Gardens of the Alhambra (II)

The Alhambra is a unique monumental complex in Spain. Its history, filled with legends and enchantments, has made the monumental complexes of the Alhambra and the Generalife in the city of Granada a global reference point for art, literature, music, and tourism—a destination for sensitive souls.

Gardens of the Alhambra

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 Alhambra complex presents itself as a conglomeration of buildings, fortifications, and gardens, all masterfully arranged and admirably fused into an inspiring composition, wrapped in the green mantle of dense vegetation covering the slopes of the hill. The gardens form a fabric within which buildings and structures harmoniously stretch in accordance with the terrain's topography and the residential and defensive needs. Gardening elements appear everywhere, both in interior and exterior spaces; they serve to enliven views, stabilize slopes, frame panoramas, and act as backdrops, playing a fundamental role in compositional support.

The main and oldest core of the Alhambra consists of a series of enclosures (the old Royal House): the Patio de la Alberca, Patio de Comares or Patio of the Myrtles, located at the center of the rooms and halls where the court's official life unfolded; and the Patio of the Lions, at the heart of the private residence of the kings.