Gerard Dockery says:
In spite of the fact that even today large sections remain of the upper walled enclosure of Yalbash, the Elvas of the period of Islamic dominion, a large proportion of this enclosure is now to be found inside the properties of private houses or has been greatly modified by walls built later than the 17th century.
This entrance, known as the 'Porta da Alcáçova' (Citadel Gate) or 'Arco do Miradeiro' (Watchtower Arch) consists of a straight gateway, flanked by two sturdy quadrangular towers which project only slightly. Large blocks of granite were used in its construction, probably originating from a Roman construction, if not in fact from an ancient Roman or late Roman fortification.
There are no signs that this gateway formed part of a 90-degree entrance system, which suggests that it may possibly date from the emirate or caliphate period. It is known that the region around the Guadiana – Mérida, Badajoz – was occupied and governed by a family of Muwalladun (Muladis), descendents of Ibn Marwan al-Jilliqi, one of whom expressed an interest in fortifying Albasharnal, in the AH 3rd / AD 9th century, a place which the chronicle relates as being situated on a bank of the Guadiana opposite the one on which the city of Badajoz would be founded. All this leads us to suppose that Albasharnal, Albash and/or Yalbash are one and the same place – very probably the town that would become Elvas.
The growth of the medina (town), immediately to the south of this entrance, in later periods may have done away with the need to reinforce this entrance, which remained without major alterations in the centuries following Islamic dominion.
Although the entrance arch today appears with a more or less semi-circular arch, this gate did have a surmounted or horseshoe arch, which was only modified in 1887. The alteration consisted of cutting off the projections of the 180-degree surmounted section of the arch, which had been described as having caused problems with the circulation of produce through the arch itself. Fortunately a photograph exists taken by a Polish visitor who passed through Elvas shortly before this change was made. The arch that can be seen in this 19th-century photograph does not have a frame or alfiz, which is further evidence of its antiquity.
This set of circumstances suggests an entrance system which may correspond chronologically to the period of the Emirs and Caliphs (AH 3rd–4th / AD 9th–10th centuries), given that there is still no certainty as to whether this arch corresponds to the period of control by the family in the region or to the time when the first caliph asserted his power here.
Discover Islamic Art ( Museum with no frontiers)
Gerard Dockery says:
The Pyxis of Zamora is a carved ivory casket (pyx) that dates from the Caliphate of Córdoba. It is now in the National Archaeological Museum of Spain in Madrid, Spain.
The object is around 18 centimetres (7.1 in) in height with a diameter of 10.3 centimetres (4.1 in).
This cylindrical carved box was commissioned by the Umayyad caliph Al-Hakam II in 964 CE for Subh, his concubine, and the mother of the princes Abd al-Rahman and Hishâm and is linked to the palatine ivory workshops of Madinat al-Zahra It was intended to hold cosmetics, jewelry, or perfume containers. This portable piece represents the sophistication of the ruling class during the Caliphate of Cordoba. During this period, the Umayyads in Spain, or the al-Andalus, were both competing with the Abbasid society in Baghdad, and attempting to reclaim the power that they held from Damascus during the Umayyad period. In Cordoba, the Umayyads commissioned notable architectural developments and luxury goods, including textiles and ivory carvings, such as this pyxis, the Pyxis of Zamora. The iconography found within the carvings on the surfaces of many of the pyxides created during this period reinforced the ideas of the Umayyad political superiority over the Abbasids. This object, created in the flourishing intellectual city center of Cordoba during the peak of Hispano-Umayyad art demonstrates the refinement of the Cordoba Caliphate.
The birth of the heir apparent Prince Abd Al-Rahman was celebrated not only in poetry but also in visual art. The Arabic inscription lining the lid of the Ivory Pyxis reads as follows: “The blessing of Allah upon the Imam, the servant of Allah, al-Hakam II al-Mustansir billah, Commander of the Faithful. This is what he ordered to be made for the noble lady, the mother of Abd al-Rahman under the direction of Durri al-Saghir in the year 353 [964 AD]”. He inherited the name Abd al-Rahman from his grandfather Abd al-Rahman III.
Ivory carving was a widespread practice in the Mediterranean world, beginning before the time of the Roman empire.
Ivory was expensive due to the distance between sub-sahara Africa and India, where elephant tusk was procured, and the Mediterranean, where it was carved. The Umayyad Caliphate brought the pyxis carving tradition to Spain as they took control of the peninsula in the 8th century AD. There is no evidence of Ivory box or pyxides carvings in Spain before Umayyad rule.
The quality of the craft of pyxides was vital due to the expense of ivory. Among Islamic, Christian, and Roman carvings, a sign of good workmanship was a lack of tool marks. The carving of small objects such as pyxides took precision and time which also added to the overall price. The Pyxis of Zamora displays this quality of work through the deep-relief interlacing pattern and the lack of any visible tool marks. These carving techniques are seen in other pyxides created in the same period, such as the Pyxis of al-Mughira. The price and rarity of pyxides made them accessible only to the royal class.
Cylindrical pyxides, such as the Pyxis of Zamora, were created using the natural curvature and hollowness of the thickest part of the elephant tusk. Cylindrical pyxides were less prone to warping than rectangular boxes because of the preserved strength of the tusk in a circular shape. The unbroken surface of the Pyxis of Zamora allowed for unified compositional decoration without edges in the ivory. The interlacing effect of the decoration, in conjunction with the Arabic inscription on the lid (detailing the patronage and gifting of the pyxis), indicated that the receiver of the pyxis was meant to turn the object around in their hands to fully appreciate the craftsmanship. The decoration of the Pyxis of Zamora also encouraged the viewer to open the container since the expensive exterior mirrored the precious material held inside (often perfume or jewels).
The Pyxis of Zamora features many depictions of spread wings within its arabesque decoration. The winged motif gained popularity during its use in Sasanian culture. Extended wings symbolized power and religion, as the motif was often seen on the crowns of Sasanian kings as well as on Sasanian seals. This Sasanian trend later influenced the royal decorative arts of the Umayyad period, resulting in the repeated use of the winged motif on luxury goods.
The image of the peacock is repeated four times in the central section of the Pyxis of Zamora. In the context of medieval Islam, peacocks were viewed as having apotropaic powers. This view was the result of varying Islamic beliefs of the bird. Some Islamic interpreters believed the peacock mated asexually, thus associating the bird with purity. There were other interpretations from Arabic naturalists, who believed peacocks could detect poison. This led to the common medicinal use of peacock feathers. Popular legends told of the bird's ability to kill snakes, religiously alluding to the peacock's ability to avert the evil influences of the devil. This gave the bird a connection to the Islamic conception of Paradise. The peacock continued to be an important image in the Islamic world, as feathers or images of peacocks were often used in a royal context in imitation of Persian traditions.
Several images of the gazelle surround the peacocks depicted on the Pyxis of Zamora. This history of the meaning of the gazelle began in pre-Islamic Arabic poetry, in which the gazelle was often depicted as having magical qualities. The slender bodies and wide eyes of gazelles alluded them to women. Later Umayyads continued to associate gazelles with femininity and elegance. They were viewed as seductive and swift prey and were often celebrated by hunters.
Wkipedia
Gerard Dockery says:
One of the best-known textiles traditionally attributed to the Almohads is the "Las Navas de Tolosa Banner", so-called because it was once thought to be a spoil won by Alfonso VIII at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212. More recent studies have proposed that it was actually a spoil won some years later by Ferdinand III. The banner was then donated to the Monastery of Santa Maria la Real de Huelgas in Burgos, where it remains today. The banner is richly designed and features blue Arabic inscriptions and white decorative patterns on a red background. The central motif features an eight-pointed star framed by a circle inside a larger square, with smaller motifs filling the bands of the frame and the corner spaces. This central design is surrounded on four sides by Arabic inscriptions in Naskhi script featuring Qur'anic verses (Surah 61: 10–12), and another horizontal inscription in the banner's upper part which praises God and Muhammad. Recent studies have argued that the banner is of 14th century origin rather than of Almohad origin, due to its similarities with captured Marinid banners kept at the Cathedral of Toledo and to its similarities with Nasrid motifs. It remains uncertain whether it was crafted either in Fez under the Marinids or in Granada under the Nasrids.
Wikipedia
Gerard Dockery says:
The Generalife, built during the reign of Muhammad III (1302-1309), was used as a Nasrid summer retreat. The name may be derived from the Arabic jinan al-'arif (gardens of the overseer). Separated from the Alhambra by a gorge, and overlooking the Nasrid palatine city, the Generalife is composed of terraces arranged on the hillside, with pavilions overlooking the courtyard and lush gardens. From the Generalife, the Nasrid rulers and their guests would also have enjoyed views of a productive landscape of orchards, crops, and grazing animals.
The Acequía Court, located on the lowest terrace, consists of a rectangular court divided into four quadrants by long water channels, with a basin at the centre. A gallery with a mirador runs along the west side of the court, providing dramatic views of the landscape and of the Alhambra. A pavilion on the north end also contains a mirador, and overlooks the Albaicin quarter of Granada. The three-storied pavilion on the southern end of the court was used as a residence. Both pavilions open onto the Acequía Court through arcades.
The highest terrace of the complex is linked to the lower levels by a stairway whose water-channel balustrade connects three circular landings, each with its own shallow basin and jet at its centre. Each landing provides dramatic views over the landscape, juxtaposed with the visual play of water and stone.
Archnet
Gerard Dockery says:
The Albolafia, also known as the Molino de la Albolafia in Spanish ('Mill of the Albolafia'), is a medieval noria (or waterwheel) along the Guadalquivir River in the historic center of Córdoba, Spain. It is one of several historic watermills of Cordoba and is located close to the Roman Bridge and to the Christian Alcazar. It is commonly believed to date from the Islamic era of the city, though its exact origins are uncertain.
According to Spanish scholar Felix Hernández Giménez, the name Albolafia, with an Arabic meaning equivalent to "good luck" or "good health",[2] came from an architect called Abu l-Afiya who renovated and improved the noria in the 12th century.[3] The word noria, in turn, is derived from Arabic nā‘ūra (ناعورة), which comes from the Arabic verb meaning to "groan" or "grunt", in reference to the sound it made when turning...........
Wikipedia
Gerard Dockery says:
This estate, formed by a garden with a beautiful pavilion surrounded by orchards, belonged during the Muslim period to the kings of Granada. After the conquest of the city in 1492, the Catholic kings acquired the estate and founded there the convent of Santa Cruz la Real. Andrea Navagero recorded some myrtles and orange trees in the garden of the Cuarto Real de Santo Domingo in the sixteenth century. Some nineteenth-century images and descriptions show that the garden remained little transformed until 1850. The excavation undertaken in the 1990s unearthed a garden formed by a fountain in the portico of the pavilion, in front of which were two symmetrical flowerbeds and an octagonal pool.
The property remained under the friars' rule until the nineteenth-century confiscation. Then, a private house was built beside the pavilion and a new garden planted over the original.
Archnet
Gerard Dockery says:
These two houses built by Moriscos (converts to Christianity, in this case after the conquest of Granada) are at the eastern edge of the Albayzín. They were built on a large plot of land that included gardens and an orchard. Although they appear to be one house, they are actually two houses joined, each with its own courtyard.
The older house, the Casa de Lorenzo el Chapiz, was built at the beginning of the sixteenth century on the site of a fourteenth century Nasrid palace. It had four wings enclosing a rectangular courtyard. Only the north and east wings still exist, along with a small portion of the west wing where it meets the north wing. The north, east and west wings had upper floors, but the south wing was single storied, apparently so as not to block views of the Alhambra and Generalife. The long rectangular pool and the columns and capitals that support the arches of the north wing's portico are inspired by elements from the previous Nasrid palace. Two other architectural elements from the house are displayed in museums today: the marble upper hinges of the central door on the north wing are in the Museo de la Alhambra, and the window frame with decoratively engraved plaster-the focal point of the south wing-is now in the Museo Arqueologico Nacional in Madrid.
The Casa de Hernan Lopez el Feri, the father-in-law of Lorenzo de Chapiz, is a smaller house that was built also in the early sixteenth century. Four wings enclose a courtyard with a small pool. The north wing has three stories while the other three wings have only two. Wooden galleries, typical of mudéjar houses, run along the upper floors of all the wings.
Between 1929 and 1932, the houses were rehabilitated under the direction of Leopoldo Torres Balbás to house the newly formed Escuela de Estudios Arabes. The Casas de Chapiz continues to serve that function today.
Archnet
Gerard Dockery says:
The Torre de la Plata (Spanish: Tower of Silver) is an octagonal military tower in Andalusia, located in present-day Seville, southern Spain. It was constructed by the Almohad Caliphate.
The tower dates from the thirteenth century and was linked by the city wall to another Moorish fortification, the Torre del Oro.
Gerard Dockery says:
The Pisa Griffin is a large bronze sculpture of a griffin, a mythical beast, that has remained in Pisa, Italy since the Middle Ages despite its Islamic origin, specifically late 11th or early twelfth century Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain). It is now in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Cathedral Museum) in Pisa.
Carbon dating has determined that the griffin was made sometime between 1085 and 1110 AD. The Pisa Griffin is the largest medieval Islamic metal sculpture known, standing over three feet tall at 1.07 metres (42 in). It has been described as the "most famous as well as the most beautiful and monumental example" of a tradition of zoomorphic bronzes in Islamic art.
The griffin seems at first a historical anomaly given its elusive origin and multiplicity of possible uses, including a fountainhead or musical instrument. However, its possible origin can be approximated by comparing it to similar sculptures of its time, namely the animalistic sculptures and fountains of Al-Andalusian palatial settlements. Furthermore, the griffin may share a similar method of construction, and therefore origin, as the Al-Andalusian fountainheads based on the metallic contents of its bronze alloy.
The griffin has the head of an eagle, ears like those of a horse, wattles of a rooster, wings, and the body of a lion and other mammals’ limbs and toes. Its dimensions are 107 centimetres (42 in) X 90 centimetres (35 in) X 46 centimetres (18 in). The statue is made of cast bronze (i.e. copper alloy). Its wings are cast separately and held in place by rivets. It is largely hollow inside. There is an engraved decoration, including an Arabic inscription in Kufic letters around the beast's chest and flanks saying: "Perfect benediction, complete wellbeing, perfect joy, eternal peace and perfect health, and happiness and good fortune (?) for the owner."
The wings are decorated with stylized feathers, the chest with overlapping semi-circular scales, and the back with a pattern of plain circles enclosed in two rings on a textured background. At the top of each leg there is a more elaborate, inverted teardrop-shaped zone or cartouche where arabesques surround an animal. Lions are depicted on each front leg. Birds, presumably eagles, are depicted on each rear one.
There are three openings leading to the interior of the statue that contains fittings given various interpretations, described below. There are openings at the mouth, the rear – perhaps for a missing tail – and a larger one under the belly. Inside is "a globular ‘cup’ made of bronze, open towards the belly and soldered on the back with a fine piece of the same metal.
Wikipedia
Gerard Dockery says:
The Palace of the Partal was built in the early fourteenth century during the reign of Muhammad III. Only two components of the original palace are extant: the Torre de las Damas, with its tower overlooking the surrounding landscape and arcade opening onto a wide pool; and the adjacent Torre del Mihrab, built by Yusuf I as a small garden oratory with a mihrab and windows overlooking the landscape. Both structures are ornamented with delicately carved stucco.
Archnet
Gerard Dockery says:
The Comares Tower (Torre de Comares) is 45 meters high and therefore the highest tower in the Alhambra. It is so called because of the stained glass windows in the balconies that light the big inside hall, which are called «comarías». Between the walls of the Hall of the Boat (Sala de la Barca) and those of the following hall there is a narrow passage with two doors. The left door leads to the higher chambers of the tower (the sultan's winter bedchamber and an exit to the tower's spacious balcony). The right door leads to a chamber that has a niche at the back, with a pointed horseshoe arch decorated with stylised vegetal forms. This niche was a small oratory exclusively used by the emir.
The tower has several windows on its four façades, with gargoyles such as those on the Justice Tower (Torre de la Justicia) and merlons that were rounded off with pyramidal elements in the 16th century. The Hall of the Ambassadors (Salón de los Embajadores) is located inside the tower.
It is said that the Council that decided to surrender the city of Granada to the Catholic Monarchs took place inside this tower. The story tells that when Boabdil's mother learnt that her son was negotiating the surrender with the Christians, she told him, from one of the tower's balconies: «Look at what you surrender and remember that all your forebears died being kings of Granada and the kingdom dies in you». The legend also says that it was inside this tower that Christopher Columbus convinced the Catholic Monarchs to give their approval to his expeditions to the Indies towards the West (which lead to discovering America on October 12th 1492) and that the Queen offered Her jewellery to sponsor the journey.
AlhambraDeGranada.org
Gerard Dockery says:
The Palace of the Lions adjoins the Palace of the Myrtles to the southeast, and was built by Muhammad V, probably between 1370 and 1391. The palace consists of a central arcaded courtyard with the famous fountain in the centre, its basin supported by twelve lion figures. The waters of the fountain flow along four channels that divide the courtyard into equal quadrants, terminating in basins located within the Hall of the Two Sisters to the north of the courtyard, the Hall of the Abencerrajes to the south, and the Hall of the Kings to the east.
The Hall of the Two Sisters' square plan develops into an octagonal drum that supports a highly complex stellate muqarnas vault. Beyond the Hall of the Two Sisters lies the Lindaraxa tower that overlooks gardens below. The square Hall of the Abencerrajes utilises squinches to support a second stellate muqarnas vault, while the Hall of Kings utilises muqarnas decoration on arches as well as vaulting. Each of these spaces is highly ornamented with glazed tile dados, carved stucco, and muqarnas.
Archnet
Gerard Dockery says:
"The Hall of the Two Sisters (Sala de Dos Hermanas) did not receive this name because of a legend or an event that took place in it, as many tend to believe.
The hall was so called because of two big twin marble flagstones that are part of the floor....
The hall's paving is made of marble and has a small fountain with a jet and a little channel that carries the water to the Patio of the Lions (Patio de los Leones). The most impressing element of the hall is the beautiful and perfect dome of mocarabe. Its lighting was carefully considered and it receives the light from lateral little windows. The dome is therefore a beautiful and exquisitely rich flower. Ibn Zamrak wrote a poem about this dome and some of its verses are reproduced on a tile skirting board that has metallic iridescence. The hall's walls are covered with extremely fine plasterwork on different themes, among which we count the classical Nasrid motto «Only God is Victor» and, for example, a pair of closed hands."
Gerard Dockery says:
The Hall of the Abencerrajes (Sala de los Abencerrajes) is located in front of the Hall of the Two Sisters (Sala de Dos Hermanas). It is so called because it is said that the Abencerrajes knights were there beheaded, although the experts can not decide who was the king who ordered it. In fact, there is a rust stain covering part of the marble fountain in the middle of the hall, which is said to be a bloodstain from the Abencerrajes knights.
The entrance to the hall is marked by two arches separated by a corridor, which is connected with the high floor on the left and with the original entrance's hall on the right. The hall's central square has bedchambers on its sides, with arches exquisitely decorated, blue capitals and painted ceilings. The walls have plasterwork covers and a tile skirting board from the 16th century, of Renaissance style. A wonderful dome of mocarabes rests on eight pendentives of mocarabes. The following inscription is written on the pendentives: «There is no other help than the help that comes from God, the clement and merciful One». The windows that are where the dome starts let a faint light filter through and illuminate the mocarabes creating a magic atmosphere.
AlhambraDeGranada.org
Gerard Dockery says:
The Comares Palace or Hall (Cuarto o Palacio de Comares) was the official residence of the king and it comprises several rooms that surrounded the Court of the Myrtles (Patio de los Arrayanes). The rooms have galleries with porticoes at the ends. Some examples are the Hall of the Boat (Sala de la Barca) to the north and the Hall of the Ambassadors (Salón de los Embajadores) inside the Comares Tower (Torre de Comares), from which a view over the valley of the river Darro may be enjoyed.
Yusuf I wanted his official residence's decoration to amaze the visitor, so he ordered the architects to build it and adorn it in a exquisite way, although he probably did not see the final result, as several inscriptions affirm that his son Mohammed V was responsible for it. Mohammed V finished the works and constructed a façade on the southern side of the Patio of the Gilded Room (Patio del Cuarto Dorado).
AlhambraDeGranada.Org
Gerard Dockery says:
The Hall of the Ajimeces, (Sala de los Ajimeces) is so called because of two twin balconies on its north wall, which overlook the garden. The hall, which is connected with the Hall of the Two Sisters (Sala de Dos Hermanas) and with Daraxa's Mirador (Mirador de Daraxa), is rectangular and is covered by a dome of mocarabes, remade in the 16th century. Its walls are decorated with plasterwork with religious inscriptions and coats of arms with the Nasrid motto. A frieze surrounds the hall underneath the dome with the following inscription:«May our Master Abu Abd' Allah, emir of the Muslims, receive God's help and protection as well as a glorious victory».
AlhambraDeGranada.Org
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