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The Alhambra is a delightful architectural and park ensemble located on a hilly terrace in the eastern part of the city of Granada in Southern Spain. It received its main development during the reign of the Muslim Nasrid dynasty (1230–1492), under which Granada became the capital of the Emirate of Granada on the Iberian Peninsula, and the Alhambra became their residence (the surviving palaces date mainly from the 14th century). The vast complex, enclosed in fortress walls with towers, also included mosques, residential buildings, baths, gardens, warehouses, and a cemetery. It is currently a museum of Islamic architecture.
The buildings of the Alhambra are placed around two mutually perpendicular courtyards. The best of them is the Lion's Court, surrounded by a white marble arcade and decorated with a fountain with figures of lions. The most magnificent are the Hall of Ambassadors, the Hall of the Two Sisters and the Hall of Justice (Hall of Kings).
In 2007, this unique architectural structure was nominated for the title of "Wonder of the World" and entered the final of the competition "New seven wonders of the world".
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Alhambra was built in the 13th and 14th centuries as the residence of the Moorish rulers (caliphs). The area of the fortress is small (about 13 hectares), which increased the defensive functions of the building during the war or social conflicts. Over time, the defensive function weakened and the representative function began to predominate. The slopes of the hill were later turned into gardens.
Light and water in the Alhambra play an important role in the overall composition. For example, in a corner of the park, planned by terraces, water gurgles. It foams in cascades, sparkles with the splashes of fountains, runs briskly along the canals and pours, filling ponds and reservoirs. All this is surrounded by cypress alleys, orange trees, flowering flower beds against the background of mountain peaks covered with eternal snow and a bright blue sky.
Patios, walkways, fountains and ponds are perfectly combined with each other. Ceramic tiles, stone and wood carvings, intricate floral ornaments and Arabic script form a magnificent decoration of arches, vaults, graceful pillars, slender columns and carved patterned windows. Many consider the Alhambra to be the highest achievement of Moorish art in Western Europe.
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Image enlarges when clicking on it | pixabay.com
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Image enlarges when clicking on it | wikimedia.org
Palace Lions
These are the emir's private quarters. It was built in the 14th century under Mohammed V after he came to power. There is a version that Mohammed built it as a palace, completely independent of the Comares Palace, which was the official residence of the emir.
In the style of this building, the influence of Christian art is felt, apparently due to the emir's friendship with the Castilian king Pedro the Cruel. Next, we will look at the Lion's Courtyard and the most luxurious halls of the Palace of Lions.
Lion's Yard
This is the most famous courtyard, located in the middle of the Lion Palace. It opened to the public after 10 years of restoration in July 2012.
The Lion's Court got its name from the fountain, which consists of two pools of different sizes and a large bowl supported by 12 lions. The lions are carved from a special semi-precious marble and arranged like the rays of a star. The number of lions is not accidental. According to legend, 12 lions supported the throne of King Solomon.
The openwork arcades of the Lion's Courtyard rest on 124 marble columns, the smooth trunks of which are the main element of decor. The size of the yard is 28 × 16 meters. Due to the complexity of the design, the site seems more spacious. The columns repeat the rhythm of the pattern covering the entire surface of the courtyard. The pavilions are decorated with stalactites made of wood. An important role in the composition is played by a high tile roof, executed in a rough manner, which emphasizes the elegance of the arcade design. Two pavilions were erected on the western and eastern sides, from where a beautiful view of the lions opens, whose "mouths spewing streams of water."
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Abenserrach Hall
It is located in the building on the south side of the Lion's Courtyard. It owes its name to the legend, according to which 37 representatives of the noble Abenserrach family were killed here during the festival on the denunciation of a hostile family: supposedly one of the Abenserrachs was close to the wife of the Sultan. Rusty stains in the dodecagonal central fountain are associated with their blood. The most prominent feature of this hall is the star-shaped muqarna dome, with windows that provide soft light. The walls are decorated with gypsum stucco, below – with tiles of the 16th century.
Dome of the Abenserrach Hall | wikimedia.org
Hall of Kings
It closes the Lion's Yard from the east. Perhaps it was a living room and a lounge. The Hall of Kings is divided by paired arches into three square sections. It owes its name to the painting on the ceiling of the central section, made on leather and glued: ten seated characters are depicted in characteristic oriental clothes, in turbans and with sabers, talking among themselves – according to one version, these are the first ten emirs of the Nasrid dynasty. Until the 19th century, they were considered judges, and the hall was called the Hall of Justice. On the ceiling of the two side sections gallant scenes are depicted with the participation of gentlemen and ladies; one can also see the influence of Christian art here.
Hall of Kings (Hall of Justice) | wikimedia.org
Hall of Kings (Hall of Justice) | wikimedia.org
Hall of the Two Sisters
This is the central room of the sultana's quarters. The hall owes its name to two large marble floor slabs separated by a fountain. Particularly expressive here is the octagonal dome with muqarns, which rests on tromps, also covered with muqarns. The walls are covered with the finest knock-on carvings, where you can see the mottos of the Nasrids. Above the doors are mezzanines.
Dome of the Hall of Two Sisters | wikimedia.org
Hall of Two Sisters | wikimedia.org
Palace of Charles V
In 1527, the Spanish king Carlos I commissioned the construction of the palace, but its construction was never completed, and the king never lived in it. Since 1958, the building has housed the Museum of Fine Arts.
The project of a new palace for the king was entrusted to Pedro Machuca, who studied architecture and painting in Italy, a talented student of the authoritative architects of the Pope: Bramante, Rafael Santi, Michelangelo Buonarroti.
A talented student of Roman architects, Machuca used all these findings in his project. The palace was huge, the first floor had a huge rustication with openings for windows. The upper floors were decorated with pilasters and windows with luxurious frames, which were not inferior to the beauty and complexity of the details of the windows of Roman palaces. The center of the facade was emphasized by a huge portal, where the architect thickened the decor of doubled half-columns, pedestals, windows and sculptural reliefs. The huge padatsu quadrilateral had one, but a large round courtyard, decorated with a colonnade in two tiers. The palace had elements similar to the palaces of Rome, but used in its own way, with deviations from the models of Raphael or Bramante, with creative alterations and additions towards gloomy grandeur and luxury.
Construction required significant funds, which the king was reluctant to give, because the money was needed in the war. The architect Machuka died in 1550, and King Charles died in 1558. The construction was continued by the architect's son, Luis Machuca. But construction was stopped, and part of the building stood without a roof for centuries. Construction continued in the 17th century, but stopped for five years.
The palace was fully completed only in the 20th century, when it finally received a single roof. Since 1958, the Museum of Fine Arts of Granada has been located on the second floor of the building, since 1994, in the south wing of the first floor, the Alhambra Museum, a museum of Islamic art, which exhibits mainly archaeological finds made in the Alhambra itself.
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Image enlarges when clicking on it | wikimedia.org
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