horseshoe arches in Montreal, Fes, and Cordoba

These horseshoe arches (a type of arch that curves inward at the bottom) are a curious decorative detail on the balconies of two side-by-side townhouses in Montreal, given the typical association of horseshoe arches with Islamic architecture. Rue Sainte-Famille, Montreal, Quebec.

Less of a surprise, horseshoe arches decorate the entrance to a mosque and an adjacent fountain in the medieval medina of Fes al Bali, Morocco.

In Cordoba, Spain, a sea of striped horseshoe arches fills the worship space of the Great Mosque.