--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At the beginning, I thought the best…" description: "\"At the beginning, I thought the best Islamic work was in Spain - the mosque in Cordoba, the Alhambra in Granada. But as I learned more, my ideas shifte..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dae/i-m-pei-21076_architecture_at-the-beginning-i-thought-the-best-isla_2429927.jpg" --- # At the beginning, I thought the best Islamic work was in… ![“At the beginning, I thought the best Islamic work was in Spain - the mosque in Cordoba, the Alhambra in Granada. But as I learned more, my ideas shifted. I traveled to Egypt, and to the Middle East many times.I found the most wonderful examples of Islamic work in Cairo, it turns out. I'd visited…” quote by I. M. Pei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dae/i-m-pei-21076_architecture_at-the-beginning-i-thought-the-best-isla_2429927.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dae/i-m-pei-21076_architecture_at-the-beginning-i-thought-the-best-isla_2429927.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dae/i-m-pei-21076_architecture_at-the-beginning-i-thought-the-best-isla_2429927.jpg) > “At the beginning, I thought the best Islamic work was in Spain - the mosque in Cordoba, the Alhambra in Granada. But as I learned more, my ideas shifted. I traveled to Egypt, and to the Middle East many times.I found the most wonderful examples of Islamic work in Cairo, it turns out. I'd visited mosques there before, but I didn't see them with the same eye as I did this time. They truly said something to me about Islamic architecture.” [I. M. Pei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-m-pei/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author’s perception of Islamic architecture evolved from admiring Spanish examples to recognizing the richer, more resonant works in Cairo after multiple visits. **In simple terms:** Seeing more changes appreciation Key Takeaway Explore diverse cultural sites to deepen understanding Themes architecture culture travel Mood curious reflective Type observational personal When to use this quote - tourism - education - heritage preservation Key Concepts Aesthetic appreciation historical context Questions to Reflect On - How does repeated exposure alter aesthetic judgment? - What other regions might challenge your assumptions? A Different Perspective Personal bias can limit initial judgments ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Architecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architecture/) [Best Islamic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-islamic-222989/) [Cairo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cairo/) [East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/east/) [Egypt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/egypt/) [Example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example/) [Examples Islamic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/examples-islamic-268362/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Granada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/granada/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) [Islamic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islamic/) [Islamic Architecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islamic-architecture-268363/) [Islamic Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islamic-work-268360/) [Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle/) [Middle east](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-east/) [Mosques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mosques/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Spain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spain/) [Traveled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traveled/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Visited Mosques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visited-mosques-268361/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) ## Related quotes > [Qatar does not have much history, it's a new emirate. 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Pei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-m-pei/) > [“Leave me in Granada in the middle of paradise where my soul wells with poetry; Leave me until my time comes and I may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-zorilla/leave-me-in-granada-in-the-middle-of-paradise-where-my-soul-wells/) [Jose Zorilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-zorilla/) > [“Granada had never been on the water before and she marveled at how the creek was a living thing with a will of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-odell/granada-had-never-been-on-the-water-before-and-she-marveled-at-how/) [Jonathan Odell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-odell/) > [I've been going to Granada for many years and 12 years ago bought a house a few miles outside the city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-sayle/i-ve-been-going-to-granada-for-many-years-and-12-years-ago-bought-a/) [Alexei Sayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-sayle/) > [“The river Guadalquivir Flows between oranges and olives The two rivers of Granada Descend from the snow to the wheat Oh my love! 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This is for the ages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-m-pei/let-s-do-it-right-this-is-for-the-ages/) [I. M. Pei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-m-pei/) > [Qatar does not have much history, it's a new emirate. So I couldn't draw on the history of the country; its history is really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-m-pei/qatar-does-not-have-much-history-it-s-a-new-emirate-so-i-couldn-t/) [I. M. Pei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-m-pei/) > [I didn't want to think about a project that I couldn't finish. That's a kind of temptation. One has to realize one's limitations. Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-m-pei/i-didn-t-want-to-think-about-a-project-that-i-couldn-t-finish-that-s/) [I. M. Pei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-m-pei/) > [Contemporary architects tend to impose modernity on something. There is a certain concern for history but it’s not very deep. I understand that time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-m-pei/contemporary-architects-tend-to-impose-modernity-on-something-there/) [I. M. Pei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-m-pei/) > [You cannot defend your design without knowing what you're designing for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-m-pei/you-cannot-defend-your-design-without-knowing-what-you-re-designing/) [I. M. Pei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-m-pei/) > [I was born in Suzhou, a city not very far from Shanghai. It's a very interesting town - there is a long artist's tradition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-m-pei/i-was-born-in-suzhou-a-city-not-very-far-from-shanghai-it-s-a-very/) [I. M. Pei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-m-pei/) > [Architecture is the very mirror of life.You only have to cast your eyes on buildings to feel the presence of the past, the spirit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-m-pei/architecture-is-the-very-mirror-of-life-you-only-have-to-cast-your/) [I. M. 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