Suggested Response: Moorish Spain
This is the way in which I would approach the task, but there are certainly many other ways of
tackling it. You might like to consider how my suggested approach differs from yours. I do hope
you enjoyed exploring the topic.
My approach: To introduce the topic of Muslim Spain in a presentation on the palace of the
Alhambra incorporating images of the palace complex and key points about its history, artistic
and architectural style and setting. This following piece could be simplified and presented orally
using PowerPoint in order to extend and enhance the images.
Why?: The Alhambra is the most internationally renowned example of Hispano-Muslim art and
architecture dating from medieval al-Andalus. In bringing together various important aspects of
Moorish artistic and architectural style and providing the setting for key events in Andalusi
history, it acts as a unique emblem of Islamic Spain while serving as a visually and intellectually
stimulating introduction to the complex and fascinating topic of convivencia.
The Alhambra Palace: its History, Setting and Continuing Cultural Significance
The Alhambra Palace was one of the greatest architectural wonders of the world when it was
first created. Today the Palace, its vast gardens and orchards, known as the Generalife, and
the district which was once the old Arab quarter of the city of Granada, known as the Albaicín,
are a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and thus protected and preserved in the interest
of future generations.
Completed towards the end of Muslim rule in Spain by Yusuf I (1333-1353) and Mohammed V
(1353-1391), the Alhambra is a reflection of the culture of the last days of the Nasrid kingdom. It
is a place where artists and intellectuals took refuge as Christian Spain won victories over alAndalus and looked increasingly likely to defeat the Islamic kingdom. The Alhambra mixes
natural elements with man-made ones, and is a testament to the skill of the craftsmen of that
time. It was the last and most splendid of all the Islamic palaces to be built in Spain during 700
years of Moorish domination. The Moors demonstrated breathtaking sophistication in all areas
of culture and technology and the Alhambra Palace became a glorious symbol of not only their
wealth and power but also their unsurpassable artistic and architectural skills.
The literal translation of Alhambra is "red fortress". It derives from the colour of the red clay of
the surroundings of which the fort is made. The decorations within the palaces are typically
Hispano-Muslim and ushered in the last great period of Andalusian art in Granada. With little
influence from the Islamic mainland, artists endlessly reproduced the same forms and trends,
creating a new style that developed over the course of the Nasrid Dynasty. The Nasrids freely
used the wide range of stylistic resources that had been developed or enhanced during eight
centuries of Muslim rule in the Peninsula, such as the now famous horse-shoe arch and the
Almoravid palm. Relative isolation from the rest of the Islamic world, and the commercial and
political relationship with the Christian kingdoms also influenced the design. Columns and
stalactite-like ceiling decorations appear in several chambers, and the interiors of numerous
halls are decorated with arabesques and calligraphy. The arabesques of the interior are
ascribed, among other kings, to Yusuf I, Mohammed V, and Ismael I.
After the Christian conquest of the city in 1492, the conquerors began to alter the Alhambra.
The open work was filled up with whitewash, the painting and gilding effaced, and the furniture
soiled, torn, or removed. Charles V (1516–1556) rebuilt portions in the Renaissance style of the
period and destroyed the greater part of the winter palace to make room for a Renaissance-style
structure which has never been completed. Philip V (1700–1746) instructed the rooms to be
made more Italianate in style and completed his palace in the middle of what had been the
Moorish building; he had partitions constructed which blocked up large sections of the Alhambra.
The sultans of al-Andalus brought together their empire's greatest minds and most talented
craftsmen to fashion an exotic array of exquisitely decorated halls and courtyards within the
walls of the palace. The decoration consists, as a rule, of conventional foliage (the depiction of
the human form is forbidden in Islam, though examples of figurative art can in fact be found in
the Alhambra), Arabic inscriptions and geometrical patterns are wrought into arabesques.
Painted tiles are largely used as panelling for the walls. The palace complex is designed in the
so-called Mudéjar style, which consists of Western elements reinterpreted into Islamic forms,
hugely popular during the era of the Reconquista (post-1492), a period of history in which the
Christian kings ‘reconquered’ Spain from the Muslims.
In subsequent centuries the art work was further damaged and, in 1812, some of the towers
were destroyed. It is also said that Napoleon attempted to blow up the entire complex: just
before his plan was carried out, a Napoleonic soldier who secretly wanted his commander’s plan
to fail defused the explosives and thus saved the Alhambra for future generations. In 1821, an
earthquake caused further damage. The restoration work undertaken over the course of the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries, though not always successful, nevertheless means that
modern-day visitors to the Alhambra will encounter a mesmerising mixture of the most intricate
tile work, filigree decoration and mosaics within its royal rooms and shaded courtyards. A
sensual blend of bubbling fountains, dark green pools, white marble floors and enchanting
passage ways draw the onlooker back through the centuries to a time and place where sultans
once ruled and relaxed on silken cushions while scantily-clad women danced for them,
accompanied by the finest musicians and singers.
The Alhambra was described by Moorish poets as "a pearl set in emeralds," an allusion to the
colour of the buildings contrasted with the woods around them. The park (Alameda de la
Alhambra), which is filled with wildflowers and lush grass in the spring, was planted by the Moors
with roses, oranges and myrtles; its most characteristic feature, however, is the dense wood of
English elms transported there in 1812 by the Duke of Wellington. The park provides shelter for
a multitude of nightingales and is usually filled with the sound of running water from several
fountains and cascades. These are supplied through a conduit 8 km (5 miles) long, which is
connected with the River Darro at the monastery of Jesús del Valle, above Granada.
In spite of the long neglect, vandalism and sometimes ill-judged restoration which the Alhambra
has endured, it remains a unique example of Hispano-Muslim art in its final stages, relatively
uninfluenced by the direct Byzantine influences which can be found in the Mezquita (Mosque) of
Córdoba. The majority of the palace buildings are quadrangular with all the rooms opening on to
a central court and connected with each other by smaller rooms and passages. The Alhambra
was added to by each of the various Muslim rulers who inhabited the complex. However, each
new section that was added followed the consistent theme of "paradise on earth." Column
arcades, fountains with running water, and reflecting pools were used to add to the aesthetic
and functional complexity. In every case, the exterior is left plain and austere. Sun and wind
freely enter the building. Blue, red, and a golden yellow are the colours chiefly employed,
though all are somewhat faded through the lapse of time and exposure to the elements.