Wonders of the World

Posted by Jude Buttle on Tuesday, July 29, 2008

We live on a weird and wonderful planet and some of the most amazing sights to see are man-made. But what are the greatest architectural achievements in history - The Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal or Rome's Colosseum? In a new series we take a look at some of the finest, starting with...

Alhambra (12th century) Granada, Spain

A Sight to Behold

The Alhambra (in Arabic means "the red fortress") is an ancient palace and fortress complex, located on a hilly terrace on the south-eastern border of the city of Granada, in southern Spain.

Resembling many medieval Christian strongholds of that time, the Alhambra has a number of remarkable segments.

Three of its main parts include the Mexuar - designed for business and administrative purposes, the Serallo - built in the fourteen century with brightly coloured interiors, and the Harem, which was designed as the living quarters for the wives and mistresses of the Arabic kings.

By the main entrance is the Puerta Judiciaria (Gate of Judgment), a massive horseshoe archway supported by a square tower and used by the Moors as an informal court of justice.

Carved above one of the exterior gates is the hand of Fatima, with fingers outstretched as a talisman against the evil eye.

Access from the city to the Alhambra Park is provided by The Puerta de las Granadas (Gate of Pomegranates), a triumphal arch dating back to the 15th century.

The Alhambra is enclosed by a fortified wall, which is flanked by thirteen towers. The palace area consists of numerous courts - the most prominent one being the Court of Lions - and ancillary rooms.

The splendid interior decorations are attributed to the many Muslim monarchs that resided there, most of whom added their own particular palace and style to the complex, with each additional segment following the specific theme of ‘paradise on earth.'

Built primarily between 1248 and 1354, during the dominion of Mohammed Ibn Nasr and his successors, the Alhambra was completed towards the end of the Muslim reign in Spain.

Legendary Tales

Early surviving documents indicate that the Alhambra was initially quite a small red brick citadel and its primitive walls were not capable of deterring any army intent on conquering.

The castle was virtually ignored until the eleventh century, when its ruins were renovated and rebuilt, being developed and fortified even further during the Nasrid Dynasty in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.

Legend has it that Ibn Nasr, the founder of the Nasrid Dynasty, was forced to flee to Jaén in order to avoid persecution by King Ferdinand and his supporters during attempts to rid Spain of Moorish rule.

After retreating to Granada, Ibn Nasr took up residence at the Palace of Badis in the Alhambra. A few months later, he embarked on the construction of a new Alhambra, developing it into palace fit for a king.

Soon after the expulsion of the Moors in 1492, the conquering Christians began to spoil and vandalize the enchanting beauty of the Alhambra.

In the sixteenth century, Charles V rebuilt portions in the modern style of the period and destroyed the greater part of the winter palace to make room for a modern structure, which was never completed.

King Philip V of Spain Italianized the rooms and completed the degradation by putting up partitions, which ruined whole apartments, areas of elegance and vivid ingenuity.

The Alhambra suffered further damage in the nineteenth century when some of the towers were destroyed while under French rule.

Allegedly, the whole complex narrowly escaped a similar fate when Napoleon Bonaparte ordered it to be blown up. But one of his soldiers, who wanted to preserve the site, deliberately defused the explosives and the Alhambra was saved for posterity.

Image Gallery

 

 

All photos by jamesdale10 

Grand Designs

The Alhambra is a reflection of the culture of the last days of the Nasrid kingdom and one of the finest examples of Moorish architecture in the world. The mixture of natural elements with man-made ones is a testament to the skills of Muslim craftsmen of that time.

Despite all the tribulations, neglect, vandalism, an earthquake and an attempt by Napoleon to blow it up, the Alhambra has endured and is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions, raising the profile of the region and boosting the local economy.

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