Gezicht op de Shapoor-moskee in Ahmedabad before 1866

This is a photograph of the Shapoor Mosque in Ahmedabad. The most striking visual element is the series of arches supported by pillars, arranged in tiers. These arches, while serving a structural purpose, also bear a symbolic weight. We find their echoes in Roman aqueducts and Renaissance cloisters, each instance carrying connotations of connection and passage. Consider the arch as a motif, it reappears across cultures, symbolizing gateways to new spiritual realms or transitions in life. The repetition creates a rhythm that invites the eye to wander, not unlike the rhythmic chanting in a sacred space. This visual rhythm perhaps mirrors the cyclical nature of time and ritual, engaging our subconscious with its promise of continuity. The mosque, rendered in stark detail, invites us to consider how architectural forms carry cultural memory, evolving yet echoing across time.