La Alhambra , una joya del arte nazarí en Granada

España posee un impresionante patrimonio artístico. Desde las primeras civilizaciones que poblaron la Península Ibérica hasta la actualidad, multitud de culturas han vivido en nuestro territorio, dejando una herencia artística que constituye un auténtico legado de la humanidad. Siglos de creación humana y convivencia han quedado patentes en innumerables obras de arte en todas las disciplinas y todos los estilos.

El arte español cuenta con un estilo artístico propio: el mudéjar

Joyas de la arquitectura, literatura, pintura o escultura se conservan diseminadas por todo el territorio español. Son conjuntos monumentales al aire libre y obras maestras que se pueden admirar en museos, bibliotecas, archivos, salas de exposiciones y en edificios religiosos de distintas confesiones.

La creación artística está presente en nuestro país desde la Prehistoria. El ejemplo más espectacular son las Cuevas de Altamira, el primer lugar en el mundo en el que se identificó la existencia del Arte Rupestre del Paleolítico Superior. A este periodo le siguen, cronológicamente, las creaciones de los pueblos mediterráneos (griegos, fenicios y cartagineses), la maestría urbanística romana en el siglo I, el arte paleocristiano en el siglo III y el arte visigodo en el V.

Los diferentes pueblos y culturas nos han dejado como herencia un enorme y diverso patrimonio arqueológico y artístico que perdura hasta nuestros días, gracias a una sostenida labor de conservación. La cultura musulmana ha dejado joyas como la ciudad de Medina Azahara en Córdoba o la impresionante Alhambra de Granada; el norte de Palencia y el Vallé de Arán en Lleida conservan grandes obras del mejor románico y las Catedrales de Burgos y León son máximas expresiones del arte gótico español.

El arte español cuenta con un estilo artístico propio: el mudéjar, fusión del arte cristiano y del musulmán y reflejo de la transferencia de conocimientos entre españoles y árabes. A finales del siglo XV, domina el arte renacentista, llegado desde Italia, y que se materializa en el monasterio de El Escorial o las esculturas de Alonso Berruguete. En los Siglos de Oro (XVI y XVII) se produce una eclosión cultural sin precedentes que tuvo en el barroco su mayor expresión artística. En el siglo XVIII, empieza a ganar terreno el neoclasicismo, presente arquitectónicamente en el Palacio Real de Madrid o La Granja de San Ildefonso y con Francisco de Goya, dominando la pintura.

En el siglo XIX, llega el romanticismo mientras el modernismo triunfa en Cataluña, con Antonio Gaudí como artista de referencia. Diversos estilos artísticos jalonan el siglo XX que en la década de los años 50 comienza a abrirse a las nuevas tendencias de vanguardia, con grandes creadores que alcanzan fama mundial como Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró y Salvador Dalí.

En la actualidad, la creatividad en España abunda en todas las disciplinas y estilos artísticos, aumentando el impresionante acervo cultural que atesoramos.

Watch Tower The Alhambra of Granada

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The ground plan of the Watch Tower (Torre de la Vela) is of 16 meters x 16 meters and its elevation is of 26,80 meters. It has a solid base and four floors with arches supported by pillars. During some time this tower was used as a dwelling, so it was modified. On the second floor there were merlons until the 16th century. In 1840 the current bell was put on the western façade and it had to be rebuilt in 1882 because a bolt of lightning damaged it. 

The bell is an important element of this tower. Its chime used to indicate the farmers of the Vega, the meadow of the valley, the hours when they had to water the fields at night. The bell started striking at 8 or 9.30 p. m. and it kept doing so at different intervals with different chimes until 3 or 4 a. m., depending on the season. This bell was also used to call the inhabitants of Granada in case of danger. Nowadays, it is only on January 2nd that the Watch Tower and its bell are in the minds of all the inhabitants of the city. That was the date when the Catholic Monarchs took the city and the tradition says that every young woman who is still single and who strikes the bell, will get married before the end of the year. 

The view from the top of the tower is marvellous, as it is possible to enjoy at the same time, the city of Granada, the Sierra Nevada, the Vega and the villages of the surroundi

 SIGUIENTE (Next, more) DEPARTAMENTO DE LA ALHAMBRA.

The Alcazaba of the Alhambra

The Alcazaba

The Alcazaba, a fortress, is the oldest part of the Alhambra, as is the case of the Vermilion Towers (Torres Bermejas). It is thought that before it was built and before the Muslims arrived to Granada, there were already several constructions in the same area. The first historical reference to the existence of the Alcazaba dates from the 9th century and it is believed that it was then built by Sawwar ben Hamdun during the fights between Muslims and muwalladins [Christians who converted to the Islam and lived among the Muslims].

The current complex was built by Mohammed I, who constructed the ramparts around the previous castle, defences and three new towers: The Broken Tower (Torre Quebrada), the Keep (Torre del Homenaje) and the Watch Tower (Torre de la Vela). As a consequence, the Alcazaba became a real fortress, where the king established the royal residence. His son Mohammed II also had his residence in the Alcazaba, until the palaces were finished. From then on, the Alcazaba was only used as a fortress for military purposes.

When the Christians took the city, they carried out many works to repair the Alcazaba. At different moments of its history, during long periods of time, it was used as a State prison, even during the French occupation.

Like the Alhambra, the Alcazaba was abandoned and not cared for during a long time and it was not until the late 19th century and beginning of the 20th century that the restoration, exploration and plumbing works were started.

                       

                               

/ The Alhambra / History / Historical introduction

 Historical introduction, The Alhambra

The Alhambra was so called because of its reddish walls (in Arabic, («qa'lat al-Hamra'» means Red Castle). It is located on top of the hill al-Sabika, on the left bank of the river Darro, to the west of the city of Granada and in front of the neighbourhoods of the Albaicin and of the Alcazaba.

The Alhambra is located on a strategic point, with a view over the whole city and the meadow (la Vega), and this fact leads to believe that other buildings were already on that site before the Muslims arrived. The complex is surrounded by ramparts and has an irregular shape. It limits with the valley of the river Darro on its northern side, with the valley of al-Sabika on its southern side and with the street Cuesta del Rey Chico on the eastern side. The Cuesta del Rey Chico is also the border between the neighbourhood of the Albaicin and the gardens of the Generalife, located on top of the Hill of the Sun (Cerro del Sol).

The first historical documents known about the Alhambra date from the 9th century and they refer to Sawwar ben Hamdun who, in the year 889, had to seek refuge in the Alcazaba, a fortress, and had to repair it due to the civil fights that were destroying the Caliphate of Cordoba, to which Granada then belonged. This site subsequently started to be extended and populated, although not yet as much as it would be later on, because the Ziri kings established their residence on the hill of the Albaicin.

The castle of the Alhambra was added to the city's area within the ramparts in the 9th century, which implied that the castle became a military fortress with a view over the whole city. In spite of this, it was not until the arrival of the first king of the Nasrid dynasty, Mohammed ben Al-Hamar(Mohammed I, 1238-1273), in the 13th century, that the royal residence was established in the Alhambra. This event marked the beginning of the Alhambra's most glorious period.

First of all, the old part of the Alcazaba was reinforced and the Watch Tower (Torre de la Vela) and the Keep (Torre del Homenaje) were built. Water was canalised from the river Darro, warehouses and deposits were built and the palace and the ramparts were started. These two elements were carried on by Mohammed II (1273-1302) and Mohammed III (1302-1309), who apparently also built public baths and the Mosque (Mezquita), on the site of which the current Church of Saint Mary was later built.

Yusuf I (1333-1353) and Mohammed V (1353-1391) are responsible for most of the constructions of the Alhambra that we can still admire today. From the improvements of the Alcazaba and the palaces, to the Patio of the Lions (Patio de los Leones) and its annexed rooms, including the extension of the area within the ramparts, the Justice Gate (Puerta de la Justicia), the extension and decoration of the towers, the building of the Baths (Baños), the Comares Room (Cuarto de Comares) and the Hall of the Boat (Sala de la Barca). Hardly anything remains from what the later Nasrid Kings did.

From the time of the Catholic Monarchs until today we must underline that Charles V ordered the demolition of a part of the complex in order to build the palace which bears his name. We must also remember the construction of the Emperor's Chambers (habitaciones del Emperador) and the Queen's Dressing Room (Peinador de la Reina) and that from the 18th century the Alhambra was abandoned. During the French domination part of the fortress was blown up and it was not until the 19th century that the process of repairing, restoring and preserving the complex started and is still maintained nowadays.

                                                                    Next Monument===  Ver la alcalzaba=== Ver Generalife

The Mexuar

Il est difficile de savoir comment le Mexuar fut originellement construit, puisque le grand nombre de restaurations et reconstructions qui ont été effectuées jusqu'à présent nous empêchent de savoir comment étaient les pièces, même celles qui ne sont pas des ruines aujourd'hui. Selon les citations du poète Ibn Zamrak, le Mexuar faisait partie des premiers alcazars Nasrides. Les réformes effectuées après l'occupation chrétienne et l'explosion en 1590 d'une poudrière qui a provoqué beaucoup de dégâts ont produit des modifications importantes dans sa distribution et sa communication, ce qui rend très difficile de savoir comment il était à l'origine. En fait, la seule partie qui reste de l'ensemble de pièces à côté de la tour de Muhammad I est le bâtiment principal, ce que nous appelons aujourd'hui le « Mexuar », qui fut aussi modifié par les reconstructions chrétiennes, et la galerie et la Tour de Machuca (Torre de Machuca), ainsi appelée parce que les architectes Pedro et Luis Machuca y habitaient pendant la construction du Palais de Charles Quint (Palacio de Carlos V). 

En tant qu'exemple de ce qui a été dit, la partie extérieure des murs de la salle du Mexuar ont subi tellement de modifications qu'il est impossible de savoir comment elle était à l'origine. Il y a quatre colonnes au milieu de la salle, avec des consoles de mocárabes (stalactites). Sur la plinthe en plâtre il est écrit : « Tout ce que vous possédez provient de Dieu ». Le toit, qui date de la période chrétienne, est un soffite avec décoration d'entrelacs. Le mur, sur sa partie supérieure, est décoré avec des plâtrières, des dorures et des peintures et les plinthes sont couvertes de carrelages d'azulejos et présente la devise de la famille des Alamares, le blason de Charles Quint et les armoiries de la famille des Mendozas, puisque monsieur Iñigo López de Mendoza, Comte de Tendilla, a été nommé Gardien par les Rois Catholiques. Il y a également des tableaux avec les colonnes d'Hercules et une bordure d'entrelacs mauresques du XVIe siècle. 

Au fond de la salle il y a une pièce qui était utilisée par le monarque pour réunir le conseil et donner audience. Lorsque le roi n'était pas dans le palais le Cadi (juge) était chargé de se réunir avec les négociateurs dans la salle suivante. Sur un azulejo de la porte il y a écrit : « Rentre et demande. N'aie pas peur de demande de la justice, car tu la trouveras ». Plus tard, près de 1632, ces salles furent transformé en chapelle chrétienne et un chœur a été construit.

Queen's Dressing Room (The Alhambra)

Queen's Dressing Room

The Queen's Dressing Room (Peinador de la Reina), also known as Boudoir (Tocador) or Mirador, was built around the year 1537 at the top of Abu l-Hayyay's Tower (Torre de Abu l-Hayyay) and it is so called because the Empress Isabel, Charles V's wife, lived there. On the tower's southern side there is a semicircular arch that leads to the Dressing Room, which was before an Arab lantern. On the rest of its sides there is a corridor open to the landscape. To the right of the entrance there is a sort of burner, formed by a marble flagstone with holes through which the perfume came out. The perfume was produced by spices that were burnt in a chimney downstairs and for this reason this tower was also called the «Tower of the Stove» (Torre de la Estufa). The fresco paintings are of interest, especially the ones representing Charles V's campaign to Tunisia in 1535. These show the squadron's departure from the port of Gagiliari, the journey, the manoeuvres, the withdrawal of the troops and their return to Sicily. Other paintings represent various scenes, from allegories of the Virtues to Phaeton's fable. They were probably made between 1539 and 1546.

Abu l-Hayyay's Tower (Torre de Abu l-Hayyay) was built on the walk by the ramparts and it has a view over the whole valley of the river Darro. The tower was decorated by Yusuf I and finished byMohammed V. It was part of the palace and had a defensive character. It was accessible from the covered walk by the ramparts underneath the Hall of the Ambassadors (Salón de los Embajadores). The wall used to reach the windowsill of the Dressing Room's balconies, but when it was destroyed in 1831, it was rebuilt to a lower height and a secret staircase was discovered. These stairs go through the lower part of the tower and lead to a clearing in the woods at the base of the tower.

The entrance to the tower has a carved wooden lintel, plaster voussiors above and a rectangle with stars in relief. Unfortunately, the inscriptions that existed around the door are not all preserved, but at least it is known (thanks to the fragments that remain) that they were praises to God and Mohammed V.
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                                                       Peinador

   

  

Patio of the Lions (Alhambra de Granada)

Patio of the Lions

The Patio of the Lions (Patio de los Leones) is probably the most famous place of the Alhambra. It is so called because of the twelve lions that throw jets of water and which are part of the fountain in the middle of the patio. The big dodecagon-shaped basin rests on top of these twelve lions that are around it. This white marble fountain is one of the most important examples of Muslim sculpture. Apoem by Ibn Zamrak was carved on the border of the basin. At the beginning of the 17th century another basin was added and is currently in the Garden of the Ramparts (Jardín de los Adarves), as well as the jet, which was done later, as indicated in the engraving.

                                                            

     Patio of the Lions

This patio was built by order of Mohammed V, its ground plan is rectangular and it is surrounded by a gallery in the style of a Christian cloister. It does not follow the typical Muslim Andalusian patio style, more like the Court of the Myrtles (Patio de los Arrayanes). The gallery is supported by 124 white marble columns with fine shafts, which are decorated on the exterior side with many rings and which support cubic capitals and big abacuses, decorated with inscriptions and stylised vegetal forms. Under the wood carving frieze there are plaster arches, except for those of the pavilions and the ends of the longer sides of the galleries, which are of mocarabes, with scallops decorated with rhombus-shaped carvings. At the middle of each of the two longer sides of the patio there is a semicircular arch bigger than the rest of the arches and with archivolts of mocarabes and scallops decorated with styled vegetal forms. These arches lead to the Hall of the Abencerrajes (Sala de los Abencerrajes) and with the Hall of the Two Sisters (Sala de Dos Hermanas). The chambers where the sultan's wives lived are over the arches. At the middle of each of the shorter sides there is a pavilion, built on part of the patio. The pavilions' ground plan is square and they are covered with semispherical domes with a wooden interior.

In the centre of the patio there was a low garden and the galleries' floor is made out of white marble. The garden went through many alterations over the years and it has now been eliminated in order to avoid the dampness it may cause. There are white marble channels, which start inside the pavilions and inside the halls of the two other sides and which get together at the central fountain forming a cross. On the ends of the channels there are jets that send water to the central fountain.