Alhambra n : a palace
and fortress built in Granada by the Muslims in the Middle Ages
English
Proper
noun
This article is about
the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. For other meanings, see:Alhambra (disambiguation).
The Alhambra (Arabic: الحمراء = Al-Ħamrā; literally "the red fortress") is a palace
and fortress complex of the Moorish monarchs of Granada in southern Spain(known as Al-Andalus when the fortress was
constructed), occupying a hilly terrace on the southeastern border of the city
of Granada.
Once the residence of
the Muslim kings of Granada and
their court, the Alhambra is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions
exhibiting the country's most famous Islamic architecture,
together with Christian 16th century and later interventions in buildings and
gardens that marked its image as it can be seen today. Within the Alhambra, the Palace of Charles V was erected by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1527.
Overview
The terrace or plateau
where the Alhambra sits measures about 740 m (2430 ft) in length by
205 m (674 ft) at its greatest width. It extends from WNW to ESE and
covers an area of about 142,000 m². Its most westerly feature is the alcazaba(citadel); a strongly fortified position. The
rest of the plateau comprises a number of palaces, enclosed by a relatively
weak fortified wall, with
thirteen towers, some defensive and some providing vistas for the inhabitants.
The river Darro passes through a
ravine on the north and divides the plateau from the Albaicín district of
Granada. Similarly, 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.
History
Ibn Nasr, the
founder of the Nasrid Dynasty, was
forced to flee to Jaén 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.
During the reign of the Nasrid Dynasty, the Alhambra was transformed into a
palatine city complete with an irrigation system composed ofacequias for the 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 palace-city rather than a defensive and ascetic structure.
The Muslim rulers lost
Granada and Alhambra in 1492 without the fortress itself being attacked when
King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castiletook
the surrounding region with overwhelming numbers.
Art
of the Alhambra
The decorations within
the palaces typified the remains of Moorish dominion within Spain and ushered
in the last great period of Andalusian art in Granada. With little influence
from the Islamic mainland, artists endlessly reproduced the same forms and trends,
creating a new style that developed over the course of the Nasrid Dynasty. The
Nasrids used freely all the display of stylistical resorts that had been
created and developed during eight centuries of Muslim rule in the Peninsula as
the Calliphal horse-shoe arch, the Almohad sebka or the Almoravid palm, and
unused combinations of them, beside novelties as the stilted arches and the
capitals of muqarnas, among others. The isolation with the rest of the Islam,
and the commercial and political relationship with the Christian kingdoms also
influenced in the space concepts. Columns, muqarnas and stalactite-like ceiling
decorations, appear in several chambers, and the interiors of numerous palaces
are decorated with arabesques and calligraphy. The arabesques of the interior
are ascribed, among other kings, to Yusef I, Mohammed V, and Ismail I.
After the Christian
conquest of the city in 1492, the conquerors began to alter the Alhambra. The
open work was filled up with whitewash, the
painting and gilding effaced, and the furniture soiled, torn, or removed. 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. Philip V (1700–1746)
Italianised the rooms and completed his palace in the middle of what had been
the Moorish building; he had partitions constructed which blocked up whole
apartments.
In subsequent
centuries, under Spanish authorities, Moorish art was further damaged, and, in
1812, some of the towers were destroyed by the French underCount 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, anearthquake 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.
Setting
Moorish poets
described it as "a pearl set in emeralds," in allusion to the colour
of its buildings and the woods around them. The palace complex was designed
with the mountainous site in mind and many forms of technology were considered.
The park (Alameda de la Alhambra), which is overgrown with wildflowers and
grass in the spring, was planted by the Moors with roses, oranges and myrtles; its most characteristic feature, however, is
the dense wood of English elms brought thither in 1812 by the Duke of Wellington.
The park has a multitude nightingales 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.
In spite of the long
neglect, willful vandalism and sometimes ill-judged restoration which the
Alhambra has endured, it remains an atypical example of Muslim art in its final
European stages, relatively uninfluenced by the direct Byzantine influenceswhich
can be found in the Mezquita of Córdoba. 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. Alhambra was added onto by the different Muslim
rulers who lived in the complex. However, each new section that was added
followed the consistent theme of "paradise on earth." Column arcades,
fountains with running water, and reflecting pools were used to make add to the
aesthetic and functional complexity. In every case, the exterior is left plain
and austere. Sun and wind are freely admitted. Blue, red, and a golden yellow,
all somewhat faded through lapse of time and exposure, are the colours chiefly
employed.
The decoration
consists, as a rule, of stiff, conventional foliage, Arabic inscriptions, and
geometrical patterns are wrought into arabesques. Painted tiles are largely used as
panelling for the walls. The palace complex is designed in theMudéjar style which is
characteristic of western elements reinterpreted into Islamic forms and largely
popular during the Reconquista, a period of history in which the Christian
kings reconquered Spain from the Muslims.
A
tour of the Alhambra
The Alhambra resembles
many medieval Christian strongholds in its threefold arrangement as a castle, a
palace and a residential annex for subordinates. Thealcazaba or citadel, its oldest
part, is built on the isolated and precipitous foreland which terminates the
plateau on the northwest. 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 and Isabella was first raised, in
token of the Spanish conquest of Granada on January 2, 1492. A turret containing a large 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.
Access from the city
to the Alhambra Park is afforded by the Puerta de las Granadas (Gate of
Pomegranates), a 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. The hand of Fatima, 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 smaller Renaissancebuilding.
The Royal Complex
consists of three main parts: Mexuar, Serallo, and the Harem. The Mexuar is
modest in decor and houses the functional areas for conducting business and
administration. Strapwork is used to decorate the surfaces in Mexuar. The
ceilings, floors, and trim are made of dark wood and are in sharp contrast to
white, plaster walls. Serallo, built during the reign of Yusef I in the 14th
century, contains the Patio de los Arrayanes. Brightly colored interiors
featured dado panels, yesería, azulejo, cedar, and artesonado. Artesonado are
highly decorative ceilings and other woodwork. Lastly, the Harem is also
elaborately decorated and contains the living quarters for the wives and
mistresses of the Arabic monarchs. This area contains a bathroom with running,
hot and cold water, baths, and pressurized water for showering. The bathrooms
were open to the elements in order to allow in light and air. The Harem also
features representations of human forms, which is forbidden under Islamic law.
The Christian artisans were most likely commissioned to design artwork that
would be placed in the palace and the tolerant Muslim rulers allowed the work
to stay.
The present entrance
to the Palacio Árabe, or Casa Real (Moorish palace), is by a small door from
which a corridor connects 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". The birka helped to cool the
palace and acted as a symbol of power. Because water was usually in a shortage,
the technology that was required to keep these pools full was expensive and
difficult. The aim of the pools was to make the average person think that the
pool had mystical powers because it never evaporated, making them form a good
opinion of their leader. 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 is 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 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.
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 Christopher 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 decorated with inlaid-work
of white, blue and gold, in the shape of circles, crowns and stars. The walls
are covered with varied stucco works, surrounding many ancient escutcheons.
The 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. 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. 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 filigree work. In the
centre of the court is the Fountain of Lions, an alabaster basin supported by
the figures of twelve lions in white marble, not designed with sculptural
accuracy, but as symbols of strength and courage.
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 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 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
white marble slabs laid as part of the pavement. These slabs measure 50 by 22
cm (15 by 7½ in). 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
an example of the so-called "stalactite vaulting" of the Moors.
Among the other
features 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
there is similar architecture and decoration. The palace and the Upper Alhambra
also contain baths, ranges of bedrooms and summer-rooms, a whispering gallery
and labyrinth, and vaulted sepulchres.
The original furniture
of the palace is represented by the vase of the Alhambra, a 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.
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 13th century
but has been restored several times. 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.
Miscellaneous
Influence
of the Alhambra
Alhambra
in literature
Parts of the following
novels are set in the Alhambra:
·
Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra.
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.
·
Federico Garcia Lorca's
play Dona Rosita the Spinster,
mentioned by title character Dona Rosita in her song/speech to the Manola
sisters.
Alhambra
in music
Alhambra has directly
inspired musical compositions as Francisco Tárrega's
famous tremolo study for guitar Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Memories of the
Alhambra)http://guitarra.artelinkado.com/sonidos/midi/tarrega/alambra1.mid,Claude Debussy's
piece for 2 pianos Lindaraja (composed in 1901) and the prelude La Puerta del
Vino (in the 2nd book of preludes, composed 1912-13).http://www.kunstderfuge.com/_/preludes_2_3_%28c%29galimberti.mid.
"En los Jardines del Generalife",
first movement of Manuel de Falla's Noches en los Jardines de
España, and other pieces by composers such as Ruperto Chapí(Los
Gnomos de la Alhambra,1891) Tomás Bretón and many others are
included in a stream called by scholars "Alhambrismo".
In September 2006,
Canadian singer/composer Loreena McKennitt performed live at the
Alhambra. The resulting footage premiered on PBS and was later released as a
three-disc DVD/CD set entitled Nights from the Alhambra.
Alhambra is the title of an EP
by Canadian rock band The Tea Party,
containing acoustic versions of a few of their songs.
British composer
Julian Anderson's Alhambra Fantasy (1999–2000), commissioned by the London
Sinfonietta, was influenced by the architecture of the Alhambra Palace. In two
sharply contrasting sections the work relates different facets of the Alhambra
– the first, rough and energetic, is related to the building of the Palace
itself, dominated by the sounds of hammering and banging on percussion. Short
counterpointed and juxtaposed motifs create, for some, the impression of a
mosaic. The second section evokes the beautiful landscape of the Vega. The
composer is careful to point out that he has not written programmatic music,
although his concern is with the splendour of the palace itself, its place in
the landscape and its relevance to the complex and turbulent history of the
region.
Influence
in 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.
Influence
in 19th- and 20th-century architecture
From 19th-century
Romantic interpretations until the present day, many buildings and portions of
buildings world-wide have been inspired by the Alhambra: there is a Moorish
Revival house in Stillwater, Minnesota which was created and
named after the Alhambra. Also, the main portion of the Irvine Spectrum Center in Irvine, California,
is a postmodern version of the Court
of the Lions.
One also recalls the
Alhambra Theatre in central Bradford, Englandhttp://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/alhambra_2.asp.
Gallery
Media
See
also
External
links
·
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-5737979011492845533&hl=en-GB — BBC Four documentary
on art in Islamic Spain
References
·
Irwin, Robert. The Alhambra.
Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2004.
·
Grabar, Oleg. The Alhambra.
Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1978.
·
Jacobs, Michael and Francisco Fernandez.
Alhambra. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 2000.
·
Lowney, Chris. A Vanished World:
Medieval Spain’s Golden Age of Enlightenment. New York: Simon and Schuster,
Inc., 2005.
·
Menocal, Maria, Rosa. The Ornament of
the World. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2002.
·
Read, Jan. The Moors in Spain and
Portugal. Great Britain: Faber and Faber Limited, 1974.
·
Steves, Rick (2004). Spain and Portugal
2004, pp. 204–205. Avalon Travel Publishing. ISBN 1-56691-529-5.
Alhambra in Arabic: قصر
الحمراء
Alhambra in Bulgarian:
Алхамбра
Alhambra in Catalan:
Alhambra
Alhambra in Czech:
Alhambra
Alhambra in Welsh:
Alhambra
Alhambra in Danish:
Alhambra
Alhambra in German:
Alhambra
Alhambra in Modern
Greek (1453-): Αλάμπρα
Alhambra in Spanish:
Alhambra
Alhambra in Esperanto:
Alhambro
Alhambra in Basque:
Alhambra
Alhambra in Persian: الحمرا
Alhambra in French:
Alhambra (Grenade)
Alhambra in Korean: 알람브라 궁전
Alhambra in
Indonesian: Alhambra
Alhambra in Italian:
Alhambra (palazzo)
Alhambra in Hebrew: אלהמברה
Alhambra in Hungarian:
Alhambra
Alhambra in Malay
(macrolanguage): Alhambra
Alhambra in Dutch:
Alhambra
Alhambra in Japanese: アルハンブラ宮殿
Alhambra in Norwegian:
Alhambra
Alhambra in Low
German: Alhambra
Alhambra in Polish:
Alhambra
Alhambra in
Portuguese: Alhambra
Alhambra in Romanian:
Alhambra
Alhambra in Russian:
Альгамбра
Alhambra in Slovenian:
Alhambra
Alhambra in Finnish:
Alhambra
Alhambra in Swedish:
Alhambra
Alhambra in
Vietnamese: Pháo đài Alhambra
Alhambra in Turkish:
El Hamra Sarayı
Alhambra in Ukrainian:
Альгамбра
Alhambra in Chinese: 阿尔罕布拉宫
