2700 x 4052 px | 22,9 x 34,3 cm | 9 x 13,5 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
24 dicembre 2010
Ubicazione:
Gardens of the Generalife, City of Granada, Andalusia, Spain
Altre informazioni:
Questa immagine potrebbe avere delle imperfezioni perché è storica o di reportage.
City of Granada, Andalusia, Spain: a Renaissance drinking fountain seen through a topiary arch spanning water spouts and lily ponds in an Islamic or Paradise Garden in the grounds of the Generalife, the site of the sultans’ summer retreat close to the Alhambra Palace, but beyond its walls. The pools are separated by striking Moorish pathways featuring squares of river pebbles, weathered terracotta bricks and ceramic tiles glazed in shades of green, turquoise and white. The Generalife gardens are among the earliest surviving examples of traditional Islamic gardens, characterised by long ponds and planting for shade from scorching sun. The Palacio de Generalife was built in the 13th century on the slopes of the Hill of the Sun (Cerro del Sol), by the Nasrid Sultans, for their leisure and recreation. The Moorish Kings of Granada used it as a refuge from their round of official duties in the Alhambra. The name Generalife may come from the Arabic Yanat-al-Arif or Jannat al’Arif (Garden of the Architect) - a reference to Allah as Architect of the Universe. Very few of the original Generalife buildings now exist and the gardens have undergone many changes since the 1500s. The name Alhambra has its origins in an Arabic word meaning "red castle" and the Alhambra Palace is amongst the finest Islamic buildings in Europe. Construction probably began in the 9th century, but the buildings standing today were built chiefly between 1238 and 1358 in the reigns of Ibn al-Ahmar, founder of the Nasrid dynasty, and his successors. The Alhambra became a Christian court in 1492 when Catholic monarchs, King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile, conquered Granada and expelled the Moors D0600.A7173
