GRANADA: THE ALHAMBRA

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WEDNESDAY 3RD JULY
I was so excited to be going to The Alhambra today that I had breakfast in a small bar across the road from where I was to be picked up. The man that organised this for me said '9:30am or 9:45am'. Th...is is a typical Spanish thing about time. Luckily I listened to my inner voice and was there at 9:30 as the bus arrived promptly. There were about 7 people on the bus and when we arrived at The Alhambra parking area we joined together with other bus loads to form language groups. I had sat next to a woman, Grace, from North Carolina, on the bus and we spent a fair bit of time together on the tour and after.
From the valley floor The Alhambra looks huge. Up close it is even bigger! The literature suggests to allow a visiting time of at least 3 hours. The parts of the Alhambra and Generalife site that are open to the public are divided into four areas: the Alcazaba, the Nasrid Palaces, the Partal and the Generalife. Each entry ticket is given an allotted access time to the Nasrid Palaces. This limits the number of visitors allowed at any given time. The Alcazaba is one of the oldest parts of the Alhambra and is its military area. There are 3 Nasrid Palaces, from different periods: The Mexuar Palace (1362 - 1391), the Comares Palace (1333 - 1354 and 1362 - 1391) and the Palace of the Lions (1362 - 1391). The Partal area includes the portico of the Partal Palace, the gardens, the Rauda, the Palace of Yusuf III and the Paseo de las Torres. The Generalife area includes the lower gardens, the Generalife Palace and the upper gardens.
Our tour started when we finally entered the site at about 10:30am and our tickets had our entry to the Nasrid Palaces at 12:30pm. So we visited the other areas of the site first. The Generlife was a retreat where the monarchs could relax away from the daily work of court. Its closeness to the Alhambra meant that the sultan could still be close enough to palace affairs to attend to any urgent matter which might arise. Water is an integral part of both the gardens that surround the buildings and the courtyards inside. The lower gardens below the Generalife were always cultivated, providing food for the people of the Alhambra. The orchard terraces have survived and have been replanted with cypresses, myrtles and box as hedges; roses, vines and oleanders climbing pillars and covering pergolas; and oranges, plums, medlars, magnolias, various bushes and flowers fill out the beds. The walks are paved in a mosaic of small pebbles. Within the palace, the Water Garden Courtyard is the focal point of the whole residence and a perfect example of a Spanish Muslim Garden.
The Palace of Charles V (the grandson of Ferdinand and Isabelle) is reached after walking from the Generalife across a bridge that now allows direct access between the Generalife and the Alhambra and through an area called the Secano. This area has almost completely disappeared but in Nasrid times it would have been densely populated, housing administrative buildings, soldiers' quarters, the houses of courtiers, workshops, baths and markets. The Palace is a round courtyard within a square building, with large halls around the side, except in the north - west curvature, where the chapel and the crypt are housed. The ground floor of the palace houses the Alhambra Museum, which exhibits jars, doors, coffered ceilings, ceramics, capitals, tombstones and a collection of everyday utensils.
History tells us that seven palaces were within the citadel but only a small part of the original royal town and some of the medina remain. The first of the Nasrid Palaces to be entered is the Mexuar, the council chamber. It houses courtyards, a hall and an oratory. The council met within the square formed by the four columns within the hall to decide upon important judicial matters. At the door there was a tile which read, ' Enter and ask. Do not be afraid to seek justice here. You will find it'. The back wall of the Mexuar is the façade to the Comares Palace. The Courtyard of the Myrtles would have been the focal point of diplomatic and political activity in the Alhambra. Receptions for ambassadors would have been held here and important visitors would have waited to be received by the sultan here. This courtyard owes its name to the myrtle bushes that border the central pool. They are evergreen and give off a very pleasant smell when their leaves are rubbed. The Hall of the Ambassadors is magnificent: from the gold leaf that still can be seen on the entrance arch, the intricate mosaic tiles to the ceiling covering the entire hall. The Palace and Courtyard of the Lions was the focal point of the sultan's private dwellings and included areas set aside for the women of the house. The Courtyard of Lions reveals its beauty progressively as you walk around the cloister. It feels like you are walking through a forest of pillars. The centre piece of the courtyard is The Fountain of the Lions: water springs from the months of 12 white marble lions, bearing on their backs a 12 sided bowl. The Hall of the Abencerrages is an ideal refuge from the heat of the day. When the doors are shut, the only light to enter the room filters in through the high star - shaped windows in the cupola, which also draw out the hot air from below. The spring water in the fountain always keeps the air fresh and cool.
As anticipated The Alhambra is an incredible monument. For me the outstanding features were the gardens and the mosaic walls. For years I have 'taught' about tessellations, mosaic designs and the work of the Dutch artist Escher. Yet in one morning I learned so much. Islam does not allow the inclusion of people, animals or plants in decoration. This is why geometrical shapes were used. Patterns are repeated towards infinity as a metaphor for eternity. There are 2 types of design in the ceramic tiling in the Alhambra. Mosaics in which one or more shapes are repeated, and alicatado tiling where the effect is achieved by the rotation of shapes, alterations in scale and changes in optical perception. These repetitive patterns can be extended to infinity and fill vast surfaces. The Alhambra is an ingenious museum to this composition of art and mathematics.<a data-ft="{">See More</a>

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