Alhambra

Adelina Ryan
  Alhambra is a fortress and palace
located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain.

 The Alhambra was so called because of

its reddish walls (in Arabic, («qa'lat al-
Hamra'» means Red Castle)

 Built between 1238 and 1358 AD.

 It was built for the last Muslim emirs
About (rulers)

 It is now a historic place, and many tours

and guides are held there on a regular
basis.

 It is a grand and majestic place, now kept

as a museum and it a highly important
place for the Spanish and their history.
History of
Alhambra
 
The first historical documents known about the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.

The castle of the Alhambra was added to the
city's area within the ramparts in the 9th century,
Brief which implied that the castle became a military
fortress with a view over the whole city.
overview  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.
 Artistic
architecture
  It includes some of the typical elements of the andalusian
architecture, such as the horseshoe arch with sprandel
(square wide frame which envelopes the arch)

 The greatest concern of the architects of the Alhambra was

to cover every single space with decoration, no matter the
size of the space.
Nasrid  Even though the Muslim art bans the representation of
architecture figures, the decorating themes in the Alhambra are quite
varied.

 The Alhambra was built with its own special type of

column, which is not used in any other building. This
column has a very fine cylindrical shaft, the base of which
has a big concave moulding and is decorated with rings on
the top part.
Epigraphic
poems
A look into the details of
the writing and scriptures
  The Alhambra is ornamented with calligraphy cursive
and kufic (oldest Arabic scripts).
 They plaster the walls and ceilings and even the
fountains!

 Sentences such as ' ONLY GOD IS VICTOR ' is seen on

What are they? the walls.
 The work of 3 poets of the Court of Granada are used
also.
  Poem on Comares' Gate

«I am a crown on the front of my door:

in me is the West envious of the East.
Al-Gani billah* orders me to quickly
give way to the victory, as soon as it
Comares' calls.
I am always waiting to see the visage
Gate of the king, dawn appearing from the
horizon.
¡May God make his works as beautiful
(an example) as are his mettle and his figure»

 (*) Al-Gani billah: The victor by God:

Nickname used by Mohamed V after
the victory in Algeciras in 1369.
  Click Alhambra to see a virtual map.
 Enjoy!

Have a look at
the Alhambra