Saracenic architecture has brought me many happy hours. How often have I been attracted by some mosque's tall tiered minarets gracefully tapering upwards and striking the eye with a pleasing effect! How instinctively have I moved towards the noble splendid and arched gateway, crowned with a graceful bulbous dome and leading into an enclosed garden! How satisfying has it been to tread the courtyard's oblong worn marble paving-slabs. How slowly have I paced the cypress-bordered walk by the fountain-fed short canal! How have I passed through open loggia and beneath the exquisite triple arches of the main pavilion itself to sit down finally and rest on the matted floor! How appreciatively have I gazed at the sumptuously carved window tracery in pierced stonework, at the fascinating symmetry of its geometrically patterned forms. How deep the joy I have derived from the beautiful characters of the Arab script in which the Prophet's supreme metaphysical declarations are painted on the walls! Everywhere perfect taste is displayed.
-- Notebooks Category 15: The Orient > Chapter 6 : Islamic Cultures, Egypt > # 8
