談山神社

談山神社

7.30.2013

The memory of Alhambra


Patio de los Arrayanes




I visited La Alhambra (the Alhambra palace) in Granada in May this year. It was standing on the hill with  Mt.Sierra Nevada behind,in Granada, not US, covered with snow. This snow melted water become fountains or streams and irrigate in the city.

Alhambra on the hill



court of the water channel




So let me tell its story of the palace.
The second Umayyads dynasty fell in 11 century and Islamic power became weak gradually and Reconquista by christian expanded.
The last Islamic dynasty is Nasrid dynasty and also called Granada dynasty. Though it's small country but kept company well with christian countries, kept independence,protected arts, so the last splendid Islamic culture in Europe flourished here.

Alhambra palace started its construction as a fortress and it took them about 170 years to finish.

As the palace was made with reddish bricks and stones, it doesn't look like a graceful palace when seen from outside.
But there are another world inside! . Rooms of the palace are surrounding two patios.
One patio was made for public presentations. The other was made as the harem area. So many beautiful ladies probably have lived  there.
The flows from rooms in north,south,east west join at the fountain of twelve lions in the center of this patio. Once there were filled with flowers like "paradise of the heaven"



Court of the Lions from Hall of the Kings











This Nasrid dynasty fallen and surrendered the Alhambra to the catholic Monarchs with bloodless  in 1492 and the last Sultan of this dynasty, Muhammad the Twelfth exiled himself  to Morocco. When he was leaving the palace, he might have looked back this palace that was dyed in pale pink by sunset and shed tears. Here, Islamic rule for 800years in Europe ended.







The walls inside  is decorated with intricate carving of stucco in geometrical,arabesque. It's my first chance to see such splendid skills. It must have taken so much time to carve this elaborated design. I was absolutely fascinated by the arts.








 




Here is Recuredos De La Alhambra(The memory of Alhambra) by Kaori Muraji ( she is a famous Japanese guitarist)


                    Thank you for visiting. Have a nice summer!

24 件のコメント:

Giga さんのコメント...

Byłam tam już dwa razy i jestem tym miejscem zauroczona. Jest tam pięknie, co widać zresztą na Twoich świetnych zdjęciach. Pozdrawiam.
I've been there twice already and I am enchanted by this place. There are beautiful, as you can see, moreover, to your great pictures. Yours.

Tomoko さんのコメント...

Granadaの人々は毎日こんな美しいMt.Sierra Nevadaを見て暮らしているんですね。雪解け水が噴水に利用され、小川をながれ、町の風景になっていることがよくわかります。
アルハンラ宮殿の美しさは、スペイン独特の趣なのでしょうか。実際に見られたサラさんえ感動が伝わってきます!
Thank you for sharing!
Tomoko

8月は色々行事があるのでblog summer vacationに入ります。

See you in September!

cosmos さんのコメント...

最初、シェラ・ネバダ山脈?と思いました。スペインにもあるのですね。アメリカのシェラネバダ山脈にあるヨセミテには行ったことがあるので。
その雄大な山並みをバックにアルハンブラ、やはり素敵ですねぇ!イスラム文化を伝える最後の遺産。スペインを魅力的にしている一つでもあるんですね。すばらしいスペインの旅、サラさんのレポートで身近に感じることができます。
Thank you for sharing!

haricot さんのコメント...

石造りの繊細な宮殿ですね。
アルハンブラの思いでの曲そのものです。荘村清志さんのギターで聴いたのも思い出します。
実際に観てみたいわ。

匿名 さんのコメント...

Southern Spain is a fascinating and rare combination of Islamic (Moorish) and European cultures. Thanks for the history lesson and the beautiful photos (and the link to the video of Kaori Muraji) :-)

匿名 さんのコメント...

Allow me to post a link to my favourite flamenco piece: Monasterio de Sal by Paco de Lucia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDKYZGzcciw

stardust さんのコメント...

「アルハンブラの思い出」の美しい旋律を聞きながらポストを眺め、読みました。グラナダからの人々が故郷を思い出す時は山を背景にしたこの風景なのでしょうか。夕景の中、赤い城の色が際立っています。

Arti さんのコメント...

The Alhambra palace standing on the foothills looks like a page torn out of a fantasy fiction. It looks so beautiful, in all your captures. Absolutely splendid. The carvings are great display of craftsmanship from people of that era and the halls seem to resound in many tales that you have wonderfully narrated in your account. Thank you for taking us along, sarah. Wish you a lovely week ahead :)

sarah さんのコメント...

To Marc,
Thank you for telling the flamenco piece by Paco de Lucia. I heard a flamenco guitar at Granada. At that time I was impressed with his skill of flamenco guitar. And now I was amazed delicacy,coolness of Paco de Lucia.

Joy さんのコメント...

This is really a marvelous place. Awesome structtures.
Thanks for sharing the history too:)

Rurousha さんのコメント...

I knew about the Alhambra, but I never realized the walls had such detailed, intricate carvings. You know what it reminds me of? Shibamata Taishakuten here in Shibamata in Tokyo, which has detailed wooden carvings. Two completely different buildings, but ... still ... something similar.

I enjoyed this trip to Spain. Thanks! :)

Rahul Bhatia さんのコメント...

This was a splendid journey of fantasy and color Sarah! Lovely pictures and the write up!! Am following your blog now:)

orchid0324 さんのコメント...

Dearest Sarah,
実は、私も40代の時に友達とツワーで訪れました♡♡♡ 未だにexoticな風景が忘れられません♬♬♬
Thank you very much for sharing us your wonderful trip with your marvelous pictures and expansion☆☆☆

Love and hugs to my dear Japanese friend, xoxo Miyako*

Forest Dream Weaver さんのコメント...

Wonderful photos Sarah!
This is such an interesting place.It's strange to see snow on the mountains in Spain.A great series of images......thank you for sharing your tour and bringing back memories for me.....it's a long time since I visited......

Happy weekend,
Ruby

Minoru Saito さんのコメント...

こんにちは。素晴らしいの一言です。この曲と映像はテレビで何度も見ています。
 実際に見て、感じて、風景はとても言葉では言い尽くせない思いでとなったではと、想像しています。
 分散和音のなかから聞こえてくるメロディーもこのブログの美しさに花を添えているようです。

Beatriz さんのコメント...

Hello Sarah
What a great view of this city!
I "still" do not know ..... but now Granada in mine next trip to the Iberian Peninsula, I'll include it in the list, no doubt.
Hugs
Bia
www.biaviagemambiental.blogspot.com

Tania さんのコメント...

So wonderful post and pictures! Many great details on this buildings. I like the first picture so much:-)

Hope you have a blessed week ahead:-)

Self Sagacity さんのコメント...

Our world is amazing! there are so many beautiful places.

ruma さんのコメント...



Hello, sara.

The splendid landmark architecture.
I want to visit them, too.

Thank you for delicate photography.

Magia da Inês さんのコメント...

Arquitetura magnífica!!!

Bom domingo!
Ótimo semana!
✿·.¸.• Beijinhos do Brasil
♪✿°•.¸

sharon さんのコメント...

love those Moroccan details

Magia da Inês さんのコメント...

彡♪♫°

°º✿♫ Boa semana!
°º✿ Beijinhos
º° ✿ °❤ Brasil ♫° ·.

ruma さんのコメント...


Hello, sarah.

I can understand that many Japanese have moved to Spain.
Open-minded country.
It might be true freedom.

There are a lot of things not in Japan.


CQUEK さんのコメント...

wow! your pictures are superb ... is like in the movies.