This is a view, facing south, of the world famous Alhambra in Granada
with the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the background. The Alhambra is one
of the finest examples of Islamic art left in the western world. The Alhambra
is the product of over three centuries of construction, beginning with
the Moors and added to by Catholic kings of Spain. Although the exact dates
of the initial structures are unknown, the most impressive architecture
comes from the Moors, who ruled in Granada until 1492. The Christian monarchs
added buildings later, but those structures are not as impressive as the
Moorish ones.
This façade of the Comares Palace in the Alhambra was made in
the 14th century to commemorate the successful conquering of
Algeciras by Muhammad V. The decoration of this façade becomes more
intricate as it goes up. Some suggest this is an imitation of the ascending
order of classical design.
Patio de los Arrayanes (The Courtyard of the Myrtles) gets its name
from the rows of myrtle bushes lining this reflecting pool. The Comares
Tower is seen in this picture. The reflecting pool of water gives the impression
that the tower is floating on water. It is also makes the tower look more
impressive than it actually is. The use of water to mirror the structure
above it has been repeated numerous times throughout history; most notably
the Taj Mahal in India (built 1630-1647) and the Washington Monument in
Washington, DC, but this is the first known use of this effect.
A view of the Patio de los Leones (The Courtyard of the Lions). This courtyard was the center around which the sultan’s private dwellings were located. The four quadrants around the center fountain (The Fountain of the Lions) used to be several feet lower and were filled with various bushes and plants fed by underground pipes of water. The fountain is a large 12-sided bowl borne on the backs of 12 white marble lions. It is generally accepted that the lions were sculpted sometime around the beginning of the 11th century. An inscription in Arabic surrounds the fountain, giving details about the courtyard and the fountain.
"Here the hand of time has fallen the lightest and the traces of Moorish
elegance and splendor exist in almost their original brilliancy. Earthquakes
have shaken the foundations of this pile and rent its rudest towers, yet
see, not one of those slender columns has been displaced, not an arch of
that light and fragile colonnade has given way, and all the fairy fretwork
of these domes, apparently as unsubstantial as the crystal fabric of a
morning’s frost, yet exist after the lapse of centuries, almost as fresh
as if from the hand of the Moslem artist." - from "Tales of the Alhambra"
Washington Irving, 1832.
A closer view of the arches in the Courtyard of the Lions.
A view of the Courtyard of Lindaraja in the Alhambra.
This is a good example of a Spanish-Muslim Water Garden in the Alhambra. Located in the Generalife portion of the Alhambra, it was originally built to not be visible from the outside, so as to provide a secluded hide-away. Later during the reign of the Catholic monarchs the arches on the right were added to allow a view of the surrounding countryside.