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!