The palace could not be more beautiful, and the history could not be more fascinating. It's architecture tells the story of Granada's past. The Alhambra, meaning "the red fortress" was built under the reign of Sultan al-Ahmar. It is said that the inspiration for its architecture came from a dream, where he dreamt he rode a mythical creature into the sky to the castle of the prophet Muhammad. The palace was handed down through 20 generations of rulers, until los Reyes Católicos, Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand conquered Granada, and Boabdil, the final sultan, was forced to hand over the keys of the kingdom. It was at this time that the palace, as well as the rest of the city of Granada, began to undergo its Christianization. The evidence for these changes are abounding throughout the fortress.
These two fountains are examples of the drastic difference between Christian and Arabic architecture. The former, el Pilar de Carlos V, was built for Emperor Carlos V, under the Christian rule. Its intricate designs, symbolism, and arcs of flowing water, representing baptism and life, are all characteristic of this culture. The latter fountain, on the other hand, is typical of Arabic design, very simple and modest.
Another example of the presence of these two contrasting cultures is in the design of the facade of the palace. The outside is very plain, as the Moors believed that beauty should not be flaunted, but should lie within. The intricate patterns on the walls are of Arabic influence, however there is also a statue of the Virgin Mary built into the wall, clearly representative of the palace's Christianization.
The walls are decorated with red (representing passion and death), green (the color of Islam as well as nature), blue (color of the sky), and yellow(color of royalty). Arabic writing covers the interior, much of it is repeating. The phrase appearing most often translates roughly to "solo Dios es vencedor" or "only God is victor"
Palacio de Carlos V
Ironically, Carlos V never lived here, however this beautiful elliptical plaza is named after him
All of the entrances to the various rooms are arc-shaped, as is typical of Arabic architecture
The only animals represented throughout the entire palace are the lions of this fountain
Los jardines
The pool acts as a mirror, creating a crystal-clear reflection of the building
Obviously, the various parts of the interior are breathtaking. It was surreal to be inside of such an ancient building.
From the top of the palace, there was a beautiful view of the Albaicín, the neighborhood of ancient Arabic houses built into the hillside below the Alhambra.
The BC crew!
We next took a brief tour of the Generalife, a five-minute walk from the palace. Though I know very little about these gardens, they were quite beautiful.
Overall it was a beautiful, exciting, educational, and exhausting day
I think architecture in la will likely be great.
ReplyDeleteRios Clementi Hale Studios was founded in 1985 as a multi-disciplinary design firm. We create singular, integrated and comprehensive solutions for a variety of design challenges. Combined, our talents comprise a wide range of professional skills including architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning and design, interior design, graphics and signage, exhibit and product design. Project types include commercial, residential, civic, educational, institutional, exhibits and product and furniture design.
We are dedicated to applying a strong interdisciplinary collaborative approach to the design process, whether on projects within our office or in consultation with other design firms. A broad mixture of clients and projects has given us solid experience in dealing with various and complex design issues.
I think la architecture will be great.