在我们看来很奇怪，但这是那边的习俗。这是一个非常明智的习俗，因为国王和王后都将陵墓作为接待来宾和举行宴会的场所。他们死后，就埋在那儿。
这座陵墓叫做泰姬陵。因为是陵墓，顶部就设计成圆顶。许多来参观过泰姬陵的游客都认为这是世界上最漂亮的建筑物，甚至超过帕台农神庙。泰姬陵全是由大理石筑成，在阳光下闪闪发亮，宛如美丽的白色珠宝。泰姬陵的周围有花园、树木、草地和喷泉。泰姬陵的正前方是一个长方形水池，倒映着泰姬陵和它周围的树木。
让我们以泰姬陵来结束我们所介绍的伊斯兰教建筑。让我们引用阿里巴巴的话来结束这一章，“芝麻关门。”
DOME TROUBLE
麻烦的圆顶
ONCE upon a time a cathedral was being built in Florence，in Italy.The cathedral was almost finished except for a huge dome on top.Then one day the workmen had to stop work and leave the cathedral unfinished.The architect had died and，as he was the only person who knew how to build a dome big enough for this cathedral，the cathedral remained unfinished for a long time.The architect had left no drawings or plans to guide the builders.He had told no one how he thought the dome should be built.So for over a hundred years the cathedral at Florence stood there with a big hole in the crossing where the dome ought to have been.Finally it was decided to hold a competition and see if any one could be found who could build the dome and thus finish the cathedral.
In the competition many plans were suggested.One man said he was sure he could build the dome，but he would have to have a big column underneath the center to hold it up.Another man said he could build it，but he would have to have the help of a big pile of earth.“If，”said this one，“we mix gold coins with the earth and put this earth in a huge pile where the dome is to be，then we can build the dome around the pile.When the dome is completed，invite the people to carry off the earth to look for the coins.When all theearth is carried away，there will stand our dome.”
It would have been like looking for the thimble and the ring in a birthday cake.
The man who won the competition and got the job was named Brunelleschi.He had studied the old Roman buildings in Rome.He had worked as a sculptor，and he was a very good architect.Brunelleschi said he could build the dome，and build it，moreover，without the wooden centering that would use up such a lot of timber.But in spite of Brunelleschi’s confidence，the men in charge didn’t feel quite so sure he could do what he said he could.So they made the sculptor Ghiberti （Gee-bear’tee）an architect for the dome，too.
Now，Ghiberti was a fine sculptor （his Gates of Paradise prove that）but he really hadn’t an idea of how to build the dome.He therefore did no work on it，although he was getting as much pay for the job as Brunelleschi，who did all the planning.Of course this didn’t please Brunelleschi at all.So Brunelleschi made believe he was sick and stayed home in bed.Then the workmen had to stop work，for Ghiberti didn’t know what to tell them to do next.So as long as Brunelleschi stayed in bed the work waited.
But in spite of this Ghiberti was not taken from the job，so Brunelleschi had to tryanother way of getting rid of him.He told the men in charge that he thought it best to divide the work between the two architects.
“There are two difficult things to be done，”said Brunelleschi，“the bridges upon which the masons must stand and the chain which is to bind together the eight sides of the dome.Let Ghiberti take one of them，and I will take the other，that no more time be lost.”
This did the trick.Ghiberti chose the chain，but couldn’t make it work.He was soon taken off the job，and Brunelleschi could go ahead alone.
Brunelleschi finished the dome successfully.It is a different kind of dome from the dome of the Roman Pantheon，and it is different from the dome of St.Sophia.The dome is of brick and it has ribs of stone running down from the top.These ribs divide the dome into eight parts or sides，so it isn’t smoothly round like most domes.For another thing，this dome has a little cupola or tiny tower on top known as a lantern，although there is no light burning inside.
Just how Brunelleschi managed to build the dome without using centering is a mystery.But he did build it—and built it well.To-day it still rises above the roofs of Florence to be seen from far and near，one of the great domes of the world.It gives to the cathedral its name，the Duomo.If you go to Florence you will see near the Duomo a statue of Brunelleschi.He is shown seated，looking up at the dome，with plans on his lap.
No.78-1DUOM AND BELL TOWER FLORENCE（佛罗伦萨圆顶大教堂和钟塔）There is still another reason beside his work on the Duomo，for telling you about Brunelleschi.He was the first architect of a new kind of architecture known as Renaissance.
The Renaissance was a rebirth of interest in life—in writing，painting，sculpture，and architecture.It was especially a rebirth of interest in everything left by the ancient Greeks and Romans.I have told you that Brunelleschi studied the old Roman ruins.He had measured them，drawn pictures of them，and learned all he could about them.So when Brunelleschi designed buildings，he used the kinds of columns and decorations and vaults and plans that he admired from studying the Roman ruins.I don’t mean he built copies of Roman buildings.He just used them to go by.And so did all the Italian architects after Brunelleschi.