Arches have a major presence in structures of ancient and modern Islamic culture throughout the world. Arches in Islamic art are usually characterized by their decoratively curved sides which meet in a point at the center of the arch. Islamic arches are commonly found in mosques, fonts, tombs and palaces. The Taj Mahal in India, as well as the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, provide two famous examples of large-scale use of arches in Islamic architecture.
In addition to the characteristic pillars and columns of ancient Roman architecture, arches also play a central decorative and functional role. Well-known examples of Roman archways can be found in the Colosseum in Rome and in the Roman Aqueduct located in present-day Segovia, Spain. The Greek architects that preceded and inspired the artists of the Roman Empire did not typically use arches, favoring the classic columns instead for load-bearing and decorative purposes.
The term Romanesque belongs to the time period following the decline of the Roman Empire, which gave rise to the role of the Catholic Church in Europe during the Middle Ages. Romanesque arches can be identified by their semi-circular shape, such as the main entrance to the Cathedral of Lisbon in Portugal, although their use was so widespread that they can be observed throughout continental Europe. Mainstream use of Romanesque arches by architects may have begun anytime between the sixth and 10th centuries A.D.
Romanesque arches inspired the use of Gothic arches in the 12h century. Gothic arches are also called ogival arches, and are characterized by their swooping sides that end in a pointed arch. Ogival arches are also seen in pre-Islamic and Islamic architecture. The ogival arch in Gothic architecture results from the intersections of the transverse ribs of arches that provide support for the surface of a Gothic vault. Lancet arches are variants of Gothic arches that are very narrow and steeply pointed.