The Alhambra in depth

The Generalife, Yannat al-Arif or "Architect's Garden," must have been the most prominent estate among those surrounding the Alhambra. Ibn Zamrak, the renowned poet of Mohamed V’s Granada, referred to it as the "Throne of the Alhambra." The first mention of it appears in the Ihata by Ibn al-Khatib, who included it among the seventeen orchards belonging to the Royal Heritage. He highlighted the lushness of its trees, so dense they blocked sunlight, and the charm and freshness of its waters and cool breezes.

The Generalife had at least two exterior gates during the Middle Ages of Al-Andalus. One was located at the Cuesta de los Chinos, connecting it to the Alhambra fortress. The other gate was situated in what is now known as La Mimbre. This entrance underwent numerous transformations, the most significant being the creation of a wide Cypress Walk, renovated in 1862 for the visit of Queen Isabel II.

Next, you arrive at the Court of the Sultana’s Cypress Tree, the setting of imaginary love legends with a character very different from Hispano-Muslim traditions. A fountain, surrounded by a U-shaped pool equipped with Baroque-era water jets, centres the Patio, which opens to a gallery resembling a pavilion with an upper floor, built between 1584 and 1586.

The Arab garden reflects the longing for the Mohammedan Paradise. The life of a Muslim is closely tied to their vision of paradise, imagined as a garden—a place of delights and pleasures where they can achieve the complete fulfillment of their desires.

The gardens of the Alhambra symbolize the culmination of a long tradition of gardens and landscaped estates that began in Córdoba in the mid-8th century. Given that the economy of the medieval Islamic world was almost entirely based on agriculture, agricultural innovations had a profound impact on al-Andalus. This led to a new way of inhabiting the landscape, with significant implications for garden design.

The Court of the Myrtles, also known as the Court of Comares, was partially built over earlier structures and completed during the reign of Sultan Yusuf I (1333–1354). The Patio of the Lions, commissioned by Muhammad V in the 14th century, takes its name from the famous marble fountain supported by twelve sculpted lions.

The Court of Lindaraja, enclosed by the construction of the rooms that became the residence of Emperor Charles V—and later inhabited by Washington Irving—and the Daraxa Garden, renovated in the 16th century, best embodies the idea of a secluded garden as a place of charm and delight. It reflects the distinct and austere style of Toledo courtyards, with its quintessentially Castilian gallery of wooden posts and corbels.

The pool of the Partal reflects two marble lions in its still waters. This pool, with its garden, features a beautiful pavilion whose façade is mirrored in the water. It is an entirely open architecture, where wooden ceilings and the tiles of the interior space stand out.

Historian and Landscape Architect. Specialised in research and teaching in Art History, Archaeology, Cultural Heritage, and the History of Garden Art and Landscaping.