More Alhambra

A bit more about The Alhambra

The walls are not only beautiful tapestries of decorative motifs in stucco, they are also lined with arabic calligraphy of quotes, some short (like the Nasrid dynasty "motto" - "The only conquerer is God"), some longer as in "You conquered Algeciras with the might of your sword opening a secret doorway to our victory" and some much more extensive including a complete poem, as in the room shown in the first photo (though you can't see it).

The second photo shows one of the cupolas in which complex decorative patterns create an eight pointed star. Light enters through 16 windows near the top of the cupola. It is not easy to appreciate in this photo but there are beautiful subtle colors included throughout the decorative elements of the cupola and the sculpting includes elements that mimic stalactites. They appear in several areas of the Alhambra (see the second photo in the first posting on the Alhambra). The inclusion of these latter elements apparently has a religious connotation throughout the Islamic world. It is based in the belief that Mahoma (Mohammed) received his inspiration for the Koran directly from the Archangel Gabriel while in a cave in which he had sought refuge while fleeing from his enemies. The stalactite decor in places like the Alhambra are a celebration of this event and the cave has become an important place of pilgrimage for Muslims on their way to Mecca.

The third photo is taken from the Throne room looking through an entrance onto the reflecting pool. Not sure where the fourth photo is from but the fifth is from a room called the Mexuar Oratory which looks out over the Albaicin (the area of the old city of Granada). This room was severely damaged by a gun powder explosion in the valley below in 1590. Restoration was begun immediately but not completed until 1917! Much of the Alhambra has been altered or restored over the centuries such that is often unclear how the current structure resembles the Alhambra of the Nasrid period. What seems clear, to the untutored eye, is that the restorations appear to have been superb in terms of the quality of the decorative features.

In the first Alhambra post on March 6 - (note the order of the posts is newest at the top) in the fourth photo from the top the dome shaped inscription above the epigraph on one of the walls of the reflecting pool area is referred to as the "Tree of Life", an allusion to an inverted tree that sustains all life and buries its roots in paradise, which it seems is up.

It is said that the north south orientation of the buildings and rooms is such that they receive more sun in winter than in summer and the orientation is so precise (apparently within tenths of a degree) that the all columns serve as the hands of a sundial. The orientation and nature of the construction plus the exquisite control of the flow of water for pools and fountains are designed to control temperature for maximum comfort. The water, of which there was plenty from the Sierra Nevada mountains, was controlled by a sophisticated system of aqueducts and channels with varied dimensions and, in some cases, short areas of uphill flow to adjust flow rate according to specific needs, i.e. quiet pools, gardens or active fountains.

R