Granada, Alhambra - architectural and park ensemble: description. Attractions in Spain

Travel is one of the main joys in a person's life. To see the world, they say, you need to visit 25 main places. Excursion tours to Spain are among the most popular tourist routes. Why? Because there are many amazing places of beauty and historical value here. The real pearl are the castles of Spain. Córdoba, Seville, Capdepera, Tabernas - these names excite and beckon the tourist. But the very first place is occupied by Granada, the Alhambra. It is not in vain called "the eighth wonder of the world" - it shakes with its magnificence, scale and imagination of the creators.

Historical Context

The region of Granada was inhabited before our era. After the fall of the Roman Empire throughout its territory, the epoch of decline begins. The city of Granada passes from one conqueror to another, losing its scale and beauty. In the VIII century, the Cordoba emirate appears here, and only the fortress is preserved in Granada's place, which is used as a defensive structure. At the beginning of the collapse of the emirate in 1013, the territory was seized by a representative of the Algerian Berbers who, on the site of today's city, creates his settlement Midanat Garnata ("hill of pilgrims" in Arabic). The Zirid dynasty rebuilds the historical center, but the city again changes owners - in 1090 the dynasty of the Almoravids comes to power. After its decline, the Almohad dynasty took over the territory. So, for many centuries on this earth dominated the Muslim culture. At the beginning of the XIII century, the dynasty is experiencing numerous military setbacks, which leads to the fact that in 1238 the territory is captured by Muhammad ibn Nasr First, who creates the Granada emirate and heads the Nasrid dynasty. From this moment the real flowering begins, the building and planning of the city are still visible today in Granada.

In 1492, the emirate fell under the onslaught of the troops of Queen Isabella of Spain , from this moment a new page of Granada begins. But the Nasrid era is forever imprinted in the beautiful castle-fortress of the Alhambra.

Geographical position

Granada is located in the south of Spain, part of the administrative district of Andalusia. Any sightseeing tours to Spain necessarily capture the visit to this region as one of the most interesting and unusual. The city is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, which provide a mild, climate-friendly climate. The tropical climate and fertile soils made this land so tempting for invaders. The city stretches on three hills, which created favorable conditions for defense, it is not in vain here that the first Muslim fortresses appeared in the VIII century. The city is fueled by the Darro river, and the proximity of the Mediterranean provides great opportunities for trade. Such a successful geographical location caused long wars in this territory, everyone wanted to live in this paradise.

The Nasrid dynasty

Coming to power in 1238, the Nasrid dynasty in the person of Muhammad I became an island of the prosperity of art and culture. Muhammad occupied the territory of Granada and, realizing that he could not keep it under the onslaught of Christian offensives, concluded an agreement with Ferdinand III. This helped him not only to preserve his land, but even to expand its borders. The descendants of Muhammad ruled the city until 1492. For 250 years, Granada was the center of education and art. The Nasrids were highly educated and passionate about science and art. In their capital, scientists, artists, musicians and poets from all over Europe were invited. The Alhambra Palace became a monument of this dynasty, it showed the best features of Moorish art and culture.

History of construction

For many centuries, I saw Granada. The Alhambra began as a palace in the 13th century. Muhammad I, who transferred his residence to the Alhambra, first began to fortify the palace. The Watchtower was built, the ancient walls were reinforced. Then came the Tower of Veneration. Having ensured safety, the emir began to work on improvement. His beginnings were continued by his successor. Under Yusuf I and Muhammad Fifth, the largest number of buildings appear. Alkabas is being perfected and expanded, palaces are being built, walls are being strengthened, a famous courtyard with lions, a tower of Komares, an iron gate appear. In 1492 the Alhambra was conquered by the Catholic troops and became a royal residence. Here, the palace of Charles V, the church of Santa Maria, is being built.

Later, a fortunate fate turned away from the Alhambra. Bourbons did not have any interest in it and even blew up part of the complex. They say that they wanted to destroy the entire palace, but, fortunately, they did not do it. In 1821, significant damage to the Alhambra was caused by an earthquake. In the second third of the XIX century, a colony of romantics is formed here, Byron, Goethe, Chateaubriand created here. At the same time, the restoration of the palace begins and gradually the attitude towards the Alhambra, as a monument of history, culture and architecture, develops.

Architectural complex

A very unusual architecture for the European city is Granada. The Alhambra was built according to Muslim customs. Today, the visitor at the first moment of the complex looks like a chaotic heap of buildings, gardens and courtyards. But in reality the layout of the palace was carefully thought out. Each zone is grouped around an open courtyard. Entrance gates and the garden were intended for solving small cases, for the reception of visitors who were closed the way inside. Further, there were parade rooms for receptions with beautiful halls and yards. The long passage that led to the hall was called La Barca, it served as a place for welcome speeches. The most intimate and most beautiful part is private rooms. Here half of the emir and the female part stood out. The center of this part is the luxurious Lion Yard. Also there was a separate zone - the garden, which was a real work of art. In the original design to this day, the complex did not live to see. Some of the buildings were destroyed, some were built up by later structures. But even in this form the palace makes an indelible impression of scope and luxury.

Moorish style

Built in the oriental style of Granada. The Alhambra was erected mainly by Arabs. The castle is an excellent example of the Moorish style, which was born in Muslim, Arab culture, but organically absorbed the features of Spanish art. The architecture of the Moors has a pronounced specificity. First of all, this is due to the attitude towards the buildings. Arabs originally lived in deserts, where a comfortable life is possible only in oases. Here on such oases they tried to make all their palaces similar, hence the love for creating gardens, such a special significance of water in castles and parks. The architecture of the Moors was built on a harmonious combination of figures such as a square and a cube, they were the basis of both the designs and decor. To find out the Moorish structures is always easy by the great ornamentation and the use of calligraphy in the design of the buildings. Constructive signs of the Moors style are horseshoe-shaped arches, vaulted ceilings, often converging in the center in the form of an eight-pointed star. The planned construction in this style was always centered around the courtyard, around which were located buildings of different purposes. The interiors were distinguished by brightness, the use of carvings, mosaics, carpets, colored textiles. In the Alhambra, the Moorish style reached its peak, the complex has a more elegant and refined shape than the buildings of the previous periods.

Nasrid Palace

The Mauritanian style is the most valuable part of the complex - the Nasrid palaces. These include three autonomous monumental complexes: Meshuar - buildings for audiences and ships, the palace of Komares - the official residence of the emir for receptions, the Lion Palace - private quarters of the ruler's family. The oldest palace part - Meshuar, part of the buildings was rebuilt in Christian times. However, the main hall, decorated with tiles and quotations from the Koran, retained its appearance. The passage from Meshuar to the palace of Comares is decorated with gold tiles. Under Yusuf I, the Komares Palace was built with the famous Golden Room. The guest was entering the official residence through the spectacular Mirtovy court yard, adorned with evergreen trellises. Around the courtyard are arranged delicate openwork columns with arches. The palace with the tower of Comares connects the long hall of greetings of La Barka, whose walls are decorated with plaster moldings and tiles. The tall tower of 45 meters contains the largest hall of the Ambassadors. Its luxurious wooden ceiling depicts the seven heaven of paradise from the Koran and is surrounded by a spectacular frieze in the form of stalactites. The most luxurious part of the palace, private quarters, begins with the famous Lion Patio. From the courtyard you can get to the hall of the Stalactites, the ceiling of which is decorated with a traditional Arabic way - special folds. Also from the courtyard you can enter the halls of the Kings, Justice, Two Sisters, Biforiev and Abenserrakh. Each of them is a sample of the Moorish style of the heyday. Here you can see murals, tiles, moldings.

Famous Courtyards

Islamic dwellings were built around the yards, which were the main center of life, so they were arranged with maximum convenience. The obligatory design element is a fountain, which provided coolness and created a calming mood. The main place in the Alhambra is the Myrtovy Dvor, the center of the public life of the palace with a large pond in the middle surrounded by a myrtium curb. The lion's patio is the heart of the Emir's personal life, whose center is a fountain with 12 figures of lions, graceful columns with carvings on the perimeter of the courtyard. Another yard in the personal half of the emir - Alberka ("pond"). It is surrounded by white marble walls with colonnades and a rectangular pond, planted with greenery, in which the buildings are reflected. All the yards are filled with columns and arcades, which create the coveted shadow and give the space majesty. The luxury of decorating the yards is amazing: it is tiles, graceful carvings of columns, ornaments and calligraphic inscriptions. In the palace of the Generalife there is a courtyard of Water, in the center of which there is a rectangular pond surrounded by walls and arcades.

Towers and Gates

The Alhambra has always existed not only as a palace, but also as a defensive structure. Therefore, its walls are decorated with a lot of towers, performing sentinel functions. In total, the castle has preserved more than 15 similar structures. The Armory Tower is one of the oldest in the fortress, it was built during the time of the construction of Alcabaza. Its brutal appearance still gives the impression of power and reliability. The Tower of the Captive of the XIII century served as the place of imprisonment of the Emir's beloved wife. The Peak Tower was built in conjunction with the Outskirts Gate and defended the gardens of Herenalife.

The gate in the time of the Arabs was of great importance, they had to not only be strong, but also express a certain idea, perform an aesthetic function. The oldest surviving are the Wine, decorated with beautiful pointed arches and carvings. Iron gates were built in the XIII century and were a reliable protection of the bastion. The outskirts guarded the entrance to the Generalife Garden.

The gardens of the Alhambra

The Eastern Palace of the Alhambra is famous for its gardens, not less than buildings. Emirs sought to create a garden around themselves , so nature in the palaces was given more attention than the buildings. Water and plants play the most important expressive function in the architecture of palaces. The murmuring water, the fragrance of flowers and the rustle of leaves create an atmosphere of absolute peace and harmony. Already at the entrance to the palace, the visitor entered the gardens of the Main Entrance, each corner of which is carefully planned, fountains and reservoirs are thought out here. And everywhere there are a lot of flowers: bushes, flower beds, flowerpots - the visitor is immersed in this blooming aura and is tuned to the spirit of the structure. Each palace is surrounded by external gardens and has internal gardens, in which the entrance to strangers was limited. In the interior planted the most rare plants, the most beautiful flowers. Previously, the outer and inner gardens were confined to each other by walls, today usually between them are planted bosquets, trimmed in the form of fortress walls.

Palace of Charles the Fifth

After the capture of the Alhambra by the Christian authorities, it erects a royal palace for Charles the Fifth and his wife Isabella of Portugal. Today, excursions to Spain necessarily include a visit to this facility. Against the backdrop of elegant and luxurious buildings in Moorish style, the palace looks like a foreign body. It is made in the Italian style of Mannerism, its plastered walls and classic square proportions in another place would be beautiful, but it looks out of place here. The building has a courtyard paved with stone, it is surrounded by two-story arcades of columns with Ionic capitals. Today there is a museum of fine arts and the Alhambra Museum.

Generalife

In the XIII century, the Alhambra Castle received another beautiful residence - a summer residence, called the Generalife. The palace consists of a main building, secondary buildings and a beautiful garden. The main house is built in a deliberately simple style, which contrasts sharply with the Nasrid palaces. Here the nature comes to the fore. The main courtyard of the Generalife is the courtyard of the irrigation canal, along which trees are planted and rows of water jets are made. The palace has an excellent viewing platform, from which Granada is visible as in the palm of your hand. In the nineteenth century, the Upper Gardens with a spectacular water staircase and a romantic mirage in the Neo-Gothic style break in the palace. The lower gardens are a construction of the 20th century, there is no exquisite refinement, but beautifully cut bushes and various flowers make the place very pleasant for walking in the summer heat.

Partal

A separate area of the Alhambra is the Parthal. At the beginning of the XIV century, the palace of the Sycamore or Parthal ("portico") was built here. However, most of the buildings were not preserved. Today in this area you can see the Dam Tower or, in another way, the Prince's Tower. It is built into the outer wall and consists of a portico with five arched entrances. In the center there is a traditional rectangular pond, decorated with plants. From the top of the tower a beautiful view of the Alhambra opens. At the end of the 19th century, the German entrepreneur bought the southern part of the territory for private development, he gave the land to the Spanish king, in exchange, having requested the right to export to Germany a luxurious ceiling made of cedar and poplar with carvings, which is now shown in the Berlin museum. The territory of Partal adjoins the gardens in which the foundations of the dwellings of the nobles are preserved.

Practical information

In order to get to the Alhambra, you need to take care of the tickets in advance. The capacity of the object is small, so they diverge quickly. You can buy excursions to Spain and Granada via the Internet, but the ticket must be printed at the ticket offices of the palace. To do this, you will need a card for which it was paid. There are separate tickets for visiting the gardens and all buildings, except the Nasrid Palace. There are complete - for passage to all objects. For the Nasrid Palace, the exact time of the visit will be indicated on the ticket, the visit lasts only 30 minutes, you can not go back inside again.