▁mixture ▁of ▁By z antine ▁( ...) ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁this ▁Goth o - S ar ac en ic ▁style ▁may ▁be ▁trac ed ▁to ▁the ▁man ners ▁and ▁hab its ▁of ▁the ▁Sar ac ens " ▁The ▁ 1 8 th - century ▁English ▁historian ▁Thomas ▁W art on ▁summar ized : ▁ ▁Point ed ▁arch ▁▁ ▁The ▁pointed ▁arch ▁origin ated ▁in ▁the ▁By z antine ▁and ▁S ass an ian ▁emp ires , ▁where ▁it ▁mostly ▁appears ▁in ▁early ▁churches ▁in ▁Sy ria . ▁The ▁By z antine ▁Kar am ag ara ▁Bridge ▁has ▁cur ved ▁elli pt ical ▁arch es ▁rising ▁to ▁a ▁pointed ▁ke yst one . ▁The ▁priority ▁of ▁the ▁By z ant ines ▁in ▁its ▁use ▁is ▁also ▁ev iden ced ▁by ▁slightly ▁pointed ▁examples ▁in ▁Sant ' A pol lin are ▁in ▁Cl asse , ▁R aven na , ▁and ▁the ▁H ag ia ▁I rene , ▁Constantin ople . ▁The ▁pointed ▁arch ▁was ▁subsequently ▁adopted ▁and ▁widely ▁used ▁by ▁Muslim ▁architect s , ▁becoming ▁the ▁characteristic ▁arch ▁of ▁Islam ic ▁architecture . ▁According ▁to ▁B ony , ▁it ▁has ▁spread ▁from ▁Islam ic ▁lands , ▁possibly ▁through ▁Sic ily , ▁then ▁under ▁Islam ic ▁rule , ▁and ▁from ▁there ▁to ▁Am alf i ▁in ▁Italy , ▁before ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁century . ▁The ▁pointed ▁arch ▁reduced ▁architect ural ▁thrust ▁by ▁about ▁ 2 0 % ▁and ▁therefore ▁had ▁practical ▁advantages ▁over ▁the ▁semi - circ ular ▁Roman es que