Palace of the Lions

The most obvious awe inspiring beauty of these palaces lies in the exquisite decorative designs of wood, plaster and tiles on the ceilings, arches and walls. But there are other characteristics, some quite subtle, that contribute to their overwhelming visual appeal. For example, one source that came to my attention showed how the building sizes and shapes were based on Pythagorean geometry. Patterns created by using the relationship between the hypotenuse and the sides of rectangles were employed in a manner which make the relative proportion of adjacent structures pleasing to the eye.

Other geometric patterns include large triangular shapes as in this spectacular cupola in the Hall of the Abencerrages,  a family of some  importance at that time.

Legend has it that a Sultan, in response to a "rumour" that the Sultana had had an affair, invited 36 suspects to a party in this room and when they were assembled he executed all of them, just to be sure he punished the offender.

Smaller triangular shapes are a basic component of the prismatic designs of the Mocárabes. The Mocárabes are three dimensional stucco elements used throughout to provide shapes such as the stalactites, mentioned in a previous post, and to soften transitions from vertical structures to arches and cupolas.

This photo shows the use of Mocárabes at the junction of wall and lower cupola.  And I think you can see the representation of stalactites in the two photos above. The stalactite theme derives from the belief that Mahoma received his inspiration for the Koran while taking refuge from enemies in a cave that was apparently replete with stalactites. In celebration of this event stalactites have become an essential decorative element with religious connotation in the world of Islam.

And archways vary from triangular to perfect hemispheric shapes creating attractive transitions between courtyards and rooms.

Spatial design combines regions of airy openness and light with areas populated by forests of columns, which might suggest a stand of trees.  In this photo we are looking through the columns of the cloister to the Courtyard of the Lions which you can just see in the bright sunlight. Note the fountains in the floor with connecting water channels en route to the large fountain in the centre of the courtyard where the lions reside. Similar fountains and water channels are features present throughout the palaces. Cold water flowing through the channels and emitted from the fountains provided a pleasant ambiance and helped keep the rooms and courtyards cool.

Positioning of fountains, pillars and sequentially placed archways create frames, reflections and perspectives which draw the eye from one space to another. This image is the Hall of Kings where, once again the stalactite pattern is prominent in the three arches. The ceilings or cupolas between each set of arches are quite spectacular and present uniquely different Mocárabes patterns.

This cupola in one section of the Hall of Kings is an amazing composition of almost 5500 Mocárabe pieces.

Mirador of Lindaraja

Carefully placed ornamented openings and windows provide miradors (views) to the landscape or gardens which were extremely important features of the palaces.

Perhaps even less obvious, from a functional as well as a visually pleasing point of view, is the precise use of orientation and light. For example, because all rooms are aligned from north to south, the orientation of the palaces makes each column the hand of a sundial.

And the judicious placement of wide overhanging eaves and cornices combined with the orientation of the buildings insures that all rooms are bright in winter and shaded in summer, thus, warm in winter and cool in the heat of summer. It is said that places that receive the most sun in winter are in shade in summer such that some south facing rooms, even in this relatively hot climate, remain as cool as any air conditioned room today.

This is another view into the Courtyard of the Lions. I think you can just see one of the Lions between the columns and the people milling about in the Courtyard. (Click on any photo to enlarge)


Except for the Hall of the Two Sisters which existed in 1362, the rooms, halls and courtyards in the Palace of the Lions were likely built between 1362 and sometime in the 15th century.


The photo below gives a closer look at the Lions around the fountain in the Courtyard of the Lions. Unfortunately, though the lions were spurting, none of the fountains were flowing when we were there.

We were told by our guide that the 12 lions were donated to the Sultan of the time by a wealthy Jewish family and that the 12 represent the 12 tribes of Israel. Such a gift suggests a sincere friendship as well as acceptance of other religions at that time. Sadly, this tolerance did not prevail.

Well, I think that this may be the last post on the Alhambra. I've enjoyed putting it together and in the process have added significantly to what I had learned during the visit. There is much more beauty there than I have shown but I hope the photos and comments are enough to tempt you to pay a visit to this magnificent place.