Category talk:Moorish architecture

Organizing topic
There's a number of issues with categorization in this topic, some of which are easily fixable and others a little more complicated. I'm going to try to address some now but will leave others for later, while noting them below. For information relevant to what's below, see Moorish architecture main article for sources and in-text overview. For reliable general references, see Marçais 1954, Dodds 1992, and Bloom 2020, among others. This is just one step in trying to better organize the topic. Additional revisions and suggestions are welcome. R Prazeres (talk) 20:20, 31 October 2022 (UTC)
 * As with the rest of Islamic architecture, the topic is usually divided by period, or more specifically by dynastic or political period (e.g. hence articles and categories like Mamluk architecture, Mughal architecture, Fatimid architecture, etc). These may or may not be considered different "styles" and may overlap chronologically (e.g. Zayyanid, Nasrid, and Marinid architecture are pretty similar in style and occur over roughly the same era). Something more nuanced is more likely to end up being WP:OR. Since this organization is common and relatively easy to follow, I've created a new category called Moorish architecture by period, for lack of an obvious better alternative. (Maybe "by dynasty" would be better, but not every relevant category is technically a dynasty either...) Some of the subcategories already exist, others will need to be created. Some things to note:
 * The categories Ottoman architecture in Algeria and Ottoman architecture in Tunisia can reasonably be categorized under this topic as they involve monuments with a blend of traditional "Moorish"/North African styles and new (Ottoman or other) influences; they are covered and describd as such by relevant references such as Marçais 1954 and Bloom 2020 and briefly by the Moorish architecture article. The names of the categories themselves are problematic, as calling it just "Ottoman" is too simplistic, but that's consistent with the other names in Ottoman architecture by country so it would be a separate issue.
 * The period of the Umayyads of Cordoba is divided on Wikipedia between Emirate of Córdoba and Caliphate of Córdoba. This should be manageable for architecture categories for now, so I've created them accordingly, but the division between pre-929 and post-929 architecture may be a little artificial and some monuments may not be so precisely dated, or overlap both periods, so it wouldn't be crazy to discuss merging these two categories or to create an umbrella category for both, if preferred.
 * Stricter geographic categorization will require additional attention for things like Almohad architecture and Almoravid architecture, as these periods/styles are found in multiple countries today. For example, Almohad architecture was embedded under Category:Architecture of Morocco but includes monuments in Spain, Marinid architecture is also embedded under Morocco but includes monuments in Algeria, and so on. A complete fix could involve having further subcategories like "Almohad architecture in Spain" and "Almohad architecture in Morocco", etc. I'll leave this for later consideration.
 * Another minor note: this category is currently embedded under Architecture of the medieval Islamic world, but even by a narrower definition it involves more modern periods as well, so this is insufficient or inappropriate. A more precise way to do handle this would be to embed this under the wider Category:Islamic architecture, and embed the relevant period-specific categories under the "medieval" category where appropriate. Luckily the period divisions coincide more or less with a transition between the 15th and 16th centuries. The "medieval Islam" scope is a problem of its own anyways, as this is not a category that really exists in reliable sources ("Medieval" is a term relevant to Europe; it has little relevance to Islamic architecture); it's really just complicating things unnecessarily. R Prazeres (talk) 20:41, 31 October 2022 (UTC)
 * I see what you're trying to do, but that should only apply to building that are not specifically described as Moorish. M.Bitton (talk) 22:33, 31 October 2022 (UTC)
 * Well no, it should apply to those as well, for the same reason that all the other "Moorish" buildings are placed under other subcategories, otherwise you'd have hundreds of building articles placed in the parent category and we might as well give up on WP:CATSPECIFIC. This can, however, potentially wait until a better category (or category name change) is made to encompass Regency-period architecture in Algeria (and an equivalent for Tunisia), since there's so much to sort out anyways. (PS: You can ignore my reply at Talk:Dar Aziza if you want, I didn't see your comment here first.) R Prazeres (talk) 22:45, 31 October 2022 (UTC)
 * I already replied there, though it's only now that I noticed that I missed the sub-categories. What you're suggesting is fine. Feel free to ignore both comments (I will revert the edits). M.Bitton (talk) 22:54, 31 October 2022 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure about "Ottoman architecture in Algeria", Can you think of another name for that period? M.Bitton (talk) 22:56, 31 October 2022 (UTC)
 * No worries, that's understandable, it's an awkward terminology as is; I understand why the "Ottoman" categories were created the way they were, but they fit poorly for these topics. Regarding your suggestion here though, I think that's not a bad idea actually, all things considered. It could be a good general category to sort any monuments that are not so straightforwardly classified under the existing options, and it might also be warranted in the long-term since some of the other categories are geographically-defined. R Prazeres (talk) 22:59, 31 October 2022 (UTC)
 * It's not just that they fit poorly, they also cover similar buildings that are not fully studied (that's why even though they all look the same, some are described as "Moorish" and some are not). I remember reading once that the "architects" in Algiers were all Moors and Moriscos who created their own association to control the trade. I'll send you a link if I can find it again. M.Bitton (talk) 23:11, 31 October 2022 (UTC)
 * That's interesting (do send me the reading if you find it), and yes it makes sense, it's an often-overlooked topic in some general references, but thankfully discussed in good enough measure by others. What I've taken away from my readings is that the architecture is quite cosmopolitan, hence why it's easily classified in seemingly contradictory ways by different writers and WP editors.
 * To answer your question more directly: another name for that period would be just something like "Architecture of Ottoman Algeria" (if it needs to match this main article) or "Architecture of the Regency of Algiers", which would be neutral and which, I think, doesn't imply a narrow style the way that "Ottoman architecture" does. I was about to create one before I noticed the existing categories; I imagine the responsible thing to do would be to request a name change for the existing categories though. Still, your other suggestion might be a good half-way point for now. What do you think? R Prazeres (talk) 23:20, 31 October 2022 (UTC)
 * I would support either of those two categories ("Architecture of Ottoman Algeria" or "Architecture of the Regency of Algiers") since neither of them implies a specific style. M.Bitton (talk) 23:26, 31 October 2022 (UTC)
 * Alright, I'll try to find time later to request the category moves. I'll make a note of it here when I do. Thanks! R Prazeres (talk) 23:32, 31 October 2022 (UTC)
 * I've listed the two categories for CfD here, doing my best to explain the reasons. R Prazeres (talk) 02:21, 1 November 2022 (UTC)
 * For the record, that discussion was relisted at Categories for discussion/Log/2022 November 17 but ended with no consensus. – Fayenatic  L ondon 10:09, 13 December 2022 (UTC)