Difference between revisions of "Alhambra" - New World Encyclopedia

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:''This article is about the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. For other meanings, see: [[Alhambra (disambiguation)]].''
 
 
{{Infobox World Heritage Site
 
{{Infobox World Heritage Site
 
| WHS        = [[Alhambra]], [[Generalife]] and [[Albayzín]], Granada
 
| WHS        = [[Alhambra]], [[Generalife]] and [[Albayzín]], Granada
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| Link        = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/314
 
| Link        = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/314
 
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The '''Alhambra''' ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: الحمراء—Al-Ħamrā'; literally "the red") is a palace and fortress complex of the [[Moors|Moorish]] monarchs of [[Granada]] in southern [[Spain]], occupying a hilly terrace on the southeastern border of the city of Granada.
  
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The '''Alhambra''' ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: الحمراء = Al-Ħamrā'; literally "the red") is a palace and fortress complex of the [[Moors|Moorish]] monarchs of [[Granada]], in southern [[Spain]] (known as ''[[Al-Andalus]]'' when the fortress was constructed), occupying a hilly terrace on the south-eastern border of the city of Granada. It was the residence of the [[Muslim]] kings of Granada and their court, but is currently a museum exhibiting exquisite [[Islamic architecture]].
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[[Mohammed I]], the first king of the [[Nasriden]]—a Moorish dynasty in Granada—converted a ninth-century castle into his private royal residence, and it is this which we now know as the Alhambra. The structure, currently a huge museum exhibiting exquisite [[Islamic architecture]], is renowned for its stunning [[fresco]]es and interior detail. A Renaissance palace was also inserted by [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor]]. The buildings are some of the finest examples of Moorish architecture in the world and the site is among [[Europe]]’s most-visited tourist attractions.
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[[Palace of Charles V|A Renaissance palace]] was also inserted by [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor]].
 
  
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{{coor title dms|37|10|36.81|N|3|35|23.95|W|}}
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Over the years, the Alhambra has had widespread influence on art, music, and architecture.
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{{toc}}
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The Alhambra was listed as [[World Heritage Site]]s by [[UNESCO]] in 1984. The selection was based on the following criteria: That it represents a masterpiece of human creative genius; it exhibits an important interchange of human values; and it is an outstanding example an architectural ensemble which illustrates a significant stage in human history.  
  
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==Overview==
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==Setting==
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The terrace or plateau where the Alhambra settles, measures about 740 m (2430 ft) in length by 205 m (674 ft) at its greatest width, extends from W.N.W. to E.S.E., and covers an area of about 142,000 m². It is enclosed by a strongly [[Defensive wall|fortified wall]], which is flanked by thirteen towers. The river [[Darro]], which foams through a deep ravine on the north, divides the plateau from the Albaicín district of Granada; the Assabica valley, containing the Alhambra Park, on the west and south, and beyond this valley the almost parallel ridge of Monte Mauror, separate it from the Antequeruela district.
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===Topography===
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[[Image:Alhambra view.jpg|right|thumb|300px|View of the Alhambra from the "Mirador de San Nicolás" in the Albaycin of Granada.]]
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The terrace or plateau where the Alhambra settles, measures about 2,430 feet in length by 674 feet at its greatest width, extends from W.N.W. to E.S.E., and covers an area of about 169,831 square yards. It is enclosed by a strongly [[Defensive wall|fortified wall]], which is flanked by 13 towers. The river [[Darro]], which flows through a deep ravine on the north, divides the plateau from the Albaicín district of Granada; the Assabica valley, containing the Alhambra Park, on the west and south, and beyond this valley the almost parallel ridge of Monte Mauror, separate it from the Antequeruela district.
  
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== History ==
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===Ground plan===
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[[Image:Atauriques.jpg|thumb|250px|left|One detail of the [[arabesque]]s.]]
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Moorish poets described it as "a pearl set in emeralds," in allusion to the brilliant color of its buildings, and the luxuriant woods around them. The park (Alameda dé la Alhambra), in spring overgrown with wild-flowers and grass, was planted by the Moors with roses, oranges and [[myrtle]]s. The park's most characteristic feature, however, is the dense wood of [[English Elm|English elm]]s brought there in 1812 by the [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Duke of Wellington]]. It is celebrated for the multitude of its [[nightingale]]s, and is usually filled with the sound of running water from several fountains and cascades. These are supplied through a conduit five miles long, which is connected with the Darro at the monastery of [[Jesus del Valle]], above Granada.
  
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The name ''Alhambra'', signifying in [[Arabic language|Arabic]] ''the red'' (Al Hamra الحمراء),  derives from the colour of the red clay of the surroundings of which the fort is made. The buildings of the Alhambra were originally whitewashed; however, the buildings now seen today are reddish. The first reference to the Qal’at al Hamra was during the battles between the Arabs and the Muladies during the rule of the Abdallah (who reigned from 888-912). In one particularly fierce and bloody skirmish, the Muladies soundly defeated the Arabs who were then forced to take shelter in a primitive red castle located in the province of Elvira, nowadays located in Granada. According to surviving documents from the era, the red castle was quite small and its walls were not capable of deterring army intent on conquering. The castle was then largely ignored until the eleventh century when its ruins were renovated and rebuilt by Samuel ibn Naghralla, vizier to the King Bādīs of the [[Zirid]] Dynasty, in an attempt to preserve the small Jewish settlement also located on the Sabikah hill. However, evidence from Arab texts indicates that the fortress was easily penetrated and that the actual Alhambra that survives today was built during the Nasrid Dynasty.
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[[Image:Alhambra - decorazioni.JPG|thumb|left|Archway with ''arabesque'' decoration]]  
  
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[[Image:Alhambra Tato mota.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Emblem of the [[Catholic Monarchs]] engraved after the conquest.]]
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In spite of the long neglect, vandalism, and sometimes ill-judged restoration which the Alhambra has endured, it still remains the most perfect example of Moorish art in its final European development, freed from the direct [[Byzantine architecture|Byzantine influences]] which can be traced in the [[Mezquita]] cathedral of [[Córdoba, Spain|Córdoba]], more elaborate and fantastic than the [[Giralda]] at [[Seville]]. The majority of the palace buildings are, in ground-plan, quadrangular, with all the rooms opening on to a central court; and the whole reached its present size simply by the gradual addition of new quadrangles, designed on the same principle, though varying in dimensions, and connected with each other by smaller rooms and passages.
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[[Mohammed ibn Alhamar|Ibn Nasr]], the founder of the [[Nasrid Dynasty]], was forced to flee to Granada in order to avoid persecution by King Ferdinand and his supporters during attempts to rid Spain of Moorish Dominion. After retreating to Granada, Ibn-Nasr took up residence at the Palace of Bādis in the Alhambra. A few months later, he embarked on the construction of a new Alhambra fit for the residence of a king. According to an Arab manuscript published as the Anónimo de Granada y Copenhague, “This year 1238 Abdallah ibn al-Ahmar climbed to the place called ‘the Alhambra inspected it, laid out the foundations of a castle and left someone in charge of its construction…”  The design included plans for six palaces, five of which were grouped in the northeast quadrant forming a royal quarter, two circuit towers, and numerous bathhouses.  Over the reign of Nasrid Dynasty, the Alhambra was transformed into a palatine city complete with an irrigation system composed of acequias for the lush and beautiful gardens of the Generalife located outside the fortress. Previously, the old Alhambra structure had been dependent upon rainwater collected from a cistern and from what could be brought up from the Albaicín. The creation of the “Sultan’s Canal” solidified the identity of the Alhambra as a sumptuous palace-city rather than a defensive and ascetic structure.
 
  
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==Art of the Alhambra==
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[[Image:Alhambra Generalife fountains.jpg|thumb|right|200px|While fountains and flowing water are a common feature around the Alhambra, they are particularly prevalent in the [[Generalife|Palacio de Generalife]].]]
  
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[[Image:Adolf Seel Innenhof der Alhambra.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A room of the palace and a view of the Court of the Lions.]]
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In every case the exterior is left plain and austere, as if the architect intended thus to heighten by contrast the splendor of the interior. Within, the palace is unsurpassed for the exquisite detail of its marble pillars and arches, its fretted ceilings and the veil-like transparency of its filigree work in [[stucco]]. Sun and wind are freely admitted, and the whole effect is one of the most airy lightness and grace. Blue, red, and a golden yellow, all somewhat faded through the lapse of time and exposure, are the colors chiefly employed.
  
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The art within the palace embodied the small remaining portion of Moorish dominion within Spain and ushered in the last great period of Andalusian art which had become isolated within the small sphere of Granada. Trapped without influence from the Islamic mainland, artists endlessly reproduced the same forms and trends, creating a new style characterized by its exquisite refinement and beauty perfected over the course of the Nasrid Dynasty.  Elegant columns seem to soar effortlessly towards the sky and intricate muquarnas, a stalactite like ceiling decoration, create an airy appearance in several chambers and the interiors of numerous palaces are decorated with elegant arabesques and graceful depictions of calligraphy.The splendid arabesques of the interior are ascribed, among other kings, to [[Yusef I]], Mohammed V, Ismail I, etc. After the Christian conquest of the city in 1492 by Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, the conquerors began to alter the Alhambra.  The open work was filled up with whitewash, the painting and gilding effaced, the furniture soiled, torn or removed.  [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] (1516–1556) rebuilt portions in the Renaissance style of the period, and destroyed the greater part of the winter palace to make room for a Renaissance-style structure which has never been completed.
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The decoration consists, as a rule, of stiff, conventional foliage, Arabic inscriptions, and geometrical patterns wrought into [[arabesque]]s of almost incredible intricacy and ingenuity. Painted tiles are largely used as paneling for the walls.
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[[Image:Alhambra-Honeycombon Mosque.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Mocárabes or Honeycomb work on Mosque]]
 
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[[Philip V of Spain|Philip V]] (1700–1746) italianised the rooms, and completed his palace right in the middle of what had been the Moorish building. He ran up partitions which blocked up whole apartments. In subsequent centuries under Spanish authorities, Moorish art was further defaced; and in 1812 some of the towers were blown up by the French under [[Count Sebastiani]], while the whole buildings narrowly escaped the same fate.  Napoleon had tried to blow up the whole complex.  Just before his plan was carried out, a soldier who secretly wanted the plan of Napoleon — his commander — to fail, defused the explosives and thus saved the Alhambra for posterity. In 1821 an [[earthquake]] caused further damage. The work of restoration undertaken in 1828 by the architect José Contreras was endowed in 1830 by [[Ferdinand VII of Spain|Ferdinand VII]]; and after the death of Contreras in 1847, it was continued with fair success by his son Rafael (d. 1890), and his grandson.
 
  
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== Setting ==
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===Associated sites===
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[[Image:Alhambra view.jpg|right|thumb|250px|View of the Alhambra from the "Mirador de San Nicolás" in the Albaycin of Granada.]]
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Along with the Alhambra, two associated sites in Granada—the [[Albaycin]] and the [[Generalife]]—were also selected in 1984 for World Heritage status. According to UNESCO, " Rising above the modern lower town, the Alhambra and the Albaycín, situated on two adjacent hills, form the [[medieval]] part of Granada. To the east of the Alhambra [[fortress]] and residence are the magnificent [[garden]]s of the Generalife, the former rural residence of the [[emir]]s who ruled this part of Spain in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The residential district of the Albaycín is a rich repository of [[Moorish vernacular]] architecture, into which the traditional [[Andalusian]] architecture blends harmoniously."
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Moorish poets described it as "a pearl set in emeralds," in allusion to the brilliant colour of its buildings, and the luxuriant woods round them. The park (Alameda de la Alhambra), in spring is overgrown with wild-flowers and grass, was planted by the Moors with roses, oranges and [[myrtle]]s; its most characteristic feature, however, is the dense wood of [[English Elm|English elm]]s brought thither in 1812 by the [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Duke of Wellington]]. The park is celebrated for the multitude of its [[nightingale]]s, and is usually filled with the sound of running water from several fountains and cascades. These are supplied through a conduit 8 km (5 miles) long, which is connected with the Darro at the monastery of [[Jesus del Valle]], above Granada.  
 
  
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In spite of the long neglect, willful vandalism and sometimes ill-judged restoration which the Alhambra has endured, it remains the most perfect example of Moorish art in its final European development, freed from the direct [[Byzantine architecture|Byzantine influences]] which can be traced in the [[Mezquita]] cathedral of [[Córdoba, Spain|Córdoba]], more elaborate and fantastic than the [[Giralda]] at [[Seville]]. The majority of the palace buildings are, in ground-plan, quadrangular, with all the rooms opening on to a central court; and the whole reached its present size simply by the gradual addition of new quadrangles, designed on the same principle, though varying in dimensions, and connected with each other by smaller rooms and passages. In every case the exterior is left plain and austere, as if the architect intended thus to heighten by contrast the splendour of the interior. Within, the palace is unsurpassed for the exquisite detail of its marble pillars and arches, its fretted ceilings and the veil-like transparency of its filigree work in [[stucco]]. Sun and wind are freely admitted, and the whole effect is one of the most airy lightness and grace.  Blue, red, and a golden yellow, all somewhat faded through lapse of time and exposure, are the colours chiefly employed.
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==Description==
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[[Image:Alhambra Gatehouse.jpg|right|thumb|left|The Tower of Justice (Torre de la Justicia) is the original entrance gate to the Alhambra, built by Yusuf I in 1348.]]
  
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The decoration consists, as a rule, of stiff, conventional foliage, Arabic inscriptions, and geometrical patterns wrought into [[arabesque]]s of almost incredible intricacy and ingenuity. Painted tiles are largely used as panelling for the walls.
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The Alhambra resembles many medieval Christian strongholds in its threefold arrangement as a castle, a palace, and a residential annex for subordinates. The ''[[Alcazaba]]'' or citadel, its oldest part, is built on the isolated and precipitous foreland which terminates the plateau on the northwest. These are the sole remaining massive outer walls, towers, and ramparts.  A turret containing a huge bell was added in the [[eighteenth century]], and restored after being damaged by lightning in 1881. Beyond the Alcazaba is the palace of the Moorish kings; and beyond this, again, is the Alhambra Alta (Upper Alhambra), originally occupied by officials and courtiers.
  
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[[Image:Panorámica Alhambra y Sierra Nevada de fondo.jpg|thumb|800px|center|Panoramic view]]
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Access from the city to the Alhambra Park is afforded by the ''Puerta de las Granadas'' (Gate of Pomegranates), a massive [[triumphal arch]] dating from the [[fifteenth century]]. A steep ascent leads past the Pillar of Charles V, a fountain erected in 1554, to the main entrance of the Alhambra. This is the ''Puerta Judiciaria'' (Gate of Judgment), a massive horseshoe archway, surmounted by a square tower, and used by the Moors as an informal court of justice. A narrow passage leads inward to the ''Plaza de los Aljibes'' (Place of the Cisterns), a broad open space that divides the ''Alcazaba'' from the Moorish palace. To the left of the passage rises the ''Torre del Vino'' (Wine Tower), built in 1345, and used in the [[sixteenth century]] as a cellar. On the right is the [[palace of Charles V]], a cold-looking but majestic [[Renaissance]] building, out of harmony with its surroundings, which it tends somewhat to dwarf by its superior size.
  
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== A tour of the Alhambra ==
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[[Image:031106 alhambra 1.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The Court of the Lions features a unique example of Islamic animal statues.]]
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[[Image:Alhambra Gatehouse.jpg|right|thumb|The Tower of Justice (Torre de la Justicia) is the original entrance gate to the Alhambra, built by Yusuf I in 1348.]]
 
  
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The Alhambra resembles many medieval Christian strongholds in its threefold arrangement as a castle, a palace and a residential annexe for subordinates. The [[alcazaba]] or citadel, its oldest part, is built on the isolated and precipitous foreland which terminates the plateau on the north-west. That is all massive outer walls, towers and ramparts are left. On its watch-tower, the ''Torre de la Vela'', 25 m (85 ft high), the flag of [[Ferdinand II of Aragon|Ferdinand]] and [[Isabella of Castile|Isabella]] was first raised, in token of the Spanish conquest of Granada, on January 2, 1492. A turret containing a huge bell was added in the [[18th century]], and restored after being damaged by lightning in 1881. Beyond the Alcazaba is the palace of the Moorish kings, or Alhambra properly so-called; and beyond this, again, is the Alhambra Alta (Upper Alhambra), originally tenanted by officials and courtiers.
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The present entrance to the ''Palacio Árabe'' (Moorish palace), is by a small door from which a corridor conducts to the ''Patio de los Arrayanes'' (Court of the Myrtles). This court is 140 feet long by 74 feet wide; and in the center there is a large pond set in the marble pavement, full of goldfish, and with myrtles growing along its sides. There are galleries on the north and south sides; that on the south is 27 feet high, and supported by a marble colonnade.  
  
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[[Image:Abencerrajes.jpg|thumb|left|"Honeycomb," "stalactite," or "[[mocárabe]]" vaulting in the "Hall of the Abencerrajes"]]
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The ''Salón de los Embajadores'' (Hall of the Ambassadors) is the largest in the Alhambra, and occupies all the ''Torre de Comares.'' It is a 37-foot-square room, while the center of the dome is 75 feet high. This was the grand reception room, and the throne of the sultan was placed opposite the entrance. It was in this setting that the [[Edict of Expulsion]] was signed and [[Christopher Columbus]] received Isabel and Ferdinand's support to sail to the [[New World]].
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Access from the city to the Alhambra Park is afforded by the ''Puerta de las Granadas'' (Gate of Pomegranates), a massive [[triumphal arch]] dating from the [[15th century]]. A steep ascent leads past the Pillar of Charles V, a fountain erected in 1554, to the main entrance of the Alhambra. This is the ''Puerta Judiciaria'' (Gate of Judgment), a massive horseshoe archway, surmounted by a square tower, and used by the Moors as an informal court of justice. A hand, with fingers outstretched as a talisman against the evil eye, is carved above this gate on the exterior; a key, the symbol of authority, occupies the corresponding place on the interior.  A narrow passage leads inward to the ''Plaza de los Aljibes'' (Place of the Cisterns), a broad open space which divides the ''Alcazaba'' from the Moorish palace. To the left of the passage rises the ''Torre del Vino'' (Wine Tower), built in 1345, and used in the [[16th century]] as a cellar. On the right is the [[palace of Charles V]], a cold-looking but majestic [[Renaissance]] building, out of harmony with its surroundings, which it tends somewhat to dwarf by its superior size.
 
  
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The present entrance to the ''Palacio Árabe'', or ''Casa Real'' (Moorish palace), is by a small door from which a corridor conducts to the Patio de los Arrayanes (Court of the Myrtles), also called the ''Patio de la Alberca'' (Court of the Blessing or Court of the Pond), from the Arabic ''birka'', "pool."  This court is 42 m (140 ft) long by 22 m (74 ft) broad; and in the centre there is a large pond set in the marble pavement, full of goldfish, and with myrtles growing along its sides.  There are galleries on the north and south sides; that on the south 7 m (27 ft) high, and supported by a marble colonnade. Underneath it, to the right, was the principal entrance, and over it are three elegant windows with arches and miniature pillars.  From this court the walls of the ''Torre de Comares'' are seen rising over the roof to the north, and reflected in the pond.  
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The celebrated ''Patio de los Leones'' ([[Court of the Lions]]) is an oblong court, 116 feet by 66 feet, surrounded by a low gallery supported on 124 white marble columns. A pavilion projects into the court at each extremity, with filigree walls and a light domed roof, elaborately ornamented. In the center of the court is the celebrated Fountain of Lions, a magnificent alabaster basin supported by the figures of 12 lions in white marble. It has been said that the lions were most likely sculpted by members of the Jewish community who had inhabited Spain prior to their extradition along with the Muslims.
  
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The ''Salón de los Embajadores'' (Hall of the Ambassadors) is the largest in the Alhambra, and occupies all the ''Torre de Comares''.  It is a square room, the sides being 12 m (37 ft) in length, while the centre of the dome is 23 m (75 ft) high.  This was the grand reception room, and the throne of the sultan was placed opposite the entrance. It was in this setting that [[Cristopher Columbus]] received Isabel and Ferdinand's support to sail to the [[New World]]. The tiles are nearly 4 ft (1.2 m) high all round, and the colours vary at intervals. Over them is a series of oval medallions with inscriptions, interwoven with flowers and leaves.  There are nine windows, three on each facade, and the ceiling is admirably diversified with inlaid-work of white, blue and gold, in the shape of circles, crowns and stars —a kind of imitation of the vault of heaven.  The walls are covered with varied stucco-work of most delicate pattern, surrounding many ancient escutcheons.  
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[[Image:Abencerrajes.jpg|thumb|"Honeycomb," "stalactite," or "[[mocárabe]]" vaulting in the "Hall of the Abencerrajes"]]
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The ''Sala de los Abencerrajes'' is a perfect square, with a lofty dome and trellised windows at its base. The roof is exquisitely decorated in blue, brown, red, and gold, and the columns supporting it spring out into the arch form in a remarkably beautiful manner. Opposite to this hall is the ''Sala de las dos Hermanas'' (Hall of the two Sisters), so-called from two very beautiful white marble slabs laid as part of the pavement. These slabs measure 15 by 7.5 inches, and are without flaw or stain. There is a fountain in the middle of this hall, and the roof —a dome honeycombed with tiny cells, all different, and said to number 5000— is a magnificent example of the so-called "stalactite vaulting" of the Moors.  
  
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[[Image:80525560 0eb2c1d54a o.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The Court of the Lions, a unique remain of islamic animal statues.]]
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[[Image:Partal(Alhambra).jpg|left|thumb|The Partal, one of the rich palaces of the complex]]
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{{Main|Court of the Lions}}
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Among the other wonders of the Alhambra are the ''Sala de la Justicia'' (Hall of Justice), the ''Patio del Mexuar'' (Court of the Council Chamber), the ''Patio de Daraxa'' (Court of the Vestibule), and the ''Peinador de la Reina'' (Queen's Robing Room), in which are to be seen the same delicate and beautiful architecture and the same costly and elegant decorations. The palace and the Upper Alhambra also contain baths, ranges of bedrooms and summer-rooms, a whispering gallery and labyrinth, and vaulted sepulchers. The original furniture of the palace is represented by the celebrated vase of the Alhambra, a splendid specimen of Moorish ceramic art, dating from 1320, and belonging to the first period of Moorish porcelain.  
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The celebrated ''Patio de los Leones'' ([[Court of the Lions]]) is an oblong court, 116 ft (35 m) in length by 66 ft (20 m) in width, surrounded by a low gallery supported on 124 white marble columns. A pavilion projects into the court at each extremity, with filigree walls and light domed roof, elaborately ornamented. The square is paved with coloured tiles, and the colonnade with white marble; while the walls are covered 5 ft (1.5 m) up from the ground with blue and yellow tiles, with a border above and below enamelled blue and gold. The columns supporting the roof and gallery are irregularly placed, with a view to artistic effect; and the general form of the piers, arches and pillars is most graceful.  They are adorned by varieties of foliage, etc.; about each arch there is a large square of arabesques; and over the pillars is another square of exquisite filigree work. In the centre of the court is the celebrated Fountain of Lions, a magnificent alabaster basin supported by the figures of twelve lions in white marble, not designed with sculptural accuracy, but as emblems of strength and courage. It has been said that the lions were most likely sculpted by members of the Jewish community which had inhabited Spain prior to their extradition along with the muslims.
 
  
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The ''Sala de los Abencerrajes'' (Hall of the [[Abencerrages]]) derives its name from a legend according to which the father of Boabdil, last king of Granada, having invited the chiefs of that illustrious line to a banquet, massacred them here. This room is a perfect square, with a lofty dome and trellised windows at its base. The roof is exquisitely decorated in blue, brown, red and gold, and the columns supporting it spring out into the arch form in a remarkably beautiful manner. Opposite to this hall is the ''Sala de las dos Hermanas'' (Hall of the two Sisters), so-called from two very beautiful white marble slabs laid as part of the pavement.  These slabs measure 50 by 22 cm (15 by 7½ in), and are without flaw or stain.  There is a fountain in the middle of this hall, and the roof —a dome honeycombed with tiny cells, all different, and said to number 5000— is a magnificent example of the so-called "stalactite vaulting" of the Moors.  
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Of the outlying buildings in connection with the Alhambra, the foremost in interest is the [[Generalife|Palacio de Generalife]] or Gineralife (the Muslim ''Jennat al Arif,'' "Garden of Arif," or "Garden of the Architect"). This villa probably dates from the end of the thirteenth century, but has been several times restored. Its gardens, however, with their clipped hedges, grottoes, fountains, and cypress avenues, are said to retain their original Moorish character. The Villa de los Martires (Martyrs' Villa), on the summit of [[Monte Mauror]], commemorates the Christian slaves who were forced to build the Alhambra, and confined here in subterranean cells. The'' Torres Bermejas'' (Vermilion Towers), also on Monte Mauror, are a well-preserved Moorish fortification, with underground cisterns, stables, and accommodation for a garrison of 200 men. Several Roman tombs were discovered in 1829 and 1857 at the base of Monte Mauror.
  
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[[Image:Partal(Alhambra).jpg|left|thumb|The Partal, one of the rich palaces of the complex.]]
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==History==
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[[Image:Atauriques.jpg|thumb|250px|left|One detail of the [[arabesque]]s]]
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===Moorish period===
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The name ''Alhambra'' derives from the color of the red [[clay]] from which the fort is made. The buildings of the Alhambra were originally whitewashed; however, seen today they are reddish. The first reference to the ''Qal’at al Hamra'' was during the battles between the [[Arabs]] and the [[Muladies]] (a  mixed-ancestry group that lived in the [[Iberian Peninsula]] in the Middle Ages) during the rule of the Abdallah (reigned 888-912). In one particularly fierce skirmish, the Muladies soundly defeated the Arabs, who were then forced to take shelter in a primitive red castle located in the province of [[Elvira]], located in today's [[Granada]].
  
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Among the other wonders of the Alhambra are the ''Sala de la Justicia'' (Hall of Justice), the ''Patio del Mexuar'' (Court of the Council Chamber), the ''Patio de Daraxa'' (Court of the Vestibule), and the ''Peinador de la Reina'' (Queen's Robing Room), in which are to be seen the same delicate and beautiful architecture, the same costly and elegant decorations.  The palace and the Upper Alhambra also contain baths, ranges of bedrooms and summer-rooms, a whispering gallery and labyrinth, and vaulted sepulchres.
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According to surviving documents from the era, the red castle was quite small and its walls were not capable of deterring an army intent on conquering it. The castle was then largely ignored until the eleventh century when its ruins were renovated and rebuilt by [[Samuel ibn Naghralla]], vizier to King Bādīs of the [[Zirid]] Dynasty, in an attempt to preserve the small Jewish settlement located on the Sabikah hill. However, evidence from Arab texts indicates that the fortress was easily penetrated and that the actual Alhambra that survives today was built later, during the Nasrid Dynasty.  
  
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The original furniture of the palace is represented by the celebrated vase of the Alhambra, a splendid specimen of Moorish ceramic art, dating from 1320, and belonging to the first period of Moorish porcelain.  It is 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) high; the ground is white, and the enamelling is blue, white and gold.
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[[Mohammed ibn Alhamar|Ibn Nasr]], the founder of the [[Nasrid Dynasty]], was forced to flee to Granada in order to avoid persecution by King [[Ferdinand]] and his supporters during attempts to rid [[Spain]] of Moorish dominion. After retreating to Granada, Ibn-Nasr took up residence at the Palace of Bādis in the Alhambra. A few months later, he embarked on the construction of a new Alhambra fit for the residence of a king. According to an Arab manuscript published as the ''Anónimo de Granada y Copenhague,'' “This year 1238, Abdallah ibn al-Ahmar climbed to the place called the Alhambra inspected it, laid out the foundations of a castle, and left someone in charge of its construction…”
  
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[[Image:Alhambra Generalife fountains.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Whilst fountains and flowing water are a common feature around the Alhambra, they are particularly prevalent in the [[Generalife|Palacio de Generalife]].]]
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The design included plans for six palaces, five of which were grouped in the northeast quadrant forming a royal quarter, two circuit towers, and numerous bathhouses. Over the reign of [[Nasrid Dynasty]], the Alhambra was transformed into a palatine city complete with an irrigation system for the lush and beautiful gardens located outside the fortress. The creation of the “Sultan’s Canal” solidified the identity of the Alhambra as a sumptuous palace-city rather than a defensive and ascetic structure.
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Of the outlying buildings in connection with the Alhambra, the foremost in interest is the [[Generalife|Palacio de Generalife]] or Gineralife (the Muslim Jennat al Arif, "Garden of Arif," or "Garden of the Architect").  This villa probably dates from the end of the 13th century, but has been several times restored. Its gardens, however, with their clipped hedges, grottos, fountains, and cypress avenues, are said to retain their original Moorish character.  The Villa de los Martires (Martyrs' Villa), on the summit of [[Monte Mauror]], commemorates by its name the Christian slaves who were forced to build the Alhambra, and confined here in subterranean cells.  The Torres Bermejas (Vermilion Towers), also on Monte Mauror, are a well-preserved Moorish fortification, with underground cisterns, stables, and accommodation for a garrison of 200 men.  Several Roman tombs were discovered in 1829 and 1857 at the base of Monte Mauror.
 
  
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In the construction of the Alhambra, the Moors had no depictions of people at all excluding the human hand.  Of course, there were plenty of depictions of people on the Renaissance building.
+
==The Reconquest==
 +
[[Image:BoabdilFerdinandIsabella.jpg|thumb|right|400px|''The Capitulation of Granada'' by F. Padilla: The Muslim King Boabdil surrenders to Ferdinand and Isabella. The Alhambra is visible in the background.]]
  
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==Miscellaneous==
+
===Alhambra Decree===
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The Alhambra, [[Generalife]] and [[Albayzín]] of Granada are listed as [[World Heritage Site]]s by the [[UNESCO]].
+
The reconquest of Granada, the last bastion of Muslim Spain, was accomplished by Christian forces and was completed at the Battle of Covadonga in 1492. Despite its previous status as a haven for Jews and a glorious emblem of Arabic architecture, the Alhambra would soon be known to history as the place where peaceful coexistence among Christians, Muslims, and Jews in Spain came to its final end. In the Alhambra's ''Sala de Embajadores'' (Hall of the Ambassadors), the magnificent tower overlooking the city with the galaxy of stars embedded in its arched ceiling, the [[Catholic]] monarchs [[Isabel of Castile]] and [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]] signed a decree ordering the expulsion of [[Jews]] from Spain, on March 31, 1492. The [[Alhambra Decree]], also known as the "Edict of Expulsion," demanded that all Jews leave the [[Kingdom of Spain]] and its territories and possessions. [[Image:Alhambra Tato mota.jpg|thumb|left|220px|Emblem of the [[Catholic Monarchs]] engraved after the conquest]] In the decree, proclaimed less than three months after the surrender of [[Granada]], the monarchs accused the Jews of trying "to subvert our holy Catholic faith and trying to draw faithful Christians away from their beliefs." All Jews were ordered to leave the kingdom by "the end of July of this year." They were permitted to take their belongings with them—except "gold or silver or minted money." Punishment for a Jew who did not leave was death. Punishment for non-Jews who sheltered or hid Jews was the confiscation of all belongings and hereditary privileges.
  
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==Influence of the Alhambra==
+
The Alhambra Decree stood in stark contrast to the policy of ''[[La Convivencia]]'' ("Coexistence"), describing the situation in Spanish history from about 711 to 1492, when Jews, Muslims, and Catholics in Spain lived in relative peace together within the different kingdoms. The phase often refers to the interplay of cultural ideas between the three groups, and ideas of religious tolerance.
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===Alhambra in literature===
 
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Parts of the following novels are set in the Alhambra:
 
−
* [[Washington Irving]]'s ''[[Tales of the Alhambra]]'' ISBN 978-8424105044. It is a collection of essays, verbal sketches, and stories.  Irving lived in the palace while writing the book, and was instrumental in reintroducing the site to Western audiences.  
 
−
* [[Salman Rushdie]]'s ''[[The Moor's Last Sigh]]'' ISBN 978-0099592419
 
−
* [[Amin Maalouf]]'s ''[[Leon L'Africain]]'', depicting the reconquest of Granada by the Catholic Kings.
 
−
* [[Philippa Gregory]]'s ''[[The Constant Princess]]''.
 
  
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===Alhambra in music===
+
===Architectural changes===
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Alhambra has inspired directly musical compositions as [[Francisco Tárrega]]´s guitar song ''Recuerdos de la Alhambra'' (Alhambra Remembrances)[[http://guitarra.artelinkado.com/sonidos/midi/tarrega/alambra1.mid] or [[Claude Debussy]]´s preludes for piano ''Lindaraja'' and ''La Puerta del Vino''.[http://www.kunstderfuge.com/_/preludes_2_3_%28c%29galimberti.mid].
+
After the  reconquest, much of the interior of the Alhambra was damaged and furniture was ruined or taken. Sections of the complex were either rebuilt in the [[Renaissance]] style or leveled so that [[Charles I]] of Spain (who was also [[Charles V]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]) might build an ''[[Italianate]]'' palace. Charles built the grand circular Christian palace known as the [[Palacio de Carlos Quinto]], which stands today in the midst of the Alhambra, for the simple reason that he thought the Alhambra was a fine place to live, but wanted a building commensurate with his importance.
 +
[[Image:Alhambra2001.jpg|thumb|500px|Panoramic view of the Palacio de Carlos Quinto]]
 +
In spite of its artistic clash with the delicate Moorish style of the Alhambra, some of which had to be destroyed to make way for it, the palace has an artistic value of its own, being the first Renaissance building made outside of [[Italy]]. However, due to financial problems, the construction was a stop-and-go affair which continued over several hundred years, not being completed until the twentieth century, when it was made use of for the first time as a [[concert]] hall.
 +
 +
Damage also occurred to the Alhambra in 1812, when the [[French]] blew up some towers, and later in 1821 from an earthquake. In 1828, restoration of the Alhambra began and continued into the twentieth century.
  
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''[[En los Jardines del Generalife]]'', first movement of [[Manuel de Falla]]´s ''[[Noches en los Jardines de España]]'', and other pieces by composers as [[Ruperto Chapí]], [[Tomás Bretón]] and many others are also ambianced in the Alhambra and its surroundings.
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==Art of the Alhambra==
 +
[[Image:Adolf Seel Innenhof der Alhambra.jpg|thumb|left|A room of the palace and a view of the Court of the Lions]]
 +
[[Image:Alhambra-Honeycombon Mosque.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''Mocárabes'' or Honeycomb work]]
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[[ Image:Granada Alhambra gazelle Poterie 9019.JPG|thumb|250px|Gazelles from the Alhambra]]
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[[Image:Devise Nasride 3.jpg|thumb|250px|The emblem of the Nasrid Dynasty, endlessly repeated in arabesques—click to enlarge]]
 +
The art within the Alhambra embodied the remaining portion of Moorish dominion in Spain and ushered in the last great period of the [[Andalusia]]n art of [[Granada]]. Trapped without influence from the [[Islam]]ic mainland, the Alhambra created a unique style characterized by its exquisite refinement and beauty, was perfected over the course of the Nasrid Dynasty. Elegant columns seem to soar effortlessly towards the sky and intricate ''muquarnas,'' a stalactite-like ceiling decoration, creating an airy appearance in several chambers. Interiors are often decorated with elegant ''arabesques'' and graceful depictions of calligraphy.
  
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In pop and folk music, Alhambra is the subject of the [[Ghymes]] song of the same name.
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The splendid arabesques of the Alhambra interior are ascribed, among other kings, to [[Yusef I]], Mohammed V, Ismail I, etc. After the Christian reconquest, walls were filled in with whitewash, painting and gilding was effaced, and furniture was damaged or removed.
 +
 +
[[Philip V of Spain|Philip V]] (1700–1746) further Italianized the rooms and completed his palace right in the middle of what had been a Moorish building. He ran up partitions which blocked up whole apartments. In subsequent centuries under Spanish authorities, Moorish art was further defaced; and in 1812 some of the towers were blown up by the French under [[Count Sebastiani]], while the whole buildings narrowly escaped the same fate. Napoleon planned to demolish the whole complex. Just before his plan was carried out, however, a soldier reportedly defused the explosives and thus saved the Alhambra for posterity. In 1821 an [[earthquake]] caused further damage. The work of restoration undertaken in 1828 by the architect José Contreras was endowed in 1830 by [[Ferdinand VII of Spain|Ferdinand VII]]; and after the death of Contreras in 1847, it was continued with fair success by his son Rafael (d. 1890), and his grandson.
  
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===Influence in graphic art===
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==Influence of the Alhambra==
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[[Image:Tassellatura alhambra.jpg|thumb|200px|Tesselations like this inspired [[M. C. Escher|Escher]]'s work.]]
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===Literature===
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[[M. C. Escher]]'s visit in 1922 inspired his following work on regular divisions of the plane after studying the Moorish use of symmetry in the Alhambra tiles.
+
Parts of the following novels are set in the Alhambra:
 +
* [[Washington Irving]]'s ''[[Tales of the Alhambra]]'' (1831) is a collection of essays, verbal sketches, and stories written while Irving lived in the palace. It was instrumental in reintroducing the site to Western audiences.
 +
* [[Salman Rushdie]]'s ''[[The Moor's Last Sigh]]'' (1995) is also set in part in the Alhambra.
  
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===Influence in 19th and 20th centuries architecture===
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===Music===
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From the 19th century Romanticism streams to nowadays architecture a host of uneven artistic quality buildings or portions of buildings worldwide have been inspired directly in the Alhambra: There is a Moorish Revival house in [[Stillwater, Minnesota|Stillwater, MN]] that was created and named after the Alhambra. The main portion of the [[Irvine Spectrum Center]] in [[Irvine, California]] is a [[Postmodern architecture|postmodern]] reconstruction of the Alhambra.
+
[[Image:Tassellatura alhambra.jpg|thumb|200px|Tessellations like this inspired [[M. C. Escher|Escher]]'s work.]]
 +
The Alhambra has directly inspired musical compositions including
  
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There is an Alhambra Theatre in central [[Bradford]], [[England]] [http://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/alhambra_2.asp].
+
*[[Francisco Tárrega]]´s guitar song ''Recuerdos de la Alhambra'' (Alhambra Remembrances)
 +
*[[Claude Debussy]]´s preludes for piano ''Lindaraja'' and ''La Puerta del Vino''
 +
*The first movement of [[Manuel de Falla]]´s ''[[Noches en los Jardines de España]],'' entitled, ''[[En los Jardines del Generalife]]''
 +
*Pieces by composers [[Ruperto Chapí]], [[Tomás Bretón]], and many others are also found ambiance in the Alhambra and its surroundings.
  
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== Gallery ==
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===Painting and graphic art===
 +
*[[M. C. Escher]]'s visit in 1922 inspired his following work on regular divisions of the plane after studying the Moorish use of symmetry in the Alhambra tiles.
 +
*Many other artists have used the Alhambra as a study for their paintings.
  
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<center>
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===Recent architecture===
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<gallery>
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From nineteenth-century Romanticism until today's architecture, a host of uneven, artistic-quality buildings, or portions of buildings, worldwide, have been inspired directly by the Alhambra.
−
Image:Palacio Nazaries, Alhambra, Granada.jpg|Detail looking up wall, "Golden Room" ''[[patio]]''
 
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Image:Alhambra de noche.JPG|Alhambra illuminated at night
 
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Image:Partal(Alhambra).jpg|The pool of the "El Partal" Palace
 
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Image:court of lions in Palacio Nazaries.jpg|Light effects in the Court of Lions
 
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Image:Palacio de Comares.jpg|Guests in the "Comares" Palace
 
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Image:Sierra Nevada from Alhambra.jpg|View east to the Sierra Nevada from the [[Alcazaba]]
 
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</gallery>
 
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</center>
 
  
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==See also==
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==References==
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* [[Alhambra decree]]: royal decree issued in 1492 ordering the expulsion of all the [[Jew]]s in [[Spain]].
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* Educational Video Network, Inc. ''Alhambra: Legacy of Moorish Spain.'' (DVD), 2004. ASIN B0006MGQIC
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* [[Islamic architecture]]
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* Fletcher, Richard. ''Moorish Spain.'' University of California Press, 2006. ISBN 9780520248403
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* [[Court of the Lions]]
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* Irving, Washington. ''The Alhambra.'' FQ Classics, 2007. ISBN 9781599868097
 +
* Irwin, Robert. ''The Alhambra.'' Harvard University Press, 2004. ISBN 9780674015685
  
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{{commonscat|Alhambra}}
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* {{1911}}
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== External links ==
 
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*{{Es icon}} {{Fr icon}} {{En icon}} [http://www.alhambradegranada.org/default_en.asp www.AlhambraDeGranada.org]
 
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*{{Es icon}} {{Fr icon}} {{En icon}} [http://www.alhambra.org/eng/index.asp?secc=/inicio&popup=1 www.alhambra.org]
 
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*{{Es icon}} {{Fr icon}} {{En icon}} [http://www.alhambragranada.info/en/ www.AlhambraGranada.info]
 
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*{{Es icon}} {{Fr icon}} {{En icon}} [http://www.alhambra.info/indexeng.htm www.alhambra.info]
 
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*{{Es icon}} {{Fr icon}} {{En icon}} [http://www.alhambragranadatours.com/eng/index.asp?secc=/inicio&popup=1 www.AlhambraGranadaTours.com] Guide
 
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*{{Es icon}} {{Fr icon}} {{En icon}} {{De icon}} {{It icon}} [http://www.turgranada.es/cultural-monumental/cultural-monumental-nivel3.php?id_seccion=509&tipo=secciones&id_idioma=2 Alhambra in turgranada.es] Official Site for tourism of the province of Granada
 
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*[http://www.guiasgranada.com/eng/index.asp?secc=/inicio Alhambra Official Guides]
 
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*[http://www.new7wonders.com/index.php?id=387&L=0 Vote for the Alhambra in 7 New Wonders]
 
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*[http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/gallery.php?gid=113 Photos of Alhambra]
 
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*[http://www.islamicarchitecture.org/architecture/palaces/thealhambra.html Alhambra Architectural Review]
 
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*[http://www.gardenvisit.com/ge/alham.htm Alhambra - information on garden history and design]
 
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*[http://www.hotels-spain-accommodation.com/andalucia/granada/alhambra/ Detailed study with photos of the Alhambra Granada]
 
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*[http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&z=17&ll=37.176578,-3.588538&spn=0.003881,0.010815&t=k&om=1 Google maps satellite image]
 
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*[http://www.erasmuspc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=161&Itemid=81 Article with English translations of the poems on the walls of Alhambra]
 
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Alhambra
 
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*[http://regiowebcam.de/index.php?id=1926 Webcam Granada/Alhambra]
 
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==References==
 
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*Irwin, Robert. The Alhambra. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2004.
 
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*Grabar, Oleg. The Alhambra. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1978
 
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*Jacobs, Michael and Francisco Fernandez. Alhambra. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 2000.
 
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*Lowney, Chris. A Vanished World: Medieval Spain’s Golden Age of Enlightenment. New York: Simon and Schuster, Inc, 2005.
 
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*Menocal, Maria, Rosa. The Ornament of the World. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2002.
 
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*Read, Jan. The Moors in Spain and Portugal. Great Britain: Faber and Faber Limited, 1974
 
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* Steves, Rick (2004). ''Spain and Portugal 2004'', pp. 204–205. Avalon Travel Publishing. ISBN 1-56691-529-5.
 
  
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{{World Heritage Sites in Spain}}
 
  
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[[Category:nations and places]]
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[[Category:Geography]]
 
{{Credit|148470163}}
 
{{Credit|148470163}}
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* {{1911}}
 

Latest revision as of 00:37, 9 January 2023

Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Patio de los Arrayanes.
State Party Spain
Type Cultural
Criteria i, iii, iv
Reference 314
Region** Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription 1984  (8th Session)
Extensions 1994
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
** Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Alhambra (Arabic: الحمراء—Al-Ħamrā'; literally "the red") is a palace and fortress complex of the Moorish monarchs of Granada in southern Spain, occupying a hilly terrace on the southeastern border of the city of Granada.

Mohammed I, the first king of the Nasriden—a Moorish dynasty in Granada—converted a ninth-century castle into his private royal residence, and it is this which we now know as the Alhambra. The structure, currently a huge museum exhibiting exquisite Islamic architecture, is renowned for its stunning frescoes and interior detail. A Renaissance palace was also inserted by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. The buildings are some of the finest examples of Moorish architecture in the world and the site is among Europe’s most-visited tourist attractions.

Over the years, the Alhambra has had widespread influence on art, music, and architecture.

The Alhambra was listed as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1984. The selection was based on the following criteria: That it represents a masterpiece of human creative genius; it exhibits an important interchange of human values; and it is an outstanding example an architectural ensemble which illustrates a significant stage in human history.

Setting

Topography

View of the Alhambra from the "Mirador de San Nicolás" in the Albaycin of Granada.

The terrace or plateau where the Alhambra settles, measures about 2,430 feet in length by 674 feet at its greatest width, extends from W.N.W. to E.S.E., and covers an area of about 169,831 square yards. It is enclosed by a strongly fortified wall, which is flanked by 13 towers. The river Darro, which flows through a deep ravine on the north, divides the plateau from the Albaicín district of Granada; the Assabica valley, containing the Alhambra Park, on the west and south, and beyond this valley the almost parallel ridge of Monte Mauror, separate it from the Antequeruela district.

Ground plan

Moorish poets described it as "a pearl set in emeralds," in allusion to the brilliant color of its buildings, and the luxuriant woods around them. The park (Alameda dé la Alhambra), in spring overgrown with wild-flowers and grass, was planted by the Moors with roses, oranges and myrtles. The park's most characteristic feature, however, is the dense wood of English elms brought there in 1812 by the Duke of Wellington. It is celebrated for the multitude of its nightingales, and is usually filled with the sound of running water from several fountains and cascades. These are supplied through a conduit five miles long, which is connected with the Darro at the monastery of Jesus del Valle, above Granada.

Archway with arabesque decoration

In spite of the long neglect, vandalism, and sometimes ill-judged restoration which the Alhambra has endured, it still remains the most perfect example of Moorish art in its final European development, freed from the direct Byzantine influences which can be traced in the Mezquita cathedral of Córdoba, more elaborate and fantastic than the Giralda at Seville. The majority of the palace buildings are, in ground-plan, quadrangular, with all the rooms opening on to a central court; and the whole reached its present size simply by the gradual addition of new quadrangles, designed on the same principle, though varying in dimensions, and connected with each other by smaller rooms and passages.

While fountains and flowing water are a common feature around the Alhambra, they are particularly prevalent in the Palacio de Generalife.

In every case the exterior is left plain and austere, as if the architect intended thus to heighten by contrast the splendor of the interior. Within, the palace is unsurpassed for the exquisite detail of its marble pillars and arches, its fretted ceilings and the veil-like transparency of its filigree work in stucco. Sun and wind are freely admitted, and the whole effect is one of the most airy lightness and grace. Blue, red, and a golden yellow, all somewhat faded through the lapse of time and exposure, are the colors chiefly employed.

The decoration consists, as a rule, of stiff, conventional foliage, Arabic inscriptions, and geometrical patterns wrought into arabesques of almost incredible intricacy and ingenuity. Painted tiles are largely used as paneling for the walls.

Associated sites

Along with the Alhambra, two associated sites in Granada—the Albaycin and the Generalife—were also selected in 1984 for World Heritage status. According to UNESCO, " Rising above the modern lower town, the Alhambra and the Albaycín, situated on two adjacent hills, form the medieval part of Granada. To the east of the Alhambra fortress and residence are the magnificent gardens of the Generalife, the former rural residence of the emirs who ruled this part of Spain in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The residential district of the Albaycín is a rich repository of Moorish vernacular architecture, into which the traditional Andalusian architecture blends harmoniously."

Description

The Tower of Justice (Torre de la Justicia) is the original entrance gate to the Alhambra, built by Yusuf I in 1348.

The Alhambra resembles many medieval Christian strongholds in its threefold arrangement as a castle, a palace, and a residential annex for subordinates. The Alcazaba or citadel, its oldest part, is built on the isolated and precipitous foreland which terminates the plateau on the northwest. These are the sole remaining massive outer walls, towers, and ramparts. A turret containing a huge bell was added in the eighteenth century, and restored after being damaged by lightning in 1881. Beyond the Alcazaba is the palace of the Moorish kings; and beyond this, again, is the Alhambra Alta (Upper Alhambra), originally occupied by officials and courtiers.

Access from the city to the Alhambra Park is afforded by the Puerta de las Granadas (Gate of Pomegranates), a massive triumphal arch dating from the fifteenth century. A steep ascent leads past the Pillar of Charles V, a fountain erected in 1554, to the main entrance of the Alhambra. This is the Puerta Judiciaria (Gate of Judgment), a massive horseshoe archway, surmounted by a square tower, and used by the Moors as an informal court of justice. A narrow passage leads inward to the Plaza de los Aljibes (Place of the Cisterns), a broad open space that divides the Alcazaba from the Moorish palace. To the left of the passage rises the Torre del Vino (Wine Tower), built in 1345, and used in the sixteenth century as a cellar. On the right is the palace of Charles V, a cold-looking but majestic Renaissance building, out of harmony with its surroundings, which it tends somewhat to dwarf by its superior size.

The Court of the Lions features a unique example of Islamic animal statues.

The present entrance to the Palacio Árabe (Moorish palace), is by a small door from which a corridor conducts to the Patio de los Arrayanes (Court of the Myrtles). This court is 140 feet long by 74 feet wide; and in the center there is a large pond set in the marble pavement, full of goldfish, and with myrtles growing along its sides. There are galleries on the north and south sides; that on the south is 27 feet high, and supported by a marble colonnade.

The Salón de los Embajadores (Hall of the Ambassadors) is the largest in the Alhambra, and occupies all the Torre de Comares. It is a 37-foot-square room, while the center of the dome is 75 feet high. This was the grand reception room, and the throne of the sultan was placed opposite the entrance. It was in this setting that the Edict of Expulsion was signed and Christopher Columbus received Isabel and Ferdinand's support to sail to the New World.

The celebrated Patio de los Leones (Court of the Lions) is an oblong court, 116 feet by 66 feet, surrounded by a low gallery supported on 124 white marble columns. A pavilion projects into the court at each extremity, with filigree walls and a light domed roof, elaborately ornamented. In the center of the court is the celebrated Fountain of Lions, a magnificent alabaster basin supported by the figures of 12 lions in white marble. It has been said that the lions were most likely sculpted by members of the Jewish community who had inhabited Spain prior to their extradition along with the Muslims.

"Honeycomb," "stalactite," or "mocárabe" vaulting in the "Hall of the Abencerrajes"

The Sala de los Abencerrajes is a perfect square, with a lofty dome and trellised windows at its base. The roof is exquisitely decorated in blue, brown, red, and gold, and the columns supporting it spring out into the arch form in a remarkably beautiful manner. Opposite to this hall is the Sala de las dos Hermanas (Hall of the two Sisters), so-called from two very beautiful white marble slabs laid as part of the pavement. These slabs measure 15 by 7.5 inches, and are without flaw or stain. There is a fountain in the middle of this hall, and the roof —a dome honeycombed with tiny cells, all different, and said to number 5000— is a magnificent example of the so-called "stalactite vaulting" of the Moors.

The Partal, one of the rich palaces of the complex

Among the other wonders of the Alhambra are the Sala de la Justicia (Hall of Justice), the Patio del Mexuar (Court of the Council Chamber), the Patio de Daraxa (Court of the Vestibule), and the Peinador de la Reina (Queen's Robing Room), in which are to be seen the same delicate and beautiful architecture and the same costly and elegant decorations. The palace and the Upper Alhambra also contain baths, ranges of bedrooms and summer-rooms, a whispering gallery and labyrinth, and vaulted sepulchers. The original furniture of the palace is represented by the celebrated vase of the Alhambra, a splendid specimen of Moorish ceramic art, dating from 1320, and belonging to the first period of Moorish porcelain.

Of the outlying buildings in connection with the Alhambra, the foremost in interest is the Palacio de Generalife or Gineralife (the Muslim Jennat al Arif, "Garden of Arif," or "Garden of the Architect"). This villa probably dates from the end of the thirteenth century, but has been several times restored. Its gardens, however, with their clipped hedges, grottoes, fountains, and cypress avenues, are said to retain their original Moorish character. The Villa de los Martires (Martyrs' Villa), on the summit of Monte Mauror, commemorates the Christian slaves who were forced to build the Alhambra, and confined here in subterranean cells. The Torres Bermejas (Vermilion Towers), also on Monte Mauror, are a well-preserved Moorish fortification, with underground cisterns, stables, and accommodation for a garrison of 200 men. Several Roman tombs were discovered in 1829 and 1857 at the base of Monte Mauror.

History

One detail of the arabesques

Moorish period

The name Alhambra derives from the color of the red clay from which the fort is made. The buildings of the Alhambra were originally whitewashed; however, seen today they are reddish. The first reference to the Qal’at al Hamra was during the battles between the Arabs and the Muladies (a mixed-ancestry group that lived in the Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages) during the rule of the Abdallah (reigned 888-912). In one particularly fierce skirmish, the Muladies soundly defeated the Arabs, who were then forced to take shelter in a primitive red castle located in the province of Elvira, located in today's Granada.

According to surviving documents from the era, the red castle was quite small and its walls were not capable of deterring an army intent on conquering it. The castle was then largely ignored until the eleventh century when its ruins were renovated and rebuilt by Samuel ibn Naghralla, vizier to King Bādīs of the Zirid Dynasty, in an attempt to preserve the small Jewish settlement located on the Sabikah hill. However, evidence from Arab texts indicates that the fortress was easily penetrated and that the actual Alhambra that survives today was built later, during the Nasrid Dynasty.

Ibn Nasr, the founder of the Nasrid Dynasty, was forced to flee to Granada in order to avoid persecution by King Ferdinand and his supporters during attempts to rid Spain of Moorish dominion. After retreating to Granada, Ibn-Nasr took up residence at the Palace of Bādis in the Alhambra. A few months later, he embarked on the construction of a new Alhambra fit for the residence of a king. According to an Arab manuscript published as the Anónimo de Granada y Copenhague, “This year 1238, Abdallah ibn al-Ahmar climbed to the place called the Alhambra inspected it, laid out the foundations of a castle, and left someone in charge of its construction…”

The design included plans for six palaces, five of which were grouped in the northeast quadrant forming a royal quarter, two circuit towers, and numerous bathhouses. Over the reign of Nasrid Dynasty, the Alhambra was transformed into a palatine city complete with an irrigation system for the lush and beautiful gardens located outside the fortress. The creation of the “Sultan’s Canal” solidified the identity of the Alhambra as a sumptuous palace-city rather than a defensive and ascetic structure.

The Reconquest

The Capitulation of Granada by F. Padilla: The Muslim King Boabdil surrenders to Ferdinand and Isabella. The Alhambra is visible in the background.

Alhambra Decree

The reconquest of Granada, the last bastion of Muslim Spain, was accomplished by Christian forces and was completed at the Battle of Covadonga in 1492. Despite its previous status as a haven for Jews and a glorious emblem of Arabic architecture, the Alhambra would soon be known to history as the place where peaceful coexistence among Christians, Muslims, and Jews in Spain came to its final end. In the Alhambra's Sala de Embajadores (Hall of the Ambassadors), the magnificent tower overlooking the city with the galaxy of stars embedded in its arched ceiling, the Catholic monarchs Isabel of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon signed a decree ordering the expulsion of Jews from Spain, on March 31, 1492. The Alhambra Decree, also known as the "Edict of Expulsion," demanded that all Jews leave the Kingdom of Spain and its territories and possessions.

Emblem of the Catholic Monarchs engraved after the conquest

In the decree, proclaimed less than three months after the surrender of Granada, the monarchs accused the Jews of trying "to subvert our holy Catholic faith and trying to draw faithful Christians away from their beliefs." All Jews were ordered to leave the kingdom by "the end of July of this year." They were permitted to take their belongings with them—except "gold or silver or minted money." Punishment for a Jew who did not leave was death. Punishment for non-Jews who sheltered or hid Jews was the confiscation of all belongings and hereditary privileges.

The Alhambra Decree stood in stark contrast to the policy of La Convivencia ("Coexistence"), describing the situation in Spanish history from about 711 to 1492, when Jews, Muslims, and Catholics in Spain lived in relative peace together within the different kingdoms. The phase often refers to the interplay of cultural ideas between the three groups, and ideas of religious tolerance.

Architectural changes

After the reconquest, much of the interior of the Alhambra was damaged and furniture was ruined or taken. Sections of the complex were either rebuilt in the Renaissance style or leveled so that Charles I of Spain (who was also Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire) might build an Italianate palace. Charles built the grand circular Christian palace known as the Palacio de Carlos Quinto, which stands today in the midst of the Alhambra, for the simple reason that he thought the Alhambra was a fine place to live, but wanted a building commensurate with his importance.

Panoramic view of the Palacio de Carlos Quinto

In spite of its artistic clash with the delicate Moorish style of the Alhambra, some of which had to be destroyed to make way for it, the palace has an artistic value of its own, being the first Renaissance building made outside of Italy. However, due to financial problems, the construction was a stop-and-go affair which continued over several hundred years, not being completed until the twentieth century, when it was made use of for the first time as a concert hall.

Damage also occurred to the Alhambra in 1812, when the French blew up some towers, and later in 1821 from an earthquake. In 1828, restoration of the Alhambra began and continued into the twentieth century.

Art of the Alhambra

A room of the palace and a view of the Court of the Lions
Mocárabes or Honeycomb work
Gazelles from the Alhambra
The emblem of the Nasrid Dynasty, endlessly repeated in arabesques—click to enlarge

The art within the Alhambra embodied the remaining portion of Moorish dominion in Spain and ushered in the last great period of the Andalusian art of Granada. Trapped without influence from the Islamic mainland, the Alhambra created a unique style characterized by its exquisite refinement and beauty, was perfected over the course of the Nasrid Dynasty. Elegant columns seem to soar effortlessly towards the sky and intricate muquarnas, a stalactite-like ceiling decoration, creating an airy appearance in several chambers. Interiors are often decorated with elegant arabesques and graceful depictions of calligraphy.

The splendid arabesques of the Alhambra interior are ascribed, among other kings, to Yusef I, Mohammed V, Ismail I, etc. After the Christian reconquest, walls were filled in with whitewash, painting and gilding was effaced, and furniture was damaged or removed.

Philip V (1700–1746) further Italianized the rooms and completed his palace right in the middle of what had been a Moorish building. He ran up partitions which blocked up whole apartments. In subsequent centuries under Spanish authorities, Moorish art was further defaced; and in 1812 some of the towers were blown up by the French under Count Sebastiani, while the whole buildings narrowly escaped the same fate. Napoleon planned to demolish the whole complex. Just before his plan was carried out, however, a soldier reportedly defused the explosives and thus saved the Alhambra for posterity. In 1821 an earthquake caused further damage. The work of restoration undertaken in 1828 by the architect José Contreras was endowed in 1830 by Ferdinand VII; and after the death of Contreras in 1847, it was continued with fair success by his son Rafael (d. 1890), and his grandson.

Influence of the Alhambra

Literature

Parts of the following novels are set in the Alhambra:

  • Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra (1831) is a collection of essays, verbal sketches, and stories written while Irving lived in the palace. It was instrumental in reintroducing the site to Western audiences.
  • Salman Rushdie's The Moor's Last Sigh (1995) is also set in part in the Alhambra.

Music

Tessellations like this inspired Escher's work.

The Alhambra has directly inspired musical compositions including

  • Francisco Tárrega´s guitar song Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Alhambra Remembrances)
  • Claude Debussy´s preludes for piano Lindaraja and La Puerta del Vino
  • The first movement of Manuel de Falla´s Noches en los Jardines de España, entitled, En los Jardines del Generalife
  • Pieces by composers Ruperto Chapí, Tomás Bretón, and many others are also found ambiance in the Alhambra and its surroundings.

Painting and graphic art

  • M. C. Escher's visit in 1922 inspired his following work on regular divisions of the plane after studying the Moorish use of symmetry in the Alhambra tiles.
  • Many other artists have used the Alhambra as a study for their paintings.

Recent architecture

From nineteenth-century Romanticism until today's architecture, a host of uneven, artistic-quality buildings, or portions of buildings, worldwide, have been inspired directly by the Alhambra.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Educational Video Network, Inc. Alhambra: Legacy of Moorish Spain. (DVD), 2004. ASIN B0006MGQIC
  • Fletcher, Richard. Moorish Spain. University of California Press, 2006. ISBN 9780520248403
  • Irving, Washington. The Alhambra. FQ Classics, 2007. ISBN 9781599868097
  • Irwin, Robert. The Alhambra. Harvard University Press, 2004. ISBN 9780674015685
  • This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

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