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The Alhambra, so named
because of its reddish walls
(qa’lat al-Hamra’, or ‘Red Castle’),
is positioned at top of the al-Sabika
hill, on the left bank of the River Darro,
in the east of the city, facing the districts
of Albaicín and the Alcazaba.
Its strategic position, dominating the
entire city and the plains around Granada,
suggests that the site was home to
previous constructions before the arrival
of the Arabs. The earliest records date
back to the ninth century, when Sawwar
ben Hamdun was forced to seek refuge
in the fortress in 889, and to repair it as
a result of the civil conflict then savaging
the Caliphate of Cordoba, to which Granada
belonged.
Although the Castle of the Alhambra
was included within the walled
confines of the city in the 11th century,
it was not until the 13th century, with
the arrival of the first Nazari monarch,
Mohamed ben Al-Hamar, that it became
the royal residence, marking the start of
its most glorious period.
Yusuf I and Mohamed V are to be
thanked for the great majority of the
magnificent buildings of the Alhambra
which survive to this day. However,
between the era of the Catholic Kings
and the present time, other major events
include the demolition by Carlos V of
part of the architectural complex in order
to erect the palace which bears his
name, the construction of the Emperor’s
rooms and the Queen’s Boudoir. During
the French invasion, part of the fortress
was blown up, and restoration and conservation
work did not begin until the
19th century.
The Nazari constructions represent
the end of a glorious era which began and the present time, other major events
include the demolition by Carlos V of
part of the architectural complex in order
to erect the palace which bears his
name, the construction of the Emperor’s
rooms and the Queen’s Boudoir. During
the French invasion, part of the fortress
was blown up, and restoration and conservation
work did not begin until the
19th century. The Nazari constructions represent the end of a glorious era which began in the Cordoba of the Omeyas in the
8th century. The greatest concern of
the Alhambra’s architects was to cover
every space, however small it might be.
Any decorative element could be seen as
slight. Most of the inner arches are false
and do not support any structure. They
are there purely for decoration, the walls
covered with beautiful ceramic or plasterwork
filigrees, the ceilings featuring
exquisitely carved wooden beams.
Although Moslem art forbids the
representation of natural figures, the
Alhambra features a wide range of decorative
motifs. The classical craft of calligraphy
is heavily employed, specifically
with cursive and kufic lettering, recording
the poems of various court minstrels.
The gardens of paradise
Muslim life was closely tied to their concept
of paradise, conceived as a garden,
a place of delights and pleasures. And
so the Hispano-Arabic garden is filled
with everything which can give pleasure
to the five senses: for sight, colour, light
and shade; for smell, aromatic plants
and the sweet scent of flowers; for hearing,
the babble of water; for touch,
the different textures of the materials,
and for taste, the flavour of the fruits.
The whole garden is immersed in an air
of sensuality.
Cool water flows down from the
summits of the Sierra Nevada, guaranteeing
the exuberance of the vegetation
and representing the single clearest
feature, appearing in fountains, basins,
spouts and ingenious devices to create
ripples and reflections of the light. The
extensive use of brightly coloured tiles
is another of the distinctive aspects of
Arab gardens.
The gardens of the
Alhambra symbolise the culmination
of a long tradition
of gardens and landscaped
estates which began in Cordoba
in the mid-7th century.
The site as a whole was
constructed as a complex
of buildings and gardens,
all knowingly arranged and
admirably blended into one
thrilling composition.
Granada’s Alhambra
is one of the most beautiful
palaces on the planet, one
of the great Wonders of the
World, whatever the result
announced on 7 July.
The other candidates
The Pyramids of Giza (Egypt) / Machu Picchu (Perú) /
Petra (Jordan) /
Castillo Neuschwanstein / Neuschwanstein Castle (Germany)
/ Kiyomizu-dera (Japan)
/ Timbuktu (Mali)
/ The Kremlin, Moscow (Russia) /
Santa Sophia Church (Turkey) /
Sydney Opera House (Australia) /
Angkor (Cambodia)
/ Taj Mahal (India) /
Stonehenge ( Great Britain)
/ The Great Wall (China) /
Christ the Redeemer (Brazil)
/ The Easter Island Giants (Chile) /
The Acropolis, Athens (Greece) /
Chichén Itzá (México)
/ The Eiffel Tower (France) /
The Coliseum, Rome (Italy)
/ The Statue of Liberty (USA)
Vote for the Alhambra
ON LINE: www.new7wonders.com
SMS: send ALHAMBRA al 5030 (coste: 1,20 euros + IVA).
TEL: Call to 905 040 568
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