Alhambra

2.2.3. Palacio de Comares - Comares Palace

Residencia oficial del monarca. Está compuesto por una serie de dependencias alrededor del Patio de Arrayanes. Podemos destacar la Sala de la Barca y el Salón de Embajadores, que ocupan el interior de la Torre de Comares.

It was the official residence of the king and it comprises several rooms that surrounded the Court of the Myrtles. Some examples are the Hall of the Boat and the Hall of the Ambassadors inside the Comares Tower.

Patio de los Arrayanes y Torre de Comares

Desde la galería norte del&nbsp;Patio de los Arrayanes y a través de un arco apuntado de mocárabes, accedemos a la sala de la Barca, cuyo nombre parece provenir de una degeneración del término árabe baraka, que significa bendición.

From the northern gallery of the Court of the Myrtles&nbsp;through a pointed arch of mocarabes, visitors may enter into the Hall of the Boat. The origin of its name is the Arabic word baraka, which means blessing and which degenerated into the Spanish word barca, which means boat.&nbsp;

Esta es la sala más majestuosa del palacio, donde se encontraba el trono y se realizaban las recepciones oficiales.

This is the most majestic hall of the palace, where the throne was and where official receptions took place.&nbsp;

- Érase una vez ... la Alhambra. Itinerario didáctico por los Palacios. Junta de Andalucía, Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife. Granada, 2000.

Alhambra of Granada. 

Alhambra Granada Spain- alhambra.org

Alhambra Facts for Kids

A Virtual Walking Tour: The Alhambra

Alhambra Vision

Guide of the Alhambra IES Portada Alta, Málaga

2.4. Jardines y Palacio del Generalife Generalife Gardens and Palace

The Alhambra and Generalife Complex needed the presence of water to satisfy its functional needs. But beyond its usefulness in daily life, water is an essential requirement in the Muslim world that allows the fulfillment of religious precepts in search of a state of purity. Coming from deserts and oases, the Muslim seeks to inhabit places where rivers and groves bring him closer to the idea of the Heavenly Garden. In Islamic culture, as in Hebrew mythology, paradise lost is a garden where nature offers man all kinds of goods. The water in the Alhambra, which comes cold from the Sierra Nevada and the nearby Darro River, made the Sabika –or Colina de la Alhambra– the ideal place to forge an idyllic landscape.

The garden is an aspiration of man that we can find throughout all times and all civilizations. The Arab garden expresses the longing for the Mohammedan Paradise. The life of the Muslim is linked to his idea of paradise, imagined as a garden, a place of delights and pleasures where he can achieve the complete satisfaction of his desires. The Hispano-Arab garden is surrounded by everything that can give pleasure to the five senses of man: for sight, colour, light and shadow; for the smell, aromatic plants or the sweet perfume of flowers; for the ear, the murmur of water; for the touch, the different textures of the materials, and for the taste, the flavor of the fruits. The entire garden is wrapped in a climate of sensuality. The Alhambra gardens symbolize the culmination of a long tradition of gardens and landscaped estates that began in Córdoba in the mid-8th century. Since the economy of the medieval Islamic world was based almost entirely on agriculture, the agricultural changes had a profound impact on al-Andalus. All this resulted in a new habitability of the landscape, with ramifications in the design of gardens.

Alhambra: Design & Architecture Detailed Guide ( Granada, Spain - Tour)

Granada, Spain: The Exquisite Alhambra

2.1.1. Torre Quebrada The "Broken" Tower

Se llama&nbsp;Torre Quebrada&nbsp;por la enorme grieta que aún se nota y puede verse desde la&nbsp;Plaza de los Aljibes&nbsp;y que, como si de una herida se tratara, la señala de arriba a abajo. Fue rellenada hasta la altura de la muralla y tiene dos pisos a partir de esta. Su interior es hueco y tiene arcos por debajo. Se encuentra en la zona más ancha de la muralla de la&nbsp;Alcazaba, en su parte central, y es la que vemos nada más entrar al barrio castrense.

De todas las torres la más emblemática y conocida es la&nbsp;Torre de la Vela, que es también la más alta con veintisiete metros de altura. Su nombre viene de vigilia o vigilancia, pues desde ella se divisaba todo lo que acontecía en el entorno. En época cristiana se le colocó una campana y con ella se regulaban los riegos de la Vega, se avisaba en caso de terremoto o incendio y se llamaba a rebato. Desde ella se contemplan unas vistas fantásticas del Albaicín, Granada, la Vega y Sierra Nevada, por lo que es de visita obligada en caso de tener acceso a la Alcazaba.

Of all the towers the most emblematic and well-known is the&nbsp;Torre de la Vela&nbsp;, which is also the highest at twenty-seven meters high. Its name comes from vigil or vigilance, because from it you could see everything that happened in the environment.&nbsp;In Christian times a bell was placed on it and with it the irrigation of the Vega was regulated, it was warned in case of earthquake or fire and a wake-up call was called. From it, fantastic views of the Albaicín, Granada, the Vega and Sierra Nevada are contemplated, so it is a must if you have access to the Alcazaba.

It is called Torre Quebrada because of the huge crack that is still noticeable and can be seen from the Plaza de los Aljibes and that, as if it were a wound, points it from top to bottom. It was filled up to the height of the wall and has two floors from this. Its interior is hollow and has arches underneath. It is located in the widest area of the Alcazaba wall, in its central part, and it is the one that we see as soon as we enter the military district.&nbsp;

2.2.2. Cuarto Dorado y Patio - Gilded Room

It owes its name to the Arabic term Maswar, the place where the Sura or Council of Ministers used to meet. It was also the place or the anteroom where the Sultan dispensed justice.

La construcción del Cuarto Dorado se debe a Mohamed V, pertenece al Palacio de Comares. Recibe este nombre por el repintado mudéjar de su artesonado.

No se sabe con seguridad cuando se construyó el Mexuar. Según citas del poeta Ibn Zamrak, parece que pertenecía a los primitivos alcázares nazaríes. Ha sufrido muchas reformas y destrozos. Lo único que se ha conservado son los aposentos de Mohamed I, que es lo que actualmente se conoce como "Mexuar".

The Gilded Room is so called because of the painted Mudejar style of its coffered ceiling. It as built by order of Mohammed V and belongs to the Comares Palace.

It is difficult to know how the Mexuar was originally built, as the multiple restorations and reconstructions carried out until today do not let us know how its chambers were. The eastern section still survives from the series of chambers located next to the Tower of Mohammed I.That section is now known as «Mexuar».

This small courtyard located between the Mexuar and the Cuarto Dorado serves as a link between the two palaces. During the Christian era, it presented wooden galleries to communicate the upper rooms, which were preserved until the 19th century. The font that occupies the center of the courtyard today is an exact copy (from 1943) of the original fountain, which is located in the Daraxa Gardens.

¿Quieres conocer mejor este maravilloso monumento?&#160; Come with me!!

1. Historia de La Alhambra History of the Alhambra 2. Visita la Alhambra Visit the Alhambra 3. Luz y colores en la Alhambra Lights and colours of the Alhambra 4. Materiales de la Alhambra Materials of the Alhambra

Nota: Los contenidos de esta guía han sido elaborados por el alumnado de 2ºESO. Al final del libro se recogen los recursos usados.

Conjunto palacial, residencia de los reyes de Granada. Lo empieza a construir el fundador de la dinastía, Alhamar, en el s XIII, aunque las edificaciones que han pervivido hasta nuestros días datan, principalmente, del s XIV. Estos palacios encierran entre sus muros el refinamiento y la delicadeza de los últimos gobernadores hispano-árabes de Al Andalus, los Nazaríes. Tres palacios forman este recinto: El Mexuar, El Palacio de Comares, o de Yusuf I y el Palacio de los Leones, o de Mohammed V. El concepto intimista del palacio real, cerrado a los ojos del curioso, armoniza la robustez de los paños exteriores con la fragilidad del interior, donde los elementos arquitectónicos se tornan puramente ornamentales. Los patios, continuas alusiones al jardín, con elementos de inspiración persa y musulmana, son el anticipo del paraíso, oasis del nómada, goce de los sentidos. El agua, elemento que da forma al palacio, aunando el jardín con la arquitectura, representa la pureza; agua cristalina que corre entre los mármoles de las fuentes; agua de vida que da riqueza y frescor al jardín, belleza estética, generosidad del sultán... todo un mundo de símbolos y estímulos.

Palace complex, residence of the kings of Granada. The founder of the dynasty, Alhamar, began to build in the 13th century, although the buildings that have survived to the present date date mainly from the 14th century. These palaces enclose within their walls the refinement and delicacy of the last Hispanic-Arab governors of Al Andalus, the Nasrid. Three palaces form this enclosure: the Mexuar, the Palace of Comares, or of Yusuf I and the Palace of the Lions, or of Mohammed V. The intimate concept of the royal palace, closed in the eyes of the curious, harmonizes the robustness of the outer panels with the fragility of the interior, where the architectural elements become purely ornamental. The courtyards, continuous allusions to the garden, with elements of Persian inspiration and Muslim, are the foretaste of paradise, oasis of the nomad, enjoyment of the senses. The water, element that forms the palace, combining the garden with the architecture, represents the purity; Crystalline water that flows between the marbles of the fountains; Water of life that gives richness and freshness to the garden, aesthetic beauty, generosity of the Sultan ... a whole world of symbols and stimuli.

El Palacio de los Leones constituía las estancias privadas del monarca y su familia. Construido por Mohamed V, está formado por un patio central (el Patio de los Leones) rodeado de varias salas: Al oeste la sala de los Mocárabes y la de los Reyes, al norte la sala de Dos Hermanas, Ajimeces y el Mirador de Daraxa, y al sur la sala de los Abencerrajes y el Harén.

El acceso al Patio de los Leones se hace a través de la Sala de los Mocárabes. Su nombre se debe a la bóveda de mocárabes que la cubría antes de la explosión de un polvorín en 1590.

It is the entrance to the palace of the lions and it was so called because of the vault of mocarabes that covered it, but which was pulled down due to the explosion of a powder magazine in 1590.

This palace comprised the private chambers of the royal family. The Palace of the Lions comprises a central patio (Patio of the Lions), from the central patio you may access: the Hall of the Mocarabes to the west, the Hall of the Kings to the east, the Hall of the Two Sisters, the Hall of the Ajimeces and Daraxa's Mirador to the north and the Hall of the Abencerrajes and the Harem to the south.

1. Historia de La Alhambra History of the Alhambra

La Alhambra (Al-Ḥamrāʾ, iluminada. "La Roja") es un complejo de palacios y fortalezas situado en Granada, Andalucía. Fue construido originalmente como una pequeña fortaleza en el año 889 sobre los restos de fortificaciones romanas, y luego ignorado en gran medida hasta que sus ruinas fueron renovadas y reconstruidas a mediados del siglo XIII por el emir nazarí Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar del Emirato de Granada, que construyó su actual palacio y murallas. Fue convertido en palacio real en 1333 por Yusuf I, sultán de Granada. Después de la Reconquista Cristiana en 1492, el sitio se convirtió en la Corte Real de Fernando e Isabel, y los palacios fueron parcialmente alterados en el estilo renacentista. En 1526 Carlos V encargó un nuevo palacio renacentista que se adecuaba mejor al Emperador del Sacro Imperio Romano Germánico en el estilo manierista revolucionario influenciado por la filosofía humanista.

The Alhambra (Al-Ḥamrāʾ, lit. "The Red One") is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia. It was originally constructed as a small fortress in AD 889 on the remains of Roman fortifications, and then largely ignored until its ruins were renovated and rebuilt in the mid-13th century by the Nasrid emir Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar of the Emirate of Granada, who built its current palace and walls. It was converted into a royal palace in 1333 by Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada. After the conclusion of the Christian Reconquista in 1492, the site became the Royal Court of Ferdinand and Isabella, and the palaces were partially altered in the Renaissance style. In 1526 Charles V commissioned a new Renaissance palace better befitting the Holy Roman Emperor in the revolutionary Mannerist style influenced by humanist philosophy.

2.2.4. Patio de los Arrayanes Court of the Myrtles

El Patio de los Arrayanes se ha llamado de diversas formas a lo largo del tiempo. La actual denominación (al igual que la de&nbsp;Patio de los Mirtos) se debe a los macizos de arrayanes (o mirtos) cuyo color verde vivo contrasta con el piso de mármol blanco del patio, y que rodean al estanque central. También se le llamó&nbsp;Patio del Estanque o de la Alberca, precisamente por este estanque, de 34 metros por 7,10 metros, que divide el patio longitudinalmente y se abastece de agua gracias a dos pilas de mármol situadas en cada extremo. A ambos lados del patio se encuentran dos naves de aposentos y, en los lados menores, se levantan unos pórticos, sostenidos por columnas de capiteles cúbicos, de siete arcos semicirculares adornados con rombos calados e inscripciones de alabanza a Dios. El arco central es mayor que los otros seis, y presenta enjutas macizas con decoración de ataurique y capiteles de mocárabes.&nbsp;

The Court of the Myrtles (Patio de los Arrayanes) has received different names throughout time. Its current name is due to the myrtle bushes that surround the central pond and the bright green colour of which contrasts with the white marble of the patio. It was also called the&nbsp;Patio of the Pond&nbsp;or the&nbsp;Reservoir&nbsp;(Patio del Estanque o de la Alberca) because of the central pond, which is 34 metres long and 7,10 meters wide. The pond divides the patio and receives its water from two fountains (one at each end of the pond). There are chambers on both sides of the patio and several porticoes on the shorter sides of it. These porticoes rest on columns with cubic capitals, which have seven semicircular arches decorated with fretwork rhombuses and inscriptions praising God. The central arch is greater than the other six and has solid scallops decorated with stylised vegetal forms and capitals of mocarabes.&nbsp;

2.2. Palacios Nazaríes - Nasrid Palaces

El actual palacio es el resultado de varias construcciones, reformas y destrucciones de palacios anteriores. El primero en construir un palacio en la Alhambra fue Abu l-Walid Ismail, este palacio fue destruido por Yusuf I (a excepción del Mexuar), quien reformó: la Torre de Comares, el Patio de los Leones y los Baños. La reforma la terminó Mohamed V, quien construyó el Palacio de los Leones.

No records about a new palace being built are kept until those of Abu l-Walid Ismail. Only the Mexuar is now left because Yusuf I destroyed it completely. He started some improvements in the Comares Tower, the Court of the Myrtles and the Baths. These improvements were finished by Mohammed V, who added them all to the Mexuar, extended the gallery that would later be called Machuca and constructed the Palace of the Lions.

Actualmente presenta el aspecto de unas ruinas, pero en época musulmana aquí estuvieron las casas de la guarnición,&nbsp;donde vivían los militares que protegían la Alhambra. En estas ruinas se puede apreciar la disposición típica de una casa musulmana: entrada, pequeño patio, habitaciones alrededor del mismo y letrina.&nbsp;

The Military Quarter of the Alhambra occupies the center of the&nbsp;Alcazaba&nbsp;de la Ahambra. Nowadays it has the appearance of ruins, but in Muslim times the houses of the garrison were here, where the soldiers who protected the&nbsp;Alhambra&nbsp;lived. In these ruins you can see the typical layout of a Muslim house: entrance, small patio, rooms around it and latrine.

In Nasrid times they liked the decorative richness and ornamentation with bright colors. A whole game of chromaticism that adorned the interior spaces of houses and palaces, and that constituted a very important part of the final finish of the architecture. Getting an idea today of the amount of color in the interior spaces of the Alhambra is not always easy. Currently, some of the original colors have been lost; others are dull as a result of the passage of time or have been repainted or modified; It also lacks all the textile elements and furniture accessories that would also provide greater color intensity. Red, blue, green and gold were the predominant shades, which were used in practically all the elements that make up Nasrid architecture.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The tiling, which covered the lower part of the walls as a plinth, is an essential element to be able to know the colors used in the Nasrid period as it is one of the few examples in which the chromaticism is maintained in all its splendor. Being located in a place of greater deterioration due to friction and humidity, they were made of a durable material such as glazed ceramic. This has meant that these brightly colored areas have come down to us with a preserved tonality that in many cases is practically the same as its original state.

2. Visita a La Alhambra Visit the Alhambra

This fortress is the oldest part of the Alhambra. The current complex was built by Mohammed I. 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.&nbsp;

El conjunto actual de la Alcazaba se la debemos a Mohamed I y tanto él como su hijo Mohamed II establecieron aquí su residencia hasta que los palacios estuvieron terminados. La Alcazaba es junto con las Torres Bermejas, la parte más antigua de la Alhambra.

El Camino de Ronda de la Alcazaba

Marble was used in the realization of columns, jambs or slabs and the use of stone was restricted to fountains, walls and large doors. Another of the materials used by the Nasrids in the Alhambra is wood, highlighting the ceiling of the Sala de Comares or the Sala de las Dos Hermanas.

The muqarnas These are key pieces in Islamic decoration, made based on juxtaposed prisms oriented downwards, ending in a prismatic narrowing, whose lower surface is concave. This architectural piece that is very repeated in its constructions covers vaulted spaces, like “stalactites”, or is used in the profiles of the arches.

2.1.3. Torre del Cubo Tower of the Cube

2.1.4. Torre del Homenaje Tower of Homage

La Torre del Cubo se encuentra en el extremo nororiental de la Alcazaba, junto a la&nbsp;Torre del Homenaje. Se construyó sobre una antigua torre islámica&nbsp;en la que se encontraba una puerta interior para permitir el acceso hacia los Palacios Nazaríes desde la Puerta de la Armas. Tras la conquista de los Reyes Católicos se realizaron nuevas edificaciones&nbsp;y se reorganizaron otras para dotarlas de artillería. Y así se construyó la actual Torre semicircular sobre la antigua torre nazarí.

It was built on an old Islamic tower in which there was an interior door to allow access to the Nasrid Palaces from the Puerta de la Armas. After the conquest of the Catholic Monarchs, new buildings were built and others were reorganized to equip them with artillery. And so the current semicircular tower was built on the old Nasrid tower.&nbsp; It is located in a privileged place, closing the Alcazaba to the east. From its terrace you can see spectacular views of the Albaicín and Carrera del Darro.

It is the central structure of the medieval castle . It is a prominent tower , higher than the wall and it could usually be isolated from the rest of the fortress. It was built between the 13th and 15th century, it was the most important building within the castle , it welcomes the ceremonies of homage , rite that linked the lord wiht his vassals.&nbsp; The tower is 30 meters&nbsp;high arranged on four floors ,13 meters on the side and walls 3 meters thick .&nbsp;

Ocupa las pendientes del&nbsp;Cerro del Sol, desde el que se abarcan toda la ciudad y los valles del&nbsp;Genil&nbsp;y del&nbsp;Darro. Del significado de su nombre existen distintas interpretaciones: Jardín del Intendente, del Arquitecto (alarife), Huerta del Zambrero, etc. El Generalife se convirtió en lugar de recreo para los reyes granadinos cuando éstos querían huir de la vida oficial del palacio.&nbsp;

It occupies the slopes of Cerro del Sol, from which the entire city and the Genil and Darro valleys are covered. There are different interpretations of the meaning of its name: Jardín del Intendente, del Arquitecto (builder), Huerta del Zambrero, etc. The Generalife became a place of recreation for the Granada kings when they wanted to flee from the official life of the palace. It was built in the middle of the 13th century, and according to an inscription from 1319, King Abu I-Walid Isma'il (1313-1324) redecorated it, which makes it prior to the construction of Palacio de Comares,

2.3. Palacio de Carlos V - Carlos V Palace

El origen del&nbsp;Palacio de Carlos V&nbsp;se debió a la necesidad de un lugar que reuniese todas las comodidades de la época para el emperador y su familia, ya que el Alcázar, que era su residencia de verano, no cubría sus necesidades. El emperador ordenó la construcción del palacio junto a la Alhambra para poder disfrutar de sus maravillas. El arquitecto encargado de la obra fue&nbsp;Pedro Machuca, un enamorado del renacimiento de acreditada experiencia. La construcción del palacio comenzó en 1527 y finalizó en su totalidad en 1957. La construcción pasó por varias etapas, falta de fondos, sublevaciones que pararon las obras, etcétera. Los techos llegaron a hundirse por abandono. El palacio es cuadrado, con una fachada principal de 63 metros de ancho por 17 metros de alto. Destaca su patio circular en el centro, único en su estilo y la obra más destacada del renacimiento en España. Sólo están decoradas las fachadas sur y oeste en su totalidad. La norte y este sólo en parte, debido a que el edificio está unido al Alcázar de la Alhambra.

The origin of&nbsp;Charles V Palace&nbsp;(Palacio de Carlos V) was the need for a place that would include all the comforts of the time for the Emperor and his family, as the palaces, which were their summer residence, did not cover their needs.&nbsp; The Emperor ordered the construction of the palace next to the Alhambra in order to enjoy its wonders. The architect in charge of the works was&nbsp;Pedro Machuca, an experienced architect in love with the Renaissance. The works started in 1527 and were totally finished in 1957. The construction went through several stages, the lack of financing resources, revolts that stopped the works, etc. The building was sometimes neglected to such an extent that the ceilings collapsed.&nbsp; The palace is square and its main façade is 63 meters wide and 17 meters high. Its circular patio is unique and it is the most important building of Renaissance style in Spain. Only the southern and western façades are completely decorated. The northern and southern sides are not because they are connected to the palaces of the Alhambra.

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