The arch ,which is characteristically a masonry type of construction ,undoubtedly had its origin in Mesopotamia ,a land of brick buildings .Arches consist of masonry blocks in the form of a curved line .In principle ,each wedge-shaped masonry block cannot fall inward without pushing the others out ;thus ,the whole arch form remains stable as long as a force is applied at the base to keep it from spreading. This force is called a horizontal thrust. A continuous series of arches is known as a vault.