Nasrid Palaces of the Alhambra
The highlight of your visit to the Alhambra Palace will be the time you spend in
the Nasrid Palaces (Palacios Nazaríes). These Royal Palaces consist of a number
of brilliantly designed and decorated function rooms and courtyards that were
used by the Muslim rulers for different purposes.
The Royal Palaces were divided into three distinct parts:
the Mexuar, the Serallo and the Harem. Each of these
palaces contained a number of rooms which were used for different purposes and
they were designed around a central courtyard.
The Mexuar Palace is first series of rooms you enter. It was here that
the Sultan met with his ministers to consult on state affairs and he also
received members of the the public to listen to their petitions.
Next you pass into the beautiful Mudéjar-style Cuarto Dorado (Golden
Room). This is where the where the sultan made his most important decisions as
military commander-in-chief. The room was redecorated in its present golden
colour during Carlos Vs period on the throne. Opposite the Cuarto Dorado is the
entrance to the Serallo.
The Serallo was the official residence of the emir or sultan and its rooms
surround the Patio de los Arrayanes (Patio of the Myrtles) with its large
central pool. In the Sala de la Barca which lies through the north
portico of the Patio the wooden ceiling is an inverted boat shape. This room
leads into the impressive Salón de Embajadores where the sultans carried
out negotiations with Christian emissaries.
Moving on from here you will arrive at the famous Patio de los Leones
which lies at the heart of the Harem section. It was built for sultan
Muhammed V in 1378 with a central fountain supported by 12 tame-looking lions.
Ibn Zamrak's poem, engraved on the fountain, praises the sultan and this
beautiful palace garden, planted with trees and aromatic herbs. It's surrounded
by a gallery with 124 marble columns that overlooks three of the most attractive
rooms in the complex.
The Patio de los Leones is surrounded by four buildings where the sultan and his
closest family lived. On the south side is the Sala de los Abencerrajes
which is astonishing for its domed ceiling with stalactite vaulting producing a
star like effect. The water in the marble fountain reflects the image of the
brilliant ceiling above. The sultan's wives lived on the second floor.
This room gets its name from the legend that the penultimate Moorish ruler of
Granada, Abu al-Hasan (Muley Hacem) had the nobles of the Abencerraje family
murdered here because the head of the family dared to flirt with Zoraya, the
harem favourite. The Abencerrajes also favoured the rival Boabdil in the palace
power struggle.
On the north side of the patio is the beautiful Sala de dos Hermanas
(Hall of the Two Sisters) which is named after the two slabs of white marble
either side of its fountain. At the far end is the Sala de los Ajimeces
which was the dressing room of the favoured lady. From here she could lie on
cushions and admire the mountains through the low windows. The Sala de los
Reyes (Hall of the Kings) on the east end of the patio contains various
medieval paintings. It is named after the painting on leather in the centre of
the ceiling which shows 10 Nasrid emirs.
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