Alhambra

views updated Jun 11 2018

Alhambra.
1. One of the most exquisite, elaborate, and richly ornamented of all Moorish buildings in Spain (mostly 1338–90—it was probably a madrasa rather than a palace), it consists of a series of joined pavilions, with two great courts set at right angles to each other. Channels of water, linking pools with fountains, add to the overall effect of a Paradise on earth.

2. Garden-building in a Moresque style, such as Chambers's ‘Alhambra’ at Kew Gardens (1758), named after the celebrated buildings at Granada.

Bibliography

Blair & and Bloom (1994);
Irwin (2004)

Alhambra

views updated Jun 27 2018

Alhambra Spanish citadel of the sultans of Granada; a world heritage site and major tourist attraction. Standing on a plateau overlooking the city of Granada, s Spain, it is one of the most beautiful and well-preserved examples of medieval Islamic art and architecture. Most of the complex dates from the period of the Nasrid dynasty (1238–1358).

http://www.alhambra-patronato.es

Alhambra

views updated May 21 2018

Alhambra a fortified Moorish palace, the last stronghold of the Muslim kings of Granada, built between 1248 and 1354 near Granada in Spain. It is an outstanding piece of Moorish architecture with its marble courts and fountains, delicate columns and archways, and wall decorations of carved and painted stucco.

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Alhambra

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