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- P-ISSN 1976-3735
- E-ISSN 3091-8685
- P-ISSN1976-3735
- E-ISSN3091-8685
Article Detail
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[Research Article] Pointed Cusped Arch: Islamic Architectural Element of the Goryeo Dynasty
The Journal of Northeast Asian History / The Journal of Northeast Asian History, (P)1976-3735; (E)3091-8685
2025, v.22 no.1, pp.77-123
https://doi.org/10.23037/jnah.2025.22.1.003
(SOAS, University of London)
HAN,
I.
K.
(2025). [Research Article] Pointed Cusped Arch: Islamic Architectural Element of the Goryeo Dynasty. , 22(1), 77-123, https://doi.org/10.23037/jnah.2025.22.1.003
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Abstract
This paper explores the influx and localization of Islamic cultural elements into medieval Korea through the architectural style of the cusped arch, which emerged during the Goryeo Dynasty. ‘Pointed cusped arch’ or simply ‘cusped arch’ referred to here is a polylobed arch with a pointed apex, a style that Korean art historians have long attributed to Islamic influences, labeling it as Arabic or Persian style. While the Song Dynasty, Goryeo’s primary diplomatic and trade partner, has traditionally been attributed to the introduction of this style, this paper demonstrates, through literature and material cultural evidence, that the Liao, then a dominant force in East Asia, actually served as an agent of cultural transmission. Furthermore, by exploring the Islamic architecture of northern India and Afghanistan, where the Ghaznavids, a major trading partner of the Liao Dynasty, were located, this paper traces the trajectory of the transmission of this Indo-Islamic architectural style to Goryeo. It confirms that the cusped arch style originated in Indian Islamic architecture, not in the architecture of Arab or Persian Islamic regions, as commonly presumed. This allows for a more precise conceptualization of the term “Islam,” previously used vaguely, within the context of the contemporary geopolitical landscape, and broadens the horizon of Korean medieval art.
- keywords
- Goryeo, Khitan Liao, the Ghaznavids, Islam, Hyeonmyo Pagoda of State Preceptor Jigwang, Arch (cusped arch, pointed arch, corbel arch).
- Received
- 2025-11-12
- Revised
- 2025-11-29
- Accepted
- 2025-12-15
- Published
- 2025-12-31
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