Alhambra - Granada,
Spain
Considered by many to be the pinnacle (quite literally) of
Islamic architecture, the great Alhambra complex is an ancient palace and
fortress built for the Moorish monarchs of Granada. Its greatest claim to fame is not just in its beautiful
representation of Middle Eastern architecture, but also in its unique location atop
a 35-acre plateau overlooking the beautiful city of Granada in Southern Spain. Alhambra is truly a place that aspires to
great heights of achievement, and its builders have proven especially skilled,
as parts of the complex are completely original.
Alhambra is only the name of the entire complex, which is
surrounded by a heavy fortress wall with thirteen towers. The plateau that it sits on is protected by
the Darro River to the North, and the Alhambra Park to the West and South.
History
In Arabic, Alhambra means ’the red’, and historians point to
the color of the bricks used on the outer wall as the probably reason for the
name. The fortress walls were
constructed out of bricks made of sun-dried gravel and clay that took on a lush
reddish hue once dry. Though this is
the most obvious claim, some historians believe that Alhambra is named in honor
of the red-flamed torches that construction workers used when they worked at
night for years to complete its construction.
Still, others point to its founder, Mahomet Ibn Al Ahmar as the source
for the name, while one theory claims that it’s named after the Arabic term
Dar
al Amra that means ’House of the Master’.
One thing historians do agree on is that Alhambra was built
primarily between the years of 1248 and 1354 AD during the reign of Al Ahmar
and his descendents. Unfortunately, the
principal architects and designers have been forgotten to the sands of time.
The Alhambra complex is truly a site to behold from far
away. It seems to rise out of the land
and aim straight for the sky. One can
easily imagine the grandeur that Alhambra could invoke when it was the seat of
the King and his court. Unfortunately,
Alhambra as we know it today is far different from its height in the 14th
century. Successive generations of conquerors,
from Charles V to Phillip V (spanning the 16th to 18th centuries),
resulted in acts of vandalism and complete disregard for the original intent of
the complex. As late as 1812, some
towers were blow up by French occupiers under Count Sebastiani. Restoration efforts were undertaken in 1828
after a serious earthquake in 1821 left the complex in a state of
disrepair. Over the past 150 years,
efforts to restore and preserve the remaining structure have been met with
success. Now, Alhambra is a major
landmark in Southern Spain frequented by visitors across the globe.
Brief Description
Alhambra is one of the few large-scale and nearly perfect
examples of Moorish art remaining in Europe despite centuries of neglect and
vandalism. Buildings on the Alhambra
grounds are based on the quadrangular arrangement with rooms facing a central
court. The entire complex was built out
of these sub-units of quadrangles as new buildings were added throughout its
original construction. The architects
did not emphasize exteriors. Instead,
they established a rich contrast of simple exteriors with wonderfully ornate
interior design. Touring the Alhambra
buildings, you’ll find a kind of fine detail you just won’t see anymore in
modern buildings. In architectural
terms, the Alhambra buildings are ’space’ or ’cavity’ oriented rather than ’structure’
oriented. Windows and openings allow
for wind and sun to enter each room freely.
As you watch the light play with the intricate archways, marble pillars,
fretting, and ornate stuccowork, you’ll never see the same room throughout your
entire visit. The decorative motif revolves
around incredible dense and complicated arabesques built out of foliage, Arabic
inscriptions, and rich geometrical patterns.
The original Moorish potion of the Alhambra complex is
primarily in ruins today. Known as the
Alcazaba or citadel, it was built as a fortress on the isolated foreland at the
end of the plateau. Nothing remains of
the citadel besides its outer walls, watchtowers, and ramparts. Past the citadel lies the palace of the
Moorish Kings, or what is known properly as Alhambra. Beyond the royal palace is the Upper Alhambra district designed for
court officials and bureaucrats. A
number of later additions stand out sorely from the original Moorish
buildings. Most notably, the Palace of
Charles V simply dwarfs all other buildings in the area despite being abandoned
in 1650.
There are many other notable buildings in this massive 35-acre
complex worth visiting. Visitors should
be warned of the complex ticket system that only allows entrance during a
specific time period (morning, afternoon, evening) but once inside you may
remain until closing. Certain areas are
time restricted to 30 minutes per visitor so be advised not to loiter unless
you’ve received permission.
A variety of tours are available. You can go on the standard tour with a paid tour guide, or throw
in some more money for a personal tour from a professional historian, and
school trips are welcome though advanced notice is always a good idea.
If you’re ever detouring into Southern Spain while visiting
other portions of the country, do stop by Granada to visit Alhambra in all its
historic glory. You won’t find anything
of its scope or grandeur anywhere else in the world.
hide
Home
