Identifying feature

Pointed arch

An arch whose two curved sides meet at a point, called the apex. It is the standard arch of Gothic and Gothic Revival buildings and pushes outward less than a round arch.

a sign of these styles

St. Mary's Church, Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany: an example of Brick Gothic Brick Gothic c. 1200–1550 Pointed arches and buttresses in red brick, patterned with glazed bricks, under stepped gables and steep roofs. American Gothic House, Eldon, Iowa: an example of Carpenter Gothic Carpenter Gothic c. 1840–1890 Wooden churches and cottages with board-and-batten walls, steep gables trimmed in sawn bargeboards, and pointed-arch windows. Harkness Tower, New Haven, Connecticut: an example of Collegiate Gothic Collegiate Gothic c. 1890–1940 Stone quadrangles with pointed-arch gateways, Tudor arches, tall towers, oriel windows and mullioned windows on university campuses. Notre-Dame de Paris, Paris, France: an example of Gothic Gothic c. 1150–1500 Pointed arches, ribbed ceilings, and flying buttresses that let stone walls turn into glass and light. Palace of Westminster, London, England: an example of Gothic Revival Gothic Revival c. 1740–1900 Medieval drama revived: pointed arches, steep gables, patterned stone window bars, and strong vertical lines. Keble College, Oxford, Oxford, England: an example of High Victorian Gothic High Victorian Gothic c. 1855–1885 Pointed arches and steep roofs on walls banded in contrasting red brick and light or dark stone, with heavy towers. Taj Mahal, Agra, India: an example of Mughal Mughal c. 1526–1857 Bulbous marble or red sandstone domes on drums, pointed arches, small domed pavilions, and inlaid stone patterns. King's College Chapel, Cambridge, England: an example of Perpendicular Gothic Perpendicular Gothic c. 1330–1550 English late Gothic: thin stone bars running floor to ceiling, enormous gridded windows, and fan vaulted ceilings. Golestan Palace, Tehran, Iran: an example of Qajar Qajar c. 1789–1925 Brick palaces and houses with painted tile panels of figures and flowers, mirror work, tall arched portals and windcatchers. Shah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran: an example of Safavid Safavid c. 1501–1736 Large tiled domes, vaulted iwans around courtyards, seven-color tile surfaces and muqarnas vaulting in portals. Gur-e-Amir, Samarkand, Uzbekistan: an example of Timurid Timurid c. 1370–1507 Huge tiled portals, ribbed turquoise domes on tall drums, and facades covered in glazed brick and mosaic tile. Doge's Palace, Venice, Italy: an example of Venetian Gothic Venetian Gothic c. 1300–1500 Gothic gone lacy: pointed arches with an S-curved tip, four-leaf clover cutouts, and arcaded facades in pink and white.

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