ARCHES my photos, my words

I have hundreds of photographs showing arches: arched entryways, arched corridors, arched ceilings, arched cathedrals. It seems like any scene with an arch framing a subject attracts my attention. An arched frame is much more pleasing aesthetically than a basic rectangular frame in a scene.

The frequency that arches show up in my photo files got me thinking. Why do I encounter so many arches, especially in architecture? What purpose do they serve? And where did the technique originate? With a few keystrokes into Google, I had my answer.

Blame the Romans, with an assist from the Sumerians and Babylonians.

According to historians, the use of arches in architecture can be traced back to Mesopotamia around 2000 BCE. Arches made of bricks were used for underground drainage systems during construction. Ancient Sumerians and Babylonians are credited with the invention of arches, but Roman builders perfected the design, and it became a common element in architecture around the first century BCE.

Early builders discovered, likely through centuries of trial and error, that the use of arches provides structural and functional benefits that can’t be achieved with more traditional posts-and-beam structures. An arch distributes the weight it supports outward along its curve to the abutments, or supports, on either side. This reduces the stress that would be borne by a flat crossbeam. Us of an arch allows for wider openings than could be achieved with a flat beam, which creates additional flexibility when designing a structure.

While arches were first used in underground draining, the Romans advanced the technique, using it to build complex structures that still stand centuries later.

The Romanesque era of architecture featured rounded arches, a common scene in older buildings throughout Europe. The Gothic era that followed introduced the use of pointed arches, which allowed for even greater height and more complex vaulting. Many older churches feature Gothic arches, with the pointed arch used to draw the viewer’s eye upward, creating a sense of the divine and symbolizing a pathway to heaven. And arches were used to mark entrances to cities, parks, or other important areas, serving as a gateway or divider. The Arc de Triomphe in Paris is a famous example of this use, although many older European cities have arches that separate parts of the city.

The Sumerians, Babylonians, and Romans didn’t consider the role that arches would play in visual arts like photography when creating and advancing arches in architecture. But as a photographer, I enjoy repurposing this engineering gem into a key element in my travel shots.