Andaluca

Rand Abbas

Andaluca
A TALE OF THREE CITIES

GRANADA.CORDOBA.SEVILLA

An Architectural Soliloquy

Travel Journal

Acknowledgements
McGill University School of Architecture for the
A. F. Dunlop scholarship that supported this
work. Particular thanks go to Ricardo Castro,
mentor and friend, a constant source of
inspiration. Along with David Covo, both of
whom have inspired me with their passion and
enthusiasm for drawing and design.
I am grateful for the invaluable connection
made with my extended family in Granada
uncle Taher, Carmena & family. I will never
forget their generosity warmth and hospitality
during our stay. Thanks are due to my travel
companion Noor - for her enduring support
and friendship, and a multitude of unforgettable
moments shared on this trip. Thanks to my
family as well, to whom I am always indebted.

Copyright Rand Abbas, 2014

Preface
"We are all looking for something of extraordinary importance whose nature we have
forgotten; I am writing the memoirs of a man who has lost his memory."
- Eugene Ionesco, 'Present Past/Past Present, A Personal Memoir' (1998)

This book documents a trip embarked on back in August 2005; instigated by a travel research
proposal that received the McGill University A.F. Dunlop travel scholarship grant. Since then, I
have revisited and continue to revisit themes and ideas that seem to have been silently spoken by
the walls and echoed in the courtyards of the places visited. In an attempt to capture the spirit of
Andalucian times, this travelogue presents a visual treatise on architecture and genius loci.
Through a weaving of images with threads of thoughts and texts collected over time, imaginative
interpretations are drawn, while looking at the works through two main filters, that of literature
and the enchanting landscape of Andalucia. A sort of romance may begin to unfold between image
and word, expressing topophilia, with recordings of architectural soliloquies, forming connections,
exposed or hidden - a meditation on beauty, harmony, and ultimately, on love. An exploration of
parallel narratives and legends of the medieval European and Moorish traditions, as well as more
contemporary sources that resonate. There are many bridges, many mirrors, many echoes.
Concepts of transformation and metamorphosis, evocations of romance, and excerpts from stories, of
heroes and legends; sources that also include manuscripts of the Middle Ages and oral traditions,
poetic narratives that are woven so as to invite the spectator and reader to take part in the journey.
In the tradition of Andalusian mystic Muhiyyi'd-din Ibn al-'Arabi's 'Fusus al Hikam', or 'Pearls
(bezels) of Wisdom', a collection of illustrative quotes accompany images, as part of an exploration of
the spirituality and thought of the influential Spanish mystics and polymaths of that period, as well
as other writers and artists of later periods. The journey is recorded with images that conjure up
poignant memories of the places visited, as well as through words chosen to best suit the imagined
narrative of the image. The reader may draw on the multiple dimensions represented: be they the
physical, elemental, environmental, spiritual, social, cultural or symbolic. In particular what's
conveyed is the personal and experiential connection struck with the place. Considering that
perhaps the act of creating and making architecture is an act of remembering, a process of recreation from memory. And so as a result of the search, and as a means of documenting experience,
this travel journal collects patterns and impressions, of landscapes, cityscapes, streetscapes,
building details, curiosities and enigmas, to aid in the process of discovery and memory, and as a
means of celebrating the place while paying homage to significant writers, artists and thinkers, who
alongside many generations of architects, have been greatly influenced by the Andalucian legacy.

On Methodology
The travel journal comprises of a collection of images in dialogue with words 'mneumonic devices' to help construct a brief memoir, narrating visual fragments with
reference to seemingly correlating passages and quotes.
The interface with the world of language is explored through the framed and annotated
visuals of the book, which may begin to parallel anthologies embedded in the
architecture, as read through phenomenological experience and research. The Garden,
the Path, Water and the Alchemy of light and shadow are some of the themes of
architectural exploration in the cities of the fabled kingdoms of southern Spain.
The work draws on classical texts to explore the roots of thought and creative spirit that
may have influenced the architecture, and conversely how the sites inspired poets and
writers over time. The pages are interspersed with passages, including some from
classical Sufi sources and sacred scriptures, as well as other significant texts and poetry.
Other literary references are made without an actual connection to the place or time, but
are seen to relate thematically and to add alternate layers of meaning.
The venture required a great deal of curiosity: collecting evidence, deciphering symbols,
digging into the labyrinth of the city, under broad daylight, or under the cover of night.
The investigation is documented as a curious chronicle of the sites encountered; mainly
with photographs taken in-situ, as well as with drawings, diagrams and text.
Using embodied experience, the full spectrum of the senses, as well as the imagination,
drawings and photography are used 'as a form of capturing and communicating the
unspeakable in an experience.' - Weidel, J. (1995) 'Being there: Using Pictures to See the
Invisible'. In M. Schratz & R. Walker (Eds.), Research as Social Change: New
Opportunities for Qualitative Research (pp. 72-90). New York: Routledge.
'The role of the photographer is thus to select what to "draw light" into.'
- Anna Kirova, 'Fotonovela as a Research Tool in Image-Based Participatory Research
with Immigrant Children'', International Journal of Qualitative Methods (2008)

15th century map of the coast of Andalusia & the city of Granada by Piri Reis, Ottoman Admiral &
Cartographer
Previous Map p.4-5: Jodocus Hondius' Map of Andaluzia Spain from the Mercator-Hondus Atlas. This is
one of the earliest Dutch maps of the region. The map extends to the coastline from Farson to the Straits of
Gibraltor and east to the coastal city of Almeria. The map includes a Sailing Ship, Sea Monster, and
wonderfully detailed topography. Started by Gerard Mercator, completed by Jodocus Hondius. Amsterdam,
1609. (Van der Krogt 1, 111)

A n d a l u c i a : a tale of three cities

A journey through the Southern provinces of the Iberian Peninsula to instigate
a comparative architectural study of the Moorish palaces and key monuments
in Granada, Cordoba, and Sevilla.

Overview
The images of Moorish castles and palaces have stimulated the imagination of
poets throughout centuries. Full of storied recollections, they are described as
miracles of art, works of magic, a terrestrial paradise - such are the impressions
left by countless legends and traditions, songs and ballads, that describe the
rich cultural legacy of Moorish Spain, a harmonious utopia of repose and
reverie, of oriental luxury. Like Hispano-Islamic literature, Hispano-Islamic
architecture developed an individuality of form. The Legacy and splendor of the
ancient Moorish empire in Spain can still be traced in such wonders as the
Alhambra in Granada, the Mezquita and Alcazar in Cordoba and the Reales
Alcazares in Seville.
One of the interests of this investigation is in the connections between
architecture, literature and culture. Through direct experience of the
Andalusian cultural legacy, I hope to have recovered something of the richness
and insight of Islamic Spain that created one of the most pluralistic advanced
civilizations and outstanding architectural legacies in European history. With
the capacity to evoke aesthetic experience and to embody symbolic significance,
this book may illustrate ideas that can eventually be abstracted to resurface in
later works.
In the tradition of Washington Irving, who in Tales of the Alhambra (1832)
perpetuated a highly romanticized view of Andalusia, the memory of the old

citiesandpalacesofMoorishSpainmayberevivedthroughanimaginative
architecturalquesttouncoverconnectionsandtodiscernspecificfeaturesof
Hispano-Islamicarchitecturethatcharacterizetheartisticprovinceof
Andalusia.Recordedasacomplexlayeringoftracestoreflectacomplex
history,constructingmetaphoricandlinguisticconnectionstoarchitecture.For
centuriesafteritsdemise,Ibero-Islamicarchitecturecontinuedtoleaveits
markbothonnon-IslamicIberianandnon-IberianIslamicarchitecture.
TheMoorsflourishedfirstinCordoba,theninSeville,andtowardstheendof
theiralmost800yearrule,inGranada.Altogether,theproposedjourneywasto
encompassthethreemainmedievalAndalusiancitiesandanumberoftowns
andrurallandmarksontheway.Themajorcitiesnamedinthetitledefinea
moreorlesstrianglerunningbetweensmallertowns.Togetanideanotonlyof
thescopeofMoorishSpainbutalsoofitshistoricaldevelopment,small
excursionswerespacedbetweenlongerstaysinthethreemaincities,primarily
inGranada.Theexperienceofthepalacesandkeymonumentswithintheir
distinctgeomorphologiclocationswascompared,andconnectionsdrawnwith
respecttosuchissuesandarchitecturalthemesaspath,enclosure,forms,
gardens,andtopography.Therecollectionofmomentscapturedinthebookwill
narrateapersonalrelationshipwiththeplacesvisited,forminganarrative
basedondirectencounters.Theresultingvisualmapevokesformethesocial,
experientialandsensorialaspectsoftheexistingsites,aswellasthephysical
andtemporalconditionsandassociatedpatterns.
"...one must seek the essence of Andalusia in its geographic reality on the one
hand, and on the other in the awareness of its inhabitants. From the geographic
point of view, the whole of the southern lands is too vast and varied to be
embraced as a single unit. In reality there are not two, but three Andalusias: the
Sierra Morena, the Valley [of the Guadalquivir] and the [Cordillera] Penibtica."
-AntonioDomnguezOrtiz,TheSevillianhistorian. 'La identidad andaluza.''
Granada:UniversidaddeGranada.(1976)

The Iberian Peninsula is

characterized by three key
topographic relief features:
1. Low relief coastal lands, valleys and
plains of gentle slopes
2. Intermediate reliefs of hillsides & slope
valleys and mid height plateaus & plains
3. High reliefs of crests and ridges, high
plateaus
Relief factors which form and shape the
topography comprise of three key
influences:
a) Tectonic: the forces acting from the
interior of the earth to cause shifts and
movements in the earth's crust
b) Erosive: the processes that shape and
wear out the Earth's surface by external
agents: such as river water, ice, wind,
chemical action, beings, etc.
c) Lithologic: the physical character of
rocks or rock formation. Depending on the
nature of the rock the above factors act
differently
Source: Benito-Calvo,Prez-Gonzlez, Magri
and Meza. 'Assessing Regional Geodiversity:
The Iberian Peninsula', Earth Surface Processes
& Landforms 34. John Wiley & Sons (2009)

Fig: Geo-lithological formations - Topographic Relief map shows the difference between the
highest and lowest elevations in the area, sculpted contours and landforms, from river plains to
mountains.
Source: Miren F. Mateo.'El relieve de Espaa' 2011 www.geohistoarteducativa.org

Granada

Crdoba

Sevilla

CapitalofSpain'slastMoorish
kingdomunderNasrids1237

CapitalofAndalusiain750
underUmaayad,Almoravid&
Almohadrule.Onceacentre
ofscience&learninginEurope

CurrentcapitalofAndalusia,
oncethecapitalofthe
Almohadsin1163,undera
kingknownforhisloveof
musicandpoetry.4thlargest
cityinSpain.

Topography

Locatedinafertilevalleyin
highmountainous
Andalucawhereexpansion
isconstrainedbythe
mountains,withthe
highestrangesontheIberian
peninsulainSierraNevada,
formingpartofthe
SistemaPenibtico.

Alhambra y Generalife

Thecomplexrisesabovethe
lowertownandissituatedona
hilladjacenttoAlbaicin.The
structuralandornamental
elementstracevarious
influences.Thepalacewas
workedwithlocalmodest
materials,mainlystone,clay,
plasterandwood.Thesurfaces
displayacomplexand
sophisticatedlevelof
craftsmanship.Thehighly
detailed&sculpturalinteriors
interactwithlightinsucha
wayastomystifythebeholder
'arquitectura encantadora'.
Theelementofwaterplaysa
bigroleintheconceptionofthe
architectureandis
incorporatedinmultiple
ingeniousways.

Topography

Thecitydatesbackfrom
Romantimes,whenitwasthe
highestnavigablepointonthe
RiverGuadalquivir.Crdoba
isdefinedbytwogeographical
features:themountainsofthe
SierraMorena,and
Guadalquivir,whichcuts
throughthem.North&East
it'sverymountainous,with
smalltowns&hiddenvalleys.
TotheSouth&Eastthe
provinceisveryagricultural
alongthefloodplainofthe
Guadalquivir.

Mezquita

Builtinthehistoriccentreon
topofaRomantemple&
remainsofa7thcVisigoth
church.Wasrebuiltasa
mosqueandasharedhouseof
worshipfromthe8th-12thc,
thenre-appropriatedasa
cathedralinthe13c.

Alczar de los Reyes

Cristianos - onceaVisigoth

fortress,thenaMoorish
palace,rebuiltbyCastillein
1328inMudjarstyle.

Topography

Sevilleprovinceislargelyflat,
exceptalowmountainrange
intheNorth.Animportant
agricultural&industrial
centreontheGuadalquivir
plain.TheAndalusianPlainis
essentiallyawiderivervalley
throughwhichtheRo
Guadalquivirflows,ultimately
intotheAtlantic.Itwasthe
"GatewaytotheIndies"&the
onlytradingportwiththe
IndiesorLatinAmericafrom
1503-1718,andwasdesignated
thecapitaloftheCarrerade
Indias(theIndiesroute)

Alczar of Seville

Palaces&gardensintheheart
oftown.Mudjarstyle:A
symbiosisoftechniquesfrom
Jewish,MuslimandChristian
cultureslivingsidebyside.
Giralda - onceaminaret,
todaypartofSeville's
cathedral,3rdlargestin
Christendom.Bestliving
exampleofAlmohadstyle.

'Granada'

illustrationby:JorgePea/HelenCater

"Memories' images, once they are fixed in words, are erased."

-ItaloCalvino,'Invisible Cities' (1974)

"el corazn ve lo que el

ojo no ve."
- Al Gazali (1058-1111)

To Taher - a warm welcome

upon arrival in Granada

An Andalusian Psalmody

''I have what

psychoanalysts would
call an agrarian
complex"

- Federico Garca Lorca,

Spanish poet from Granada
(1898-1936)

"There is something too,

in the sternly simple
features of the Spanish
landscape, that
impresses on the soul a
feeling of sublimity...the
solemn grandeur of the
ocean..."
- Washington Irving: The
Alhambra (1832)

"Poetry turns language into

rhythm and metaphor"
- Octavio Paz (1914-1998)

"Everything in the spiritual

realm, as well as the
natural, is significant,
reciprocal, correspondent...
everything is
hieroglyphic...and the poet
is merely the translator, the
one who deciphers."
- Charles Beaudelaire, 'L'art
Romantique' (1869)

Gate Keeper of Granada

Calle Reyes Catolicos - street canopy

"Memory is the selection of images. Some illusive, others printed indelibly on the
brain. Each image is like a thread. Each thread woven together to make a tapestry
of intricate texture, and the tapestry tells a story, and the story is our past."
- 'Eve's Bayou' film narrator (1997)

"No culture ever developed, bloomed, and matured without feeding on other
cultures and, in turn, nourishing others through a continuous process of
borrowing and giving, reciprocal influences and intermingling. Any attempt to
determine what belonged to which culture would be entirely arbitrary."

-MarioVargasLlosa,NobelPrizeLaureate,2010

Plaza Nueva -theoldestsquareinGranadalocatedattheedgeofAlbaicinbetweenthemodern

centreandtheolderdistricts,attheconfluenceoftheurbanaxesofCatholicKingsstreetandthe
CarreradelDarro.

'Every culture is born of a mixture, of encounter, of collisions. On the contrary,

it is isolation that kills civilizations.'
-OctavioPaz,NobelPrizeLaureate,1990

Granadine traditional pottery - also known as Fajalauza ceramics. Potters

settled in the Albaicin area next to the Almond Gate or Fajalauza gate and
inherited techniques & decorations from Nasrid times such as the Andalusi
metallic lustre 'cuerda seca', manganese paint with mostly greens & blues

"Man's sense of space is a synthesis of many sensory inputs:

visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, olfactory, and thermal."
- E. Hall, 'The Hidden Dimension' (1966)

Alcaicera - artisan market district originally a Moorish silk bazaar

"Every society possesses what is called an 'Image of the World'. This image
has its roots in the unconscious structure of society and requires a specific
conception of time to foster it." - Octavio Paz (1914-1998)

"I am here to sing this

history" - Carlos Fuentes
(1928-2012)

Granada Cathedral Steps

"To grasp the profound uniqueness

of each specific place, its light, its
air, its smell, its ambient colour, its
history, or many histories."
-MauriceMerleau-Ponty(1908-1961)

'Genius loci' -thespiritofplace,asdefinedby

itscharacter,history(social,spiritual,political,
etc.)andpresentnarratives.Whataplace'is'
andwhatit'wantstobe'.Asearchforthe
underlyingthreadsthatinfluencedorhelped
formtheplace. Zeitgeist -Spiritoftheage,the
spiritual,intellectual,philosophical,scientific,
culturalandartisticrevolutionsofthetime

In Albaicin - an elevated view to the Alhambra ramparts

Cafe near the hilltop reservoir - with primo Jaber and Tio Taher

Hilltopreservoirandraincistern-waterisstoredanddistributedfromthehighertolowerareas

"The Alhambra hill...is possessed of a special energy only fully perceptible in the
silence of night, when countless watercourses, some above ground, some below,
hurry gurgling and splashing down through the wood (''agua oculta que llora,''
''hidden water that weeps,'' was how another poet, Manuel Machado, defined
Granada)... and you sense around you the phantoms of the city that died in
1492."-IanGibson,NYTimes:'LiteraryPilgrimages:FredericoGarciaLorca',1998

'Carmen' an inner court or private garden of hanging vines in Coral del Carbon
The word originates from the Arabic 'Carma' meaning hanging grape cluster

Court fountain in Corral del Carbon

"We have made every living thing out of water." (Final Testament - Qur'an 21:30)
"And We send the fecundating winds, then cause water to descend from the sky,
therewith providing you with water in abundance"
(Qur'an 15:22, chapter 'the Stone Tract')

"...the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into
the lake and caught all kinds of fish." (Matthew 13:47)

"Ask the animals, the birds, the earth, or the fish to teach you"
(1 Corinthians 15:39)

"O mankind! We created you from a pair of a male and a female and made you
into nations and tribes that ye may know each other. Verily the most honored in
the sight of God is the most righteous. And God has full knowledge and is well
acquainted with all things." (Qur'an 49:13, chapter ' The Chambers')

'Ornament of the World'

Al Andalus, where
Muslims, Jews and
Christians shared a
common Culture and
created an innovative
multi-racial multi-ethnic
pluralistic society of
tolerance and stability in
Spain; where the three
Abrahamic faiths coexisted
fairly peacefully for over
700 years (786-1492),
ending with the Spanish
inquisition when the keys
of Granada were handed
over following the reconquest of the Iberian
Peninsula from the Moors.

"Scatter your good deeds all around, not caring whether they fall on those
near or far away, Just as the rain never cares where the clouds pour it out,
whether on fertile ground or on rocks"

-IbnSiraj(Cordova,d.1114CE)Andalucianpoet

en salon verde - window seat

"From the Great Spirit

(Wak Tka/the divine, the
sacred) there came a great
unifying life force that
flowed in and through all
things - the flowers of the
plains, blowing winds,
rocks, trees, birds, animals
- and was the same force
that had been breathed into
the first man. Thus all
things were kindred and
brought together by the
same Great Mystery."

- Luther Standing Bear, Native

American writer

"L'Alhambra! l'Alhambra! Palais que

les gnies,
...Ont dor comme un rve et rempli
d'harmonies.
Forteresse aux crneaux festonns et
croulants
O l'on entend la nuit de magiques
syllabes,
Quand la lune, travers les mille
arceaux arabes,
Sme les murs de trfles blancs"
- Excerpt from Victor Hugo's "Les Orientales
"XXXI (Grenada), Book III, 1828 - capturing the
spirit of the Romantic era

'A Pearl set in Emeralds'

An Andalusian poet's description of the

Alhambra in reference to the brilliant colour of
its buildings, surrounded by dense woods. The
park (Alameda de la Alhambra) is celebrated for
the multitude of nightingales, and the sound of
running water from several fountains and
cascades. These are supplied through a 5m long
conduit connected with the Darro at the
monastery of Jesus del Valle, above Granada.
(Source: 1911 Encyclopdia Britannica)

"How unworthy is my scribbling of the place."

-WashingtonIrving,'Tales of the Alhambra'

sketch-viewtotheAlhambra'sComarestower

"The ancient kingdom of Granada, into which we were about to penetrate, is one
of the most mountainous regions of Spain. Vast sierras, or chains of mountains,
destitute of shrub or tree, and mottled with variegated marbles and granites,
elevate their sunburst summits against a deep blue sky; yet in their bosoms lie
engulfed verdant and fertile valleys, where the desert and the garden strain for
mastery, and the very rock, as it were, compelled to yield the fig, the orange, and
the citron, and to blossom with the myrtle, and the rose...there is a romance
about all the recollections of the Peninsula dear to the imagination."
- Washington Irving: 'Alhambra' (1832)

Plaque inscription at Alhambra Entrance - Jorge Luis Borges, poem 'Granada' (1976):

"Welcome, is the water's voice...

Welcome, is the curved hand
The smooth column of the marble...
Welcome, slender labyrinths of water.
Between the lemon trees,
Welcome the melodious zjel,
Welcome is love, welcome the prayer
Offered to a God who is One,
Welcome the jasmine..."

Site Plan plaque at the

Alhambra entry: fortress,
Palaces, Gardens, Fountains,
and a few remains of the old
Medina residences, comprise
an urban complex of a rational
hierarchy with all the
necessary components of a city,
housing a complexity of
functions. Sometimes termed
'Madinat Al Hamra' - The Red
City - much of the clay
coloured complex has been
destroyed and only two of the
six palaces are preserved,
along with the gardens, fort
and some foundations of the
old medina dwellings.

Fuente de
la Alhambra fountains
are an inviting
welcome into
the courtyards

Hammam skylight - 8 pointed star

"It is the star that pierces through darkness" (Final Testament - Qur'an, 86:3)
"And it is He who ordained the stars for you that you may be guided thereby in
the darkness of the land and the sea." (Qur'an 6:97)

Geometryoflight-inElBauelo

"Workstopsatsunset.Darknessfallsoverthebuildingsite.Theskyisfilledwith
stars.'Thereistheblueprint'theysay."-ItaloCalvino,'InvisibleCities'(1974)

"Be a heaven showering

inspiration, be an earth
exuding life, be a
mountain instilling
tranquility."
- Ibn Arabi, on a realized
human being

"By the heaven full of

starry paths"
(Qur'an 51:7)

Hammam portico El Bauelo Arabes

"We are Indian, Black, European, but above all mixed, 'mestizo'. We are Iberian
and Greek, Roman and Jewish, Arab, Gothic, and Gypsy. Spain and the New
World are centers where multiple cultures meet - centers of incorporation, not of
exclusion. When we exclude, we betray ourselves. When we include, we find
ourselves." - Carlos Fuentes (1928-2012)

Model of the Alhambra ('from the Arabic: 'al Qal'a al hamra' or 'The Red fort') A palace fortress and
city complex built by the Moorish Monarchs of Granada. The complex sits on the clay Hill of 'AlSabika' or Assabica (meaning form/mold/cast) on the border of Granada, at the confluence of two
rivers, Darro and Genil, and at the foot of Spain's highest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada.

Topography: The terrace and plateau where the Alhambra settles, measures about 2,430
feet in length by 674 feet at its greatest width, extends from W.N.W. to E.S.E., and covers
an area of about 169,831 square yards. It is enclosed by a strongly fortified wall, which is
flanked by 13 towers. The river Darro, which flows through a deep ravine on the north,
divides the plateau from the Albaicn district of Granada; the Assabica valley, containing
the Alhambra Park, on the West and South, and beyond this valley the almost parallel
ridge of Monte Mauror, separate it from the Antequeruela district.
(Source: New world Encyclopaedia)

TheAlhambrafortressisdescribedas
havingbeenconstructed"by the light of
torches",thereflectionsofwhichgavethe
wallstheirparticularcoloration.Another
description:"the hue of the towers and
walls that surround the entire hill of La
Sabica, by starlight is silver, but by
sunlight is transformed into gold."
(Source:www.alhambradegranada.org)

Auniquecomplexofpalaces,gardens,
fortressesandroyalquarters,theRoyal
residenceoftheAlhambrapalace(13thc.)
wasthelastadditiontothefortified
Alhambracitycomplex(9thc.)builtinthe
Nasridperiod,whichwasfinallycomposed
ofthe"alcazaba"(citadel),the
"alczar"(palace),asmall"medina"(city),
andthe"Generalife"(gardensandsummer
palace).TheAlhambrawasnotthe
residenceofkingsuntilthe13thc.

attheAlhambraMuseum

Microphotographs of cross-sections corresponding to several samples studied using spectroscopy

techniques for the characterization of pigments from the Alhambra's King's chamber

The ground material on which Alhambra is settled has a strong consistency and a stable
binding quality for setting foundations that withstood seismic movements. Granular
components such as gravel, clay and sand in the terrain were reused to make walls,
mortar and cement with the addition of lime and gypsum. The walls of the Alhambra
can be considered as a continuation of the terrain.
(Escobar. The Alhambra Structure & Landscape.2007)

The samples have been prepared using the cross-section technique. This technique
allows the examination of a large portion of a single paint layer in its original condition.
A variety of pigments from samples belonging principally to the Cultural Heritage of
Southern Spain were studied and comprise of blue (azurite, ultramarine blue, Prussian
blue), red (vermilion, haematite, red ochre, red lead, etc.), ochre and yellow (goethite,
orpiment, realgar, etc.), green (malachite, copper resinate), and white (calcite, gypsum,
white lead, titanium white, barite, lithopone) pigments, among others.
Microphotographs Sourced from Research Article: 'Comparison between micro-Raman and microFTIR spectroscopy techniques for the characterization of pigments from Southern Spain Cultural
Heritage'. Journal of Molecular Structure, Volumes 924-926, 30 April 2009, Pages 404-412, M.L.
Franquelo, A. Duran, L.K. Herrera, M.C. Jimenez de Haro, J.L. Perez-Rodriguez

Studysketch:Albaicinroofscape

"Love is the Water of Life."

-Rumi

Sketch of the Alhambra by

Federico Garcia Lorca

"I respectfully appeal to

all of you not to allow the
precious living jewels of
the race...the immense,
thousand-year-old
treasure that covers the
spiritual surface of
Andalusia...not to let
that die."
- Federico Garcia Lorca,
from a lecture given in
Granada, "Deep Song" or
"Cante Jondo", February
(1922)

view from the Alhambra

"...Resting solidly on
thick foundations,
its walls like towers
fortified,
set upon a flat place,
plains all around it
splendid to look at from
within its courts..."
- Ibn Gabirol, 'The Palace
and the Garden' Jewish
Poet (c.a.1021-1058 CE)

"What we do now echoes

in eternity."
- Marcus Aurelius
(121-180 CE)

Alcazaba Torre - Alhambra's

Fortress tower

'...the most imaginative, the most delicate and fantastic creation that sprang up
on a summer night in a fairy tale.'
- Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), on the Alhambra

The 'Humble Fortress'

Unembellished facades of the Alhambra
hide rich decorations and intricate
interiors made of modest materials - a
focus on beautifying the interior aspects of
a place or thing, and conceivably a
metaphor for the spiritual aspiration
towards the beautification of the heart.
UNESCO listed the Alhambra as a World
Heritage Site in 1984. The selection was
based on the criteria: That it represents a
masterpiece of human creative genius; it
exhibits an important interchange of
human values; and it is an outstanding
example of an architectural ensemble,
which illustrates a significant stage in
human history.
On the Granadine Aesthetic: The Palace
represents the culmination of architectural
manifestations for a people whose
aesthetic taste reached a high degree of
sensibility for their time, distilling the
very essence of Moorish culture in the
sumptuous Palace and Garden interiors.
(Nasser Rabbat, 'The Palace of the Lions, Alhambra
and the Role of Water in its Conception'.
Environmental Design: Journal of the Islamic
Environmental Design Research Centre. 1985)

Torre de la Rauda or 'Garden Tower'-Palace's

discrete entrance

Calle Real Alta - Cyprus and Myrtle pathway to the Alhambra complex - a worldly walled Garden
of Eden. The calle forms a central backbone of the whole city, from the Puerta del Vino to the
easternmost parts of the fortified precincts. Trimmed cypress trees with openings in the vegetation
screen reveal glimpses into the gardens, remains and ruins of the surrounding houses and palace.
"There are eight gates for Paradise." - saying of Prophet Mohammed (7th c.)
8 Doors/Gates ('Bab'): 1. Door of Prayer 2. Door of service or striving (for goodness) 3. Door of
Charity 4. Door of Fasting 5. Door of Pilgrimage 6. Door of Forgiveness 7. Door of Faith 8. Door of
Remembrance. (Source: Islamic encyclopedia. http://beta.ilmpedia.net/Paradise)

"Opeacefulsoul...enter
intomyparadise"
(Qur'an:27)

"...Listen to the chatter of

the doves and swallows.
We'll lounge beneath the
pomegranates,
palm trees, apple trees,
under every lovely, leafy
thing, and walk among
the vines, enjoy the
splendid faces we will
see, in a lofty palace
built of noble
stones....Wide windows
over them, and within
those windows, the sun
and moon and stars!"
-SolomonibnGabirol
(1021-1058)"The Palace &
the Garden", Hebrewpoet

Myrtlewindow

Traditional vernacular elements, like arches and arcades, can be considered archetypes.
Besides cultural and regional associations, they also have climatic, practical and or symbolic
significance. Being familiar with these archetypes, can lead to a deeper understanding of
traditions and regional forms, and can enable meaningful innovation.
Archetypes noted include: Path or Promenade - as a leading theme. Arches - heaven's vault.
Arcades - that connect with distant landscapes. Walled Garden and Courtyard - earthly
paradise, microclimatic cooling device. Use of water - cooling, irrigation, basin, channel, cistern
fountain, aqueduct, under/above ground. Screen - privacy, diffused light, veil, Mashrabiya or
Shanasheel. Geometry - anchors, patterns and ornamentation. (Sketches made of the Alhambra)

Courtyard Tradition in Architecture

The courtyard form has a long tradition in architecture. 'Study of some of the palace
complexes surviving in Spain has provided insights on how the courtyard and the shaded
porticos that surrounded them helped modulate indoor environmental conditions under
the very intense summer conditions experienced in the south of the country.
Measurements taken recently in the 14th c. Palace of the Lions Fig. 4 a-b, a residential
complex of the Alhambra in Granada show the role of the courtyard and its porticos as
transitional spaces mitigating the effects of the outdoor temperature and intense
summer sunshine. Temperature measurements over a four-day period in the summer
showed the modulating effects of the courtyard, porticos and the building's thermal
inertia. A graph of the outdoor, courtyard and indoor temperatures measured over the
consecutive days marked the outdoor air reaching peaks of 33-35C, with those in the
courtyard lower at 27-30 and are further reduced indoors by the thermal inertia of the
building. The daily range of 18-25C and average of 22C achieved indoors is quite
remarkable and is achieved despite the fact that the courtyard is now operating without
the lavish vegetation that used to populate the building's foundations from moisture
(Jimnez Alcala 2002) - source of images & text: Yannas, 'Challenging the Supremacy of Air
conditioning' from Re-conceiving the Built Environment of the Gulf Region. 2A Magazine issue #7

Fig.4 The Palace of the Lions, Alhambra, Granada: a) view of the courtyard b) section showing solar
control provided by the porticos at midday on solstices and equinox

"...It has a dome, too, like Solomon's

palanquin, suspended like a jewelroom, turning, changing, pearlcolored; crystal and marble in daytime; but in the evening seeming just
like the night sky, all set with stars. It
cheers the heart of the poor and the
weary; perishing, bitter men forget
their want. I saw it once and I forgot
my troubles, my heart took comfort
from distress, my body seemed to fly
for joy, as if on wings of eagles."
- Solomon ibn Gabirol (1021-1055), "The
Palace and the Garden", Hebrew poet

Court of the Myrtles - Patio de Arrayanes

ViewfromtheOratoryor'Oratorio' backoftheMexuar

"There are lost bells in the depths, and windows open to the dawn..."
-Lorca,Poemofdeepsong"cante jondo"(1921)

"AnditisHewhospreadouttheearth,andsetthereonmountainsandrivers,and
fruitofeverykindHemadeintwopairs,Hedraweththenightasaveilo'ertheDay.
Behold,verilyinthesethingstherearesignsforthosewhocontemplate(reason)."
(FinalTestament-Qur'an13:3,chapter:TheThunder')

"There is between word

and picture a visible
sensuous relationship
and an intelligible
spiritual marriage."

- Ibn Al Arabi, 'Doctor

Maximus', Andalusian
muslim mystic and scholar
(1165-1240 AD)

Saln de los Embajadores

or 'Hall of the Ambassadors,
Throne Room': the ruler's
worldly empire in which he
operated under the arched
dome, or under 'heaven's
instruction'. Also where
Christopher Columbus was
received by the monarchs
before sailing to the New
World.

"To God belong the East and the West; and wherever you turn, there is
the face of God. For God is omnipresent, all-knowing." Quran 2:115

"Love is the ability to make the invisible visible and the desire to always
feel the invisible in one's midst."
-IbnAlArabi,Andalusiansufipoetandphilosopher

Mexuar Oratory

Mocrabe - Honeycomb or Stalactite

decorative work (Arabic 'al-halimat
al-'uliya' for "the overhang") in the Patio of
the Lions - the ruler's private quarter.
A unified view of the cosmos preoccupied
the thought of Andalusian artists,
scientists, philosophers and scholars, and
was progressed through scientific
breakthroughs in the 8th and 9th c.
providing clear signs of a higher order and
structure that governs the universe and its
machinations. The use of complex and
ordered geometries in art and architecture
can be seen as an attempt to reflect the
mystery and complexity of the order of the
universe. Abstraction in Islamic arts
represents a vision of the spiritual world,
an attempt to mirror the unseen. In Fusus
al Hikam, chapter on Abraham, Ibn Arabi,
writes: "Certain sages claimed that God
can be known disregarding the world; but
that is false. Certainly, the eternal essence
knows itself; but It is not known as Divinity
before one knows that which depends on It,
and which is thus the symbol which proves
it...God Himself is the symbol of Himself
and of His Divine Nature, the world is but
His own revelation." The palace, thought
to have been greatly influenced by similar
beliefs to Ibn Arabi's, would have been
created with the understanding that it is
God's symbolism created according to the
same rules He used to create the universe.

Epigraphy-poeticiconographicorspiritualinscriptionsarecarvedoutofmodest
materialsofplaster,stuccoandwood,inlaidwithceramicsandinterwovenwithfloral
motifsthatdematerializethewallsurfaces.InterpretationofthePalace'sinscriptions
revealspoeticalepigraphscomposedspecificallyfortheirrespectiveareasinthepalace
withthespeakerbeinganinanimatearchitecturalelement:fountains,niches&windows
describetheirqualities,anthropomorphizingthepalaceandtransformingitselements
intosoliloquies.Stylizedcalligraphyisalsoassociatedwiththe'GeometryofSpirit'
Geometry-anexpressionofrhythm,vibrancy,life.The(hidden)languageofthe
universe,asymbolicorderrelatingtothecosmos,anda'spiritualscience'oftheinnate
harmonyofgeometricalproportions&ratiosinrelationtothewhole.Representingthe
natureofobjectsbytheirhiddendimensions,itseekstoportraythemeaningoressence
ofthingsandtheirinnatenatureratherthanjusttheirphysicalform.Complex
geometriescreatetheimpressionofunendingrepetition,alludingtotheinfinitenature
ofGod,andtheconceptthatinthefiniteliestheinfinite,theintersectionofthetwo
worlds,theworldofthedivineandtheearthinman.Geometrythusexaminesthe
harmonicsoftheuniverse;atangiblemeanstovisualizenumbers-andtheintangible.
7 Sciences of Gnosis, or, the 7 Liberal Arts - AndaluciastudiedtheinheritedGreek
andRomanphilosophiesthroughArabstounderstandtheworldandhowcreationcame
intoexistence,thelawsandtheprinciplesbehindwhatweseeinthesensibleworld:
Trivium:artsthathadtodowithlanguagecorrespondingtoPlato'sobjectivevalues:the
Good,theTrue,theBeautiful.Grammar(whatisGood-inspeechand
writing),Logic(True),Rhetoric(Beautiful):consideredimportantin
understandinghowtodemonstrateorcommunicatethroughtheword
thehighprinciplesofwisdom.
Quadrivium-thesciencesofmanifestation,thelawsthat
governedthephysicalworld:Number,Music,Geometryand
Astronomy.Fromageocentricpointofview,lookingattheworld
aroundthem,studyingthestarsthesuntheplanets,how2&3
dimensionalspaceworked,howtheharmonicsofmusicandnumber
worked,theunderlyingpatternsinallofthesciences.Thesewere
considereddivinesciencessincetheyweredemonstrablytrue,and
thewayinwhichGodcreatedtheuniverse.(Carroll,IbnArabi:Webinar)

Arabesque - surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and

interlacing foliage and inscriptions of praises and poems. Moorish Islamic art focused on
the metaphysical representation of objects and beings, and not as much on their physical
qualities, in attempt to convey what they represent in the spiritual realm and in sacred
scriptures through stylization and abstraction. Plasterwork has an enormous versatility
and a malleability to be cast molded and carved. This enabled the arabesque work and
inscriptions that render the Alhambra a monument inseparable from the written word,
of veiled surfaces that dematerialize with the intricate and delicate details.

"God is the Light of the

heavens and the earth. The
metaphor of His light is as
a niche wherein is a lamp.
The lamp is in a glass. The
glass is as it were a shining
star. Kindled from a
blessed tree, an olive
neither of the East nor of
the West, whose oil would
almost glow forth, though
no fire touched it. Light
upon light. God guideth
unto His light whom He
will. And God puts forth
parables and speaketh to
mankind in allegories, for
God is Knower of all
things." (Final Testament Quran, 24: 35 The Light 'Al
Noor' chapter)

Unity in Diversity.
Unity without conformity.
Diversity without
fragmentation.
To transcend from the finite to
the Infinite. To perceive the
Infinite in the finite.

"A sacred art is not

necessarily made of images,
even in the broadest sense
of the term; it may be no
more than the silent
exteriorization, as it were,
of a contemplative state,
and in this respect, it
reflects no ideas, but
transforms the
surroundings qualitatively,
by having them share an
equilibrium whose centre of
gravity is the unseen. Such
is the nature of Islamic art.
Its object above all is man's
environment-hence the
dominant role architecture
plays in the world of Islamand its quality is essentially
contemplative."
-TitusBuckhardt,Art of Islam,
p.29(1976)

CourtoftheLions
GalleryArchdetail

Sala de Los Abencerrajes:

Late 19th c. Orientalist view of the Alhambra Coloured litho rendering by French artist Leon
Auguste Asselineau (1853)
(Source: Stapleton Collection)

Cistern - 1907 halftone print of the Plan and

Section of the 'Great Cistern' in the Alhambra
Granada, Spain.

Alhambra Plan - The palatial complex has two main courts: Court of Myrtles or Patio de Arrayanes, and
Court of the Lions or Patio de Los Leones
(Source - Xunta de Galicia: http://centros.edu.xunta.es/iessantairene/webantiga/Departamentos/Xeo_his/
arte2bac/imaxes/musul-prerrom/alhambra-plan.jpg)

Study sketch of the 8 pointed

Star-shaped ceiling with
the honeycomb pattern. Hall
of Abencerrajes, Nasrid Palace,
Alhambra. Light & shadows
dapple in the stalactite grooves

Sala de Los Abencerrajes

"...for a moment one of the fictions

of the place seemed realized."
-WashingtonIrving,'Alhambra'

"In Spain, the dead are more alive

than the dead of any other country in
the world."-FedericoGarciaLorca

Muqarnas-stalactitevaultorthe'VaultofHeaven'inSaladelasdosHermanas
Hallofthetwosisters-uniqueinthatitoverlookstwocourtyards

"I am the garden revealed in new beauty everyday.."

-inscriptionintheHalloftheTwoSisters,Sala de Las Dos Hermanas.

"Theso-calledRe-conquest,certainly,
spelledthedestructionofaunique
societyinwhichMuslims,Jewsand
Christianshadlivedandworkedside
bysideforsevencenturies,their
culturesandlanguagesintertwining.
The16thcenturybroughtsuspicion,
persecution,fear,intolerance:the
Inquisition.Itwas,inLorca'swords'a
disaster'thatledtoGranada'losing
it'ssoul.' " - Ian Gibson, NY Times:
'Literary Pilgrimages: Federico Garcia
Lorca', 1998

"Thereisstillasadnessabout
Granadatoday.Perhapsitisthe
awarenessthatmorethanoncethecity
hasalloweditstreasurestoperish...
LorcaperceivedtheAlhambraasa
'jasmineofgrief'"- Leslie Stainton, NY
Times: 'The Granada of Federico Garca
Lorca', 1986

Sala de los Mocrabes- Vault

A Hall in the Palace of the Lions

Carlos V Palace

Alhambra transformed
radically following the reconquest by the Christian
Monarchs, who changed the
palace and its surroundings.
The Renaissance Palace of
Charles V, a royal residence for
the emperor, is evidence of this
transformation. It connects to
the Palaces of Comares and
Leones as an extension. The
design is austere and very
distinct from the delicate
Nasrid palaces, with rooms
and galleries organized on two
levels in the curved interior,
with the square exterior. It
utilizes marble in large scale
proportions, in contrast to the
humble plaster stone and wood
of the Alhambra. The forced
integration of an alien form
and structure invades the
space and eliminates links
between the town and the
Moorish palaces as it sits along
the route of the Calle Real
Baja. The structure can be
seen as a manifestation of the
triumph of Christianity and
the Roman Empire over Islam
and the Nasrid dynasty; an
Integration of two different
worldviews, at the expense of
the partial destruction and
upheaval of the Nasrid city..
(Escobar, The Alhambra Structure
and Landscape.2007)

'The Palace of the Lions

has always been praised for
the balanced composition of
architecture, vegetation,
and water...the hierarchical
order and the symmetrical
patterns that govern the
organization of the
structure and the spaces in
the Palace seem to have
applied to the uses of
fountains and channels as
well, creating an integrated
architectonic ensemble of
water and built elements'
- Nasser Rabbat, 'The Palace of
the Lions, Alhambra and the
Role of Water in its
Conception'. Environmental
Design: Journal of the Islamic
Environmental Design
Research Centre (1985) 64-73

Patio de los Leones with the

dodecagonal basin and the 12
Lions fountain - the main court
and the nucleus of the Palace
of the Lions of the Alhambra 35mx20m, 124 marble
columns, four-axes channels.

"...There was a basin brimming, like

Solomon's basin...lions
stood around its edge with wells in
their innards, and mouths gushing
water; they made you think of whelps
that roar for prey; for they had wells
inside them, wells that emitted water
in streams through their mouths like
rivers..."
- Ibn Gabirol, (ca. 1021- 1058 CE),"The
Palace and the Garden", Hebrew Poet

An alabaster basin supported by figures of

twelve lions in white marble symbols of
strength and courage with an ode inscribed
around the basin:

"...A Pearly sculpture of translucent

light. That enlightens with the
flickering gems all of the
surroundings. The silver is melting
then it flows between jewels. To become
analogous to them in beauty, that is to
become pure white"

Patio of the Lions

Patio de Lindaraja
or Jardines de Daraxa:
Inside the cloistered calm
of the lower garden, viewed
from the Mirador de
Lindaraja, - room with the
inscription: "... I am not
alone for from here I look
over a lovely garden; no
eyes have ever beheld
anything similar to it. This
is a crystal palace...Here
breathe fresh breezes; the
air is healthy and the
zephyr agreeable. I join
together all beauties in the
same way that the stars in
the high firmament steal
their light from them.
Surely I am in this garden
an eye filled with joy and
the pupil of this eye is
veritably my lord."
Washington Irving had
looked down from the above
room were he resided while
writing "Tales of the
Alhambra" Cypresses,
acacias, orange trees and
myrtle surround the
central marble fountain.

"...gardensunderwhichriversflow,todwelltherein,andbeautifulmansionsingardensof
everlastingbliss..."(Qur'an9:72,Chapter:TheRepentance)
'ThetraditionalIslamicgardenisanearthlyreflectionofParadise,andthewordparadiseitself
comesfromtheMiddlePersianwordparadis,meaninggarden,andisalsotheoriginofthe
Arabicfirdaws,meaningparadiseandgarden.Usingthesymbolofthegarden,theQuranrefers
toParadiseitselfasaGarden...Sufism...thepathtotheGardenand,onthehighestlevelandin
itsinnerreality,the'content'oftheGardenaswellasthemeansofreachingthepresenceofthe
Gardener.'-SeyyedHosseinNasr,'TheGardenofTruth'
"AndariverwentoutofEdentowaterthegarden;andfromthenceitwasparted,andbecame
intofourheads.ThenameofthefirstisPison:thatis,itwhichcompasseththewholelandof
Havilah,wherethereisgold;Andthegoldofthatlandisgood:thereisbdelliumandtheonyx
stone.AndthenameofthesecondriverisGihon:thesameisitthatcompasseththewholeland
ofEthiopia.AndthenameofthethirdriverisHiddekel:thatisitwhichgoethtowardtheeastof
Assyria.AndthefourthriverisEurphrates"(Genesis2:10-14KJV)
Thefour-foldgardenlayoutfoundinthecourtyardsofAndalucianPalacesisdividedinfour
partsandirrigatedbyawaterchannelandcanalludetothefourriversofParadise.Asymbolic
expressionormetaphorthatevokesaparadisialsettingandapoeticphysicaltranslationofa
metaphysicalimageofparadiseasdepictedinthesacredscriptures.InArabicthewordfor'eye'
alsosignifiesa'spring'or'fountain'.IbnArabimakesuseofthisconnectioninhisdescriptionsof
thegardensofparadise:Thegardenasametaphorfortheheart;itscentrebeingthisspring,
whichwatersandvivifiesthegarden,spreadingoutfromthiscentre,carriesmystical
associations.ThePersianCharbagh isanothertermforthequadrilateralgardendividedby
walkwaysorflowingwaterintofourgardensegments.InPersian,'Char'means'four'and'bagh'
means'garden'.
"Attheheartoftraditionalcitystructuresarethetradition'sspiritualprinciples.Theartsare
amongthemostimportantanddirectformsthatechotranscendentarchetypes...Islamicartisa
reflectionintheworldofmatter,ofthespiritandformsfromQuranicrevelation(carrying)
symbolicandmetaphysicalsignificance.ThemostfundamentalprincipleofIslamictraditionis
Unity-Tawheed.TraditionalIslamiccitieshavesoughttointegrateallofitsfeaturestoleadto
thissenseofunity,witharchitecturethatalsorelatestocosmology.Traditionalmanlivedina
universethatwasmeaningful.Man-themicrocosmhimselfwasconnectedtotheuniverse,the
macrocosm."-Ardalan,Bakhtiar.'The Sense of Unity'(1973)

"Thus the symbol is a

material representation of
immaterial qualities and
functions. It is an
objectification of things
subjective in us and
subliminal in nature,
awakening us to a
perception of the world
which may make us aware
of a knowledge contained in
our soul."
-R.A.SchwallerdeLubicz,
'Symbol and the
Symbolic'(1978)

"Through myth, image, and

geometric proportion (they)
were able to encapsulate in
their writing and
architecture the basic
pattern structures of the
natural universe."-R.A.
SchwallerdeLubicz,'The
Temple in Man'1981

ibnArabi'sdiagramofthe
micro/macro-cosm

"Enter my garden, which

is my veil..."

- Ibn Arabi

Palacio de Generalife
(From the Arabic: Jannat
al-'Arif' or Mystic/Gnostic's
Garden/Paradise) Terraced
garden and country house or
'Casa de Campo' of the
Alhambra complex: once
accommodated a lifestyle of
contemplation and remains a
vestige of their spirit.

"Rhythm is the root of

life and culture, and is
inseparable from our
human condition."
-AlbertoPerezGomez,
'Built upon Love' (2008)

"I thrust my hand to

grasp the glowing seed
and plant it in my being:
someday it should grow."
-OctavioPaz(1914-1998)

"Order becomes beauty

beyond infinite planes
and the undeciphered
dense text, a mosaic
flower, fiery. Chaos
tamed in fullness,
spring."-OridesFontela
(1940-1998)

Waterholdsthesecretsof
thepalace'sgardensconstructedchannelsand
aqueductsconveyedwater
fromthesnowcapped
mountainsandriverDarro
totheSabicahill.A
networkofsmallchannels
linkfountainsandpools
throughcomplexsystems,
narrowingbendingand
slopingtomaneuverthe
currentandthrustofwater
flow.Watercreatesa
coolingmicro-climate.Still
waterbasinsandreflective
poolsalsoactasmirrorsfor
thearchitecture.

Patio de la Acequia (Acequia

orsequiacomesfromthe
Arabic'Saqiya'or'Aqueduct')
Alongpoolsurroundedby
flowerbeds,fountains,
colonnades&pavilions,
thoughttobethebest
preservedAndalusiangarden
ofmedievaltimes

"...Then there were

canals with does planted
by them, does that were
hollow, pouring water,
sprinkling the plants
planted in the gardenbeds, casting pure water
upon them, watering the
myrtle-garden, treetops
fresh and sprinkling,
and everything was
fragrant as spices,
everything as if it were
perfumed with myrrh.
Birds were singing in the
boughs, peering through
the palm-fronds,
and there were fresh and
lovely blossoms - rose,
narcissus, saffron..."
- Ibn Gabirol, "The Palace
and the Garden" (ca.10211058 CE)

"Vines spring through the cracks of the

broken walls, and hang from all their
branches fantastic tendrils and leaves
resembling the tracery of Arabian
ornaments ... Everything flourishes
and blooms in a tangled disorder full
of the most charming effects of chance.
A straying branch of jasmin mingles
its white stars with the scarlet flowers
of the pomegranate, and a laurel leaps
from one side of the road to the other to
embrace a cactus, not-withstanding its
thorns." - Theophile Gautier, 'Prose and
Poetry of Andalusia' (19th c.)

Jardin de la Sultana - Gardens

hovering over a forgotten city. A maze of
indoor-outdoor rooms, passages and
courtyards, water basins and fountains,
porticoes, and thresholds, leading one
through sequential spaces, cloisters and
symmetrical gardens, of myrtle and roses,
jasmin and laurels, pomegranates and
aloe, oleander and fig trees, oak and
pistachio trees, cypresses and orange trees.

"...Icarenotfor
grandeur,Icarenotfor
power,Ilanguishonly
forrepose;wouldthatI
hadsomequietretreat
whereImighttake
refugefromtheworld,
andallitscares,and
pompsandtroubles,and
devotetheremainderof
mydaystotranquility
andlove." - Washington
Irving, 'Alhambra' (1832)

"Ifyoulooktheright
way,youcanseethatthe
wholeworldisa
garden."- Frances
Hodgson Burnett, 'The
SecretGarden'(1911)

"Andthesecretgarden
bloomedandbloomed
andeverymorning
revealednewmiracles."
-Ibid

Jardn de la Sultana

Royal Bath section with 8 pointed star skylights piercing the 'Quba' or dome for lighting and
for ventilation (Source: D. Rafael Manzano Martos, School of Architecture - University of Notre Dame, USA)
"The discovery of the structures related to the water, the underground passages and galleries that I
came across by surprise. The observation of the binding relationships between the citadel, the
Gerneralife and the enormous surrounding area, and the all-pervading relationship with that
mysterious ravine, the valley of the river Darro...I understand (the nature of the Alhambra) as a set of
structures, creating a special symbiosis between architecture and nature, and designing a landscape
of intense human dimension." - Escobar. The Alhambra Structure and Landscape. (2007)

'A section through the Court of Myrtles showing the lines of view from the Hall of the
Ambassadors: follows the same general organization of a Granadine regular residence with a
rectangular pool surrounded by four units on the longitudinal sides and a main reception hall to
the north that overlooks the city.' (Source: Aga Khan Islamic Architecture Program, Course 4.611/13 , MIT)

La Piedra y el Agua - water channel

incorporated in the Handrails: a stair qanat
irrigation system in Generalife. Water is
integrated in the architecture and landscape in
intriguing ways. Whether in central collecting
points, deep pools, shallow basins, stream jets,
sunken bowls fed by visible & invisible channels
incorporated in walkways, stairways, above or
underground, nourishing sun-drenched patios
traversed by culverts. Water courses through
the palace, supplied from the river Darro at the
foot of Sabika Hill, with underground cisterns,
canals or Acequia, water wheels, and lead to the
development of the gardens.
"And then the rhythm of water, but not mad
water that goes wherever it wants. Water with
tempo, rather than murmur, water that is wellmeasured & precise as it follows its geometrical,
rhythmic course through the irrigation ditches.
Water that irrigates & sings here below & water
that suffers & weeps, full of tiny white violins,
there in the Generalife. There is no play of water
in Granada; that is left for Versailles where the
water is a spectacle, and where it is abundant as
the sea, proud mechanical architecture with no
sense of song. The water of Granada slakes our
thirst. It is living water that becomes part of
whoever drinks it or hears it or wants to die in it.
It suffers a passion of jets d'eau & lies down to
die in the reflecting pool. Juan Ramon Ramirez
has said it like this: 'What pain & what despair
at being laid about! And what sonamubulistic
repetition as She reaches the last corner. What
banging on her head against the final walls! The
water falls asleep & dreams of being stripped of
tears!'" - Federico Garcia Lorca on the meaning
of water in Granada: 'How a City Sings: From
November to November, San Francisco. 1984.

"I have no guide,

In finding their traces
Except the perfumed
breath,
Given forth by their
love."
-IbnArabi,Doctor
Maximus(1165-1240)

"look for the garden

within yourself, in your
indestructible divine
Substance, which then
will give you a new and
imperishable garden."
-FrithjofSchoun,'The
Garden'(2003)

Generalifeexit

"The essential nature of the unseen is in pure light"

- Ibn Arabi, 'Optics as Metaphysics'

"...The unseen is in your own soul"

- Dr. Sir Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938)

The Nasrid kingdom which gave rise to the Alhambra were preoccupied with beauty
and perpetuity, but not permanence. The fragile fortress and its gardens can be seen
as a metaphor for this.

"God is Beautiful, and He loves Beauty" - saying of prophet Mohammed

ViewtoAlbaicnandSacromonte-labyrinthineundulatingstreetsandwhitewashed
houseswithinnercourtsorgardens'crmenes'.IntheneighbourhoodofSacromonte
gypsiesstillliveincavedwellings.

"With these thoughts I pursued my way among the mountains. A little further
and Granada, the Vega and the Alhambra, were shut from my view; and thus
ended one of the pleasantest dreams of a life, which the reader perhaps may
think has been too much made up of dreams."

-WashingtonIrving:Alhambra (1832)

"Thought affects action.

The connection between
thought and action is a
reciprocity between our
embodied consciousness
and the world. If you
change your words you
change what you make
and you change the
world ...Without
language there's no
imagination...Words
colour what we can
make..." - Alberto Perez
Gomez, lecture on the
dyanmics of language/
hermeneutics, 2002

floral pathways

"I am totally Spanish...

but I am a brother to all
men and I detest anyone
who sacrifices himself
for an abstract
nationalist idea only
because he loves his
country with a blindfold
on his eyes. A good
Chinese is closer to me
than a bad Spaniard. I
sing of Spain and feel
Spain in the marrow of
my bones, but above all I
am a citizen of the world
and brother to all."
- Federico Garcia Lorca

"Green oh how I love you

green. Green wind.
Green boughs..."
- Federico Garcia Lorca,
'Sleepwalking Ballad', from
the Gypsy Ballads, 1928

Side-trip to Malaga, Picasso's

Hometown, which borders all
three provinces: Granada,
Cordoba, & Sevilla

"Truepoemsofcantejondoare
attributabletonooneatallbutfloat
onthewindlikegoldenthistledown
andeachgenerationclothestheminits
owndistinctivecolour,inreleasing
themtothefuture...

25.07'05 Granada : 22:00 h.

Truepoemsofcantejondoarein
essencetiedtoaweathervaneofthe
idealthatshowsthedirectionofthe
windsofTime...

A two part production titled

"Dilogo del Amargo" written by
the choreographer Mario Maya,
stages flamenco performances
celebrating Lorca's Cante Jondo.
The three key elements of Lorca's
thought are showcased: time, love
and death, for whom time is the
permanent search for happiness
glimpsed but lost, love is an
impossible dream and death, the
inevitable resolution of all
life's emotions.

Theyarebornofthemselves,onemore
treeinthelandscape;onemorestream
inthepoplargrove...
Woman,theheartoftheworldand
immortalpossessorof'therose,the
lyre,andthescienceofharmony'
inhabitstheendlesshorizonsofthese
poems.Thewomanofdeepsongis
calledSuffering..."
- Lorca, CanteJondo

''IfbythegraceofGodIbecome
famous,''hetoldthecrowd,''halfof
thatfamewillbelongtoGranada,
whichformedmeandmademewhat
Iam:apoetfrombirthandunableto
helpit" - Lorca, 1929

Patio de Butacas Pares - Palacio

de Carlos V. Alhambra
A visceral outdoor full moon
evening performance at the Palace
of Carlos V in the Alhambra

"Onlymysteryallowsusto
live,onlymystery."
-Federico Garca Lorca

2005
Production
pamphlet

Duende - 'emotion and authenticity in Spanish art forms that comes from a
people whose culture is enriched by diaspora and hardship, the human
condition of joys and sorrows - the spirit of evocation, eerie and inexplicable
'soul' that lives in the heart of certain works of art.' - Teora y juego del
duende" (Theory and Play of the Duende); Maurer (1998) pp. 48-62."
"...that mysterious power that everyone feels but no philosopher can explain."
- Goethe (1749-1832) on Duende

"The Gypsy is the highest,

the deepest, the most
genuine, and the greatest
aristocrat of my country;
also the guardian of the
alphabet, the blood, and
the marrow of the
Andalucian truth"
- Federico Garcia Lorca
(1898-1936)
Flamenco - a genre of
music and dance that
originated in the southern
Spanish region of
Andalusia in the late 18th
c. and has its foundation in
classical Andalusian music
and dance, evolved
primarily by Andalusian
Gypsies, and developed in
'cafs cantantes'. Ziryb
(8/9th c. iberia) - Cordoba's
court musician immigrated
from Baghdad to Cordoba,
and greatly influenced
Andalusian classical music,
fashion, and culture,
making Cordoba the
stylistic capital of its time.
At the home of the hospitable
family we met in the square.

"Do you not see how He

created seven heavens in
layers?" (Qur'an 71:15,
chapter: 'Noah')

"We have built above

you seven strong
heavens and placed a
blazing lamp." (Qur'an
78:12-13, chapter: 'The
Tidings')

"And by the night when

it draws in, and by the
dawn when it breathes
in." (Qur'an 81:17-18)
"He rules the cosmic
affair from the heavens
to the Earth. Then this
affair travels/ascends to
Him a distance in one
day, at a measure of one
thousand years of what
you count." (Qur'an 32:5)
An Enchanting evening

Sierra Nevada - a snow capped cloud hovering above Granada's skies. Study sketch.

"We're only instruments of a greater power. We're creators by permission, by grace as it

were. No one creates alone, of and by himself. An artist is an instrument that registers
something already existent, something which belongs to the whole world, and which, if he
is an artist, he is compelled to give back to the world." - Henry Miller, The Rosy Crucifixion I

Granada: The word in Spanish means pomegranate. "The fruit is hard and
skull-like on the outside," wrote Lorca, "but on the inside it contains 'the blood of
the wounded earth'..."I remember Granada as one should remember a sweetheart
who has died.'' - Federico Garcia Lorca

"Iadviseyou,andallmychildren,myrelatives,andwhosoeverreceivesthismessage,
tobeconsciousofGod,toremoveyourdifferences,andtostrengthenyourties.Iheard
yourgrandfather(prophetMohammed),peacebeuponhim,say:"Reconciliationofyour
differencesismoreworthythanallprayersandfasting."- Ali ibn Abi Taleb, 7th c.,.an

important figure within mystical Islam

"withallhumilityand
gentleness,with
patience,bearingwith
oneanotherinlove,
eagertomaintainthe
unityoftheSpiritinthe
bondofpeace."
(Ephesians4:2-3)

"...Godislove,and
whoeverabidesinlove
abidesinGod,andGod
abidesinhim"
(1John4:16)

aweddinginGranada
Cathedral

"Deeply investigate your

inherited spiritual
traditions."
- Native Indian saying

"Do everything in
love." (1 Corinthians
16:14)

Mother of the Groom in black

lace at the wedding ceremony a symbol of grievance at the
loss of her son in marriage

"But the wisdom that

comes from heaven is
first of all pure; then
peace loving,
considerate, submissive,
full of mercy and good
fruit, impartial and
sincere. Peacemakers
who sow in peace raise a
harvest of
righteousness." (New
Testament, James 3:17-18)

"Peace I leave with you; my

peace I give you. I do not
give to you as the world
gives. Do not let your
hearts be troubled and do
not be afraid." (New
Testament, John 14:27)

The Free Spirit of Al Andalus-'Muslims,Christians,andSephardicJews

livedinrelativeharmonyandtherewasafreeexchangeofideasandlearning
betweenscholarsofallfaiths.Itwasfromherethattheknowledgewhich
fuelledthesocalledRenaissancetrickledintoItaly,France,andtherestof
Europe...demonstratingthatAndalusiancivilizationisoneofthecornerstones
ofWesternculture.'-RichardMarcus,Qantara.de(2010)
"DonotarguewiththepeopleoftheBook...andsay:webelieveinwhatwas
revealedtousandinwhatwasrevealedtoyou,andourGodandyourGodis
One;toHimwesubmit"(FinalTestament-Qur'an29:46)
"The reader must seek the truth from whatever source it has emanated, even if it
should emanate from races distant from us and nations different from us. For
nothing is more fitting for the seeker than the pursuit of truth itself."

-AlKindi(c.801-873CE)AbuYusufYaqubibnIshaqas-Sabbahal-Kindi,aMuslimArab
philosopher,mathematician,physician,andmusician.Al-Kindiwasthefirstofthe
Muslimperipateticphilosophers,andisunanimouslyhailedasthefatherofIslamicor
Arabicphilosophy.

"True knowledge is not tied in any way to the transitory world but rather is the
grasp of the eternal and unchanging forms causative of things of this world."
-IbnBajjahorAvempace,(1095-1138)Andalucianphilosopher,poet&physician,
'Treatise on Conjunction with the Intellect'

"Beware of becoming delimited by a specific knotting and disbelieving in

everything else, lest great good escape you...Be in yourself a matter for all forms
of all beliefs, for God is wider and more tremendous than that He should be
constricted by one knotting rather than another."
-IbnArabi(1165-1240),'Fusus Al Hikam',113.

"It is He Who created Night and Day and the Sun and Moon, each one swimming in a
sphere" (Final Testament, Qur'an 21:33, chapter: 'The Prophets)

"And verily in the skies We have set constellations and beautified it for
beholders." (Qur'an 15:16, chapter 'The Rocky Tract')

"We shall show them Our Signs. On the horizon (in nature and in history) And within
their own souls. Until it is clear to them. That it is indeed the Truth". (Qur'an, 41:53)

"It is He who made the sun a source of radiant light and the moon a reflected light, and
has determined for it phases so that you may know the number of years and to measure
time." (Qur'an 10:5, chapter: 'Jonah')

"And He who made the night for rest and sun and moon for reckoning of time.
This is the decree of the Exalted, the All-knowing" (Qur'an 6:96)

8-pointed star and Quadripartite division: a motif that transcends Islamic iconography to
encompass many other traditions, Christian, Buddhist, Native Indian, and many others, as it is
rooted in primordial symbolism and knowledge, and has come to be associated with the division of
time, cardinal points and coordinates. A primal compass, with a connection to prophet Abraham as
traced in the ruins of the Sumerian city of Ur.

"Make every effort to live in

peace with all men and to
be holy; without holiness
no one will see the Lord."
(New Testament, Hebrews
12:14)

"And God Said: O Jesus,

son of Mary! Remember My
blessings upon you and
your mother; how I
strengthened you with the
holy Spirit, enabled you to
speak to mankind in the
cradle as in maturity; and
how I taught you the
Scripture, Wisdom, the
Torah and the Gospel; and
how you did shape from
clay the likeness of a bird
by My permission, and did
blow upon it and it became
a live bird by My
permission, and you healed
the blind and the leper by
My permission, and revived
the dead by My
leave..." (Qur'an 5:110)

Monasterio de la Cartuja Granada

"When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said
to them, 'I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For
I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of
God." (New Testament, Luke 22:14-16)
"When the disciples said: O Jesus, son of Mary! Is your Lord able to send down
for us a table spread with food from heaven? He said: Observe your duty to God,
if ye are true believers. They said: We desire to eat of it and our hearts be at
rest, and that We may know that you have spoken truth to us, and that We may
be witnesses thereof. Jesus, son of Mary, said: 'O God, our Lord, send down for
us a Table laden with food out of heaven, that shall be for us a recurring
festival, the first and last of us, and a miracle from You. And provide us our
sustenance, for You are the best of providers!" (Qur'an 5:112-114)

Cartuja Monastery

"Two truths cannot contradict one another."

- Ibn Rushd (Averroes) of Cordoba, 12th c. Andalucian polymath

"Ideologies separate us.

Dreams and anguish
bring us together."
- Eugene Ionesco
(1909-1994)

"The soul of the Lord

hates...those who love
violence" (Psalms 11:5)

'The most dangerous

masses of humanity are
the ones whose veins
have been injected with
the venom of fear - the
fear of change.'
- Octavio Paz (1914-1998)

"And you are to love the stranger, for you yourselves were
strangers in Egypt." (Old Testement, Deuteronomy 10:19)

"Being from Granada gives me a sympathetic understanding of those who are

persecuted, of the gypsy, the negro, the Jew, of the Moor which all Granadinos
carry inside them."
- Federico Garcia Lorca
Era la misma
pena cantando
detrs de una sonrisa.
He was anguish itself
singing behind a smile.
- Lorca, epitaph for flamenco singer Juan Breva

"I behold graves of

ancient time, of days
long past, wherein a
people sleeps the eternal
sleep."-MosesIbnEzra,
12c.Jewishpoetfrom
Granada

"I am proud that I

belong to all humanity,
not to a few but to many,
and that here I am
surrounded by their
invisible presence."

-PabloNeruda(1904-1973)

"Look at every path

closely and deliberately,
then ask ourselves this
crucial question: Does
this path have a heart? If
it does, then the path is
good. If it doesn't, it is of
no use." - Carlos
Castaneda(1925-1998)

"Wisdom is better than

weapons of war"
(Old Testament,
Ecclesiastes 9:18)

"Make every effort to do

what leads to
peace" (New Testament,
Romans 14:19)

"And God summons to

the abode of peace, and
leads whom He wills to
the straight path" (Final

Testament, Quran 10:25,

chapter: 'Jonah')

"Whereby God guideth

all who seeketh His
approval unto paths of
peace. He leadeth them
out of darkness unto
light by His will, and
guideth them unto a
straight path."
(Qur'an 5:16)

NightdrivewithuncleTahertoPinosGenil
AmemorableTapasdinnerbytheriverGenil

"So I say to the Wind of evening

Go, then, catch up with them
In the shadows of the dense wood...For
that is their intimate abode. Pass on to
them a greeting of Peace..."
-IbnArabi(1165-1240CE)

Paella: staple of Spanish cuisine - from the Arabic 'Baqaya' or 'leftovers'

"It is a pity indeed to travel and not get this essential sense of landscape values.
You do not need a sixth sense for it. It is there if you just close your eyes and
breathe softly through your nose; you will hear the whispered message, for all
landscapes ask the same question in the same whisper. 'I am watching you -- are
you watching yourself in me?' Most travelers hurry too much...the great thing is
to try and travel with the eyes of the spirit wide open, and not too much factual
information. To tune in, without reverence, idly -- but with real inward attention.
It is to be had for the feeling...you can extract the essence of a place once you
know how. If you just get as still as a needle, you'll be there."
- Lawrence Durrell, 'Spirit Of Place: Letters And Essays on Travel', 1969

en route to Cordoba

"My earliest memories of childhood have a flavor of earth . . . shepherds,

meadows, sky, solitude." - Federico Garcia Lorca (1898-1936)
"It is He Who sends out the winds, bringing advance news of His mercy, so that
when they have lifted up the heavy clouds, We dispatch them to a dead land and
send down water to it, by means of which We bring forth all kinds of
fruit..." (Quran 7:57)
"Behold, thy lord said to the angels: 'I will create a vicegerent on earth.' "
(Quran 2:30)

Passing through the white towns to Cordoba

While the rest of Europe was languishing during the Dark Ages, al-Andalus
thrived, and Cordoba was its capital. Its scholars created a society that
inherited and built upon the legacy of ancient learning, Hellenistic, Persian,
Indian, and so forth. As capital of al-Andalus until its fall in 1236, Cordoba was
a city of half a million people. Students and merchants flocked to Cordoba from
all over Europe, Africa and even Asia. Its libraries boasted hundreds of
thousands of volumes, its palaces, hospitals, and baths were renowned for their
opulence and its luxury goods were coveted all over Europe.
(Nawawi Foundation: http://www.nawawi.org)

"...ToCordobabelongallthebeautyandornamentsthatdelighttheeyeordazzle
thesight.HerlonglineofSultansformhercrownofglory;hernecklaceisstrung
withthepearlswhichherpoetshavegatheredfromtheoceanoflanguage;her
dressisofthebannersoflearning,well-knittogetherbyhermenofscience;and
themastersofeveryartandindustryarethehemofhergarments.Art,
literatureandscienceprosperedastheythenprosperednowhereelseinEurope.
Mathematics,astronomy,botany,history,philosophyandjurisprudencewereto
bemasteredinSpain,andSpainalone.Whatevermakesakingdomgreatand
prosperous,whatevertendstorefinementandcivilization,wasfoundinMuslim
Spain..."- Stanley Lane-Poole, 'TheMoorsofSpain'(1896)

"History is a mirror of
the past and a lesson for
the present"
-Sa'diShirazi(1184-1291)
Persianpoet

"Arriving at each new

city, the traveler finds
again a past of his that
he did not know he had:
the foreignness of what
you no longer are or no
longer possess lies in
wait for you in foreign,
unpossessed places."
-ItaloCalvino,'Invisible
Cities' (1974)

'Crdoba'

Illustrationby:JorgePea/
HelenCater

Crdoba
The earliest learning centre in Andalusia dating back to the 9th and 10th c. with the
famous library and university that brought scholars from around the world. Cordoba
developed into an intellectual capital of Europe, a 'torch of scholar-ship' and scientific
progress in the darkness of the middle ages, spurred by a belief system that unifies all
sciences, philosophy and theology, as inspired by callings of faith and the search for
truth. Mystics and philosophers of the time, the likes of Ibn Arabi urged the spread of
compassion, love and peace among all faiths and beliefs, and called for dialogue and coexistence, and advocated a pluralist world view. Book culture in al Andalus propagated
teachings that entailed translation and exchange, importing paper, languages, new
methods and tools and becoming a true cross-roads for learning and an exporter of
knowledge to the rest of Europe and the New World. The calling for the pursuit of the
Divine through the acquisition of knowledge, or Gnosis, was a driving force for the
polymaths and spiritual seekers of the period: "Toacquireknowledgeisbindingupon
allMuslims,whethermaleorfemale."- Apostle Mohammed (7th c.)
"Fornearlyeightcenturies,underMoorishrule,SpainsetallEuropeashiningexampleof
acivilizedandenlightenedstate.Herfertileprovincesrendereddoublyprolific,bythe
industriousengineeringskilloftheconquerorsborefruitahundredfold,cities
innumerablesprangupintherichvalleysintheGuadalquivirandtheGuadianawhose
names,andnamesonlycommemoratethevanishedgloriesoftheirpast."
- Stanley Lane-Poole, 'TheMoorsinSpain' (1896)

"...TheheightofgnosisisHisconfirmation...TheheightofconfirmationisTawhid
(Oneness/unity)...Heisnotboundbyanything;allthingsareboundbyHim...Heis
infinite,limitless,boundless,beyondTime,beyondSpace,beyondimagination...Heexisted
whentherewasnothing...Hewillexistforever...Hisexistenceisnotsubjecttothelawsof
birthordeath...Heismanifestineverything,butHeisdistinctfromeverything...Heis
unique...Hehasnopartner...HeisTheCreator...HecreatesasHedestroys...Allthingsare
subjecttoHiscommand...ifHeordersathingtobethenitwillbe" - Ali ibn Abi Talib, on
Gnosis and the divine.

"Cordoba, Lejana y Sola..."

-Lorca,'Rider's Song',FromAndalusian
Songs (1927)

"I have always imagined that Paradise

will be a kind of library."
-JorgeLuisBorges(1899-1986)

"What harbor can receive you more

securely than a great library?"

-ItaloCalvino, 'If on a Winter's Night a

Traveler' (1979)

'The city, however, does not tell its past,

but contains it like the lines of a hand,
written in the corners of the streets, the
gratings of the windows, the banisters
of the steps, the antennae of the
lightning rods, the poles of the flags,
every segment marked in turn with
scratches, indentations, scrolls'
-ItaloCalvino,'Invisible Cities' (1974)

CallejainCordoba,BarrioDeLaJuderia

"Scienceisthepoetryof
theintellectandpoetry
thescienceoftheheart's
affections."- Lawrence
Durrell, 'TheAlexandria
Quartet'(1960)

Moorish Design emphasizes

harmony between nature
and man, maximizing the
use of natural elements
and forces. The ethos of the
period is of manifesting
order and unity - to build a
world that reflects
equilibrium, serenity and
peace, evoking a tranquil
state of being. To seek a
regional order reflective of
cosmic order.

Calleja de Las Flores, Cordoba

"Thus an appropriate architecture for the present world,

beyond utopias of progress and universal civilization may
seek the embodiment of compassion and seduction through
beautiful form and responsible program."
-AlbertoPerez-Gomez,' Built upon Love'.p.201,(2008)

The old roman bridge or Puente Romano across River Guadalquivir in Cordoba or 'Corduba' as
founded by the ancient Roman empire

'To modernize is to adopt and to adapt, but it is also to re-create.' - Octavio Paz

The Guadalquivir River

dissects Cordoba, running
alongside built-up areas
and campos or plazas.
la Judera, the Jewish
quarter - an important
artistic and historic
neighbourhood where the
Mezquita and the Alczar
can be found, as well as a
large number of
monuments, such as the
the Puerta de Almodvar
and Synagogue. The
Historic Centre of Cordoba
is designated a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.

Cascading water basins in the

streets of the medieval Jewish
quarter, Judera, in Crdoba

'In the Golden Age of

Spain, Andalusian culture
made major contributions
to the European
Renaissance, & transmitted
philosophies and sciences
from the East - mainly
Syria, Iraq, and Persia and from ancient Greece.'
- AlfredIvry, 'Philosophy and
Science in Andalusia'
DepartmentsofMiddle
EasternStudiesandHebrew
andJudaicStudies,NYU

RunnelsinthePatiodelos
NaranjosorOrangeTree
Courtyard.Thechannelsare
designedforirrigation.The
walledcourtyardandits
fountainwerethesiteofritual
ablutionsbeforeprayer.Under
thetreesthereisalargealjibe
orwatertank.

"The more we know

about cultures, about the
structure of a society in
various periods of
history in different parts
of the world, the better
we are able to read their
built environment."
-SpiroKostoff,'The City
Shaped'(1991)

Puerta del Sagrarioonthe

EastfacadeoftheMezquitain
Cordoba.Sagrariomeaning
sacredreceptacle,or
tabernacle.SimilarUmayyad
stylearchitecturetreatmentis
foundinMadinatAlZahra'or
Azahara:'thePalaceCity'

"And a harvest of
righteousness is sown in
peace by those who
make peace."
(James 3:18)

'Thevisittothe
CathedralofCordoba
mayawakethedemand
andthequestforgreater
beautythatwillnot
witherwithtime.
BecauseBeauty,astruth
andrighteousness,are
anantidotefor
pessimism,andan
invitationtotake
pleasureinlife,a
shakingofthesoulthat
provokesthelongingfor
God."- a Reflection from

the Mezquita pamphlet

The Mezquita Cathedral a Renaissance addition to the

Catholic church/Mosque

Mezquita
Mihrab:
the qibla
wall
Opposite:
12c Quran
manuscript
from
Andalusia

Moorish power and legacy

in the Iberian Peninsula
lied in scholarly strength,
in scientific and cultural
progress rather than
military might.
Advances were made
particularly in Astronomy
and Botany, as well as in
Medicine, Maths, Physics,
Chemistry, Biology,
Anatomy, Logic, natural
Philosophy, Architecture,
Metaphysics, Ethics,
Political thought, secular
thought -Avveroism, & the
evolution of concepts like
Empiricism, Tabula Rasa,
nature versus nurture,
condition of possibility,
materialism, "existence
precedes essence", the
synthesis of Platonic and
Hermetic philosophy,
amongst other advances.

Cordoba's Mezquita or Mosque was once a shared house of worship: on

Fridays for Muslims, Saturdays for Christians, Sundays for Jews - later
turned Catedral de la Santa Iglesia. A vast forest of hundreds of delicate
marble columns and elegant arches, its mihrab is a dazzling composition
of mosaics sent as a gift by the Emperor of Byzantium. The mosque was built
as a series of extensions, entered through the Patio de los Naranjos

Mezquita or Grand Mosque - that contains a cathedral within, is likened to an anthology or book

"Man is either your brother in religion/faith or your brother in Humanity."

- Ali ibn Abi Taleb (598/600-661c)

"Love is half of wisdom"

- Ali ibn Abi Taleb , from "Peak of Eloquence"

Orangetreecourtsservedasante-chambersto
theinterioroftheMezquitaprovidingshade

"A garden is a delight to the eye

and a solace for the soul."

Opposite:Poppiesfromthegardensofthe
AlczardelosReyesCristianosinCordoba

-Sa'diShirazi,(1184-1291)Persianpoet

Alczar de los Reyes Cristianos. Cordoba

Initially built in the 8th century as a caliphate residence, construction of the palace continued in the
13th-14th c. by order of Alfonso XI after the conquest of Cordoba. Today it stands on top of the
remains of the former Moorish palace and Roman remains, and is built within the Alcazaba fortress.
The Catholic Monarchs, Fernando and Isabel, lived there for eight years, and received Christopher
Columbus during his visit in 1486. The palace-fortress grounds include terraced renaissance
gardens and fountains of Moorish influence, two main courtyards, two Royal baths and vaults.
Although many elements appear Moorish and in the Mudejar style, they date back to different
stages of Christian occupation, and are mainly Gothic. (Source: UNESCO/CLT/WHC)

"The city of Crdoba was once

one of the great capitals of the
world...with a tradition of
learning and discourse... Even
now, after hundreds of years as
a fairly quiet provincial town,
it holds the keys to huge
tranches of our past, both
spiritual and intellectual...
Once a bustling Roman
metropolis, the jewel in the
crown of Arabic Andaluca and
cultural custodian during the
dark ages, Crdoba witnessed
the dawn of western
civilization" -BibivanderZee.
Crdoba: The City That Changed
The World. TheGuardian.

Behindthemaincastlewalls
elegantgardensdisplay
Moorishhorticulturetraditions
withavarietyofplants,orange
andlemontrees,cypresses,
palms,overlookingfountains
andlargebasins.Originally,
waterfromtheRiver
Guadalquivirwastransported
throughanaqueductfromthe
SierraMorenaandthe
Albolafiawaterwheel.The
scaleofelementsisdistinct
fromtheAlhambrainGranada
andtheAlcazarinSeville,and
onthewholeelementsareless
intricateanddetailedandthe
gardensappearlargerand
moremonumental.

"Every new beginning

comes from some other
beginning's end."
- Seneca, Roman
philosopher. Born in
Cordoba, once a centre of
Roman civilization,
founded in 152 BC. as the
elegant capital of their
Hispania Baetica

Preserved Roman and Visigoth

ruins alongside what are
possibly Moorish remains

"I may now add that

civilization is a process
in the service of Eros,
whose purpose is to
combine single human
individuals, and after
that families, then races,
peoples and nations, into
one great unity, the unity
of mankind." - Sigmund
Freud, Civilization and Its
Discontents (1929)

Eros & Psyche wall mosaic

at the Alcazar de Los Reyes
Cristianos, dating from the
end of the 3rd century AD of
the Early Roman Empire. The
four seasons are depicted in
the corners of the mosaic.

"Speak a new language

so that the world will be
a new world."

-JalaluddinRumi(13thc)

Triunfo de San RafaelPuenteRomano(1651):

SculptureofArchangel
Raphael,patronSaintof
Cordoba,placedinthemiddle
oftheRomanbridgeinthe
17thcentury."Hewhoheals",
isalsotheguardianofhealers,
pilgrimsortravellers.

"This is the true nature

of home -- it is the place
of Peace; the shelter, not
only from injury, but
from all terror, doubt
and division. '
- John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

Peering through wrought iron

gates and metal lace doorways
reveal/conceal/screen colourful
private courtyard gardens and
patios, full of flowerpots and
fountains - traces from the
Moorish past.

"BecauseofloveIhavebecomethegiveroflight."
-Rumi

"Onlyfromthe
heartcanyou
touchthesky."
-Rumi

White-washed
wallsand
cobbledstreets
inCordoba

Abu al-Hasan "Ali ibn Nafi," better known as Ziryab, arrived in Crdoba in 822 from
Baghdad, and had a musical reputation that impressed the court of the Umayyad
dynasty and its ruler Abd al-Rahman II with his virtuosic lute-playing and repertoire of
songs, some classic and others of his own invention.
Crdoba had just begun to develop a reputation for its prosperity and culture under the
ruling Umayyads in medieval Europe. However, Crdoba and the rest of the world still
lagged behind Baghdad in terms of arts, science, and trade. Stories of the opulence and
sophistication of Baghdad were famous throughout the world. Ziryab was already an
acclaimed musician at the court of Baghdad's Abbasid caliphs, and he studied under the
celebrated royal court musician Ishaq al-Mawsili. He developed new song styles and,
most famously, added a fifth string to the lute; an instrument that would later evolve
into the 'Ud (or Oud) and guitar.
It is said that Ziryab's talents aroused the anger and jealousy of his mentor, al-Mawsili,
and was forced into exile, never to return to the Round City and its Bayt al-Hikma
(House of Wisdom). With his guitar slung over his shoulder, Ziryab arrived in Crdoba, at
that time perhaps the most populous city in Europe. In addition to his prowess on the
lute, Ziryab quickly set about establishing new standards for beauty, style, and food,
which would have a lasting effect on not only Islamic Spain but all of Europe for
centuries to come. His courtly manners, breadth of interests and education, and
sophisticated conversation made Ziryab a favourite at the court. Though he mainly
circulated in the world of the Umayyad court, Ziryab's innovations spread across
different social and religious groups and trickled down to the merchant and artisan
classes and reaching even the peasantry. (Gluttons & Gourmands: Ziryab. June 5, 2012 (http://
vastmorsels.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/gluttons-gourmands-ziryab/)

The European lute derives both in name and form from the Arab instrument known as al
'Ud, which means literally 'the wood' - either because of its soundboard of wood as
distinct from a parchment skin stretched over the body, or because the body itself was
built up from wooden strips rather than made from a hollow gourd. The Arab 'Ud was
introduced into Europe by the Moors during their reign in Spain (711-1492). Pictorial
evidence shows Moorish 'Ud players, and 9th and 10th century accounts tell of visits of
famous players such as Ziryab to the court of the Andalusian emir 'Abd al Rahman II
(822-52). (Source: http://www.vanedwards.co.uk/history1.htm)

'Sevilla' - Illustration by: Jorge Pea/Helen Carter

Situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir along Paseo de Cristbal Coln, 'Toro del
Oro' watchtower overlooks Seville - Previously said to have been covered in golden tiles.
Today a Naval museum.

Sevilla (Arabic: Ishbiliya)

"IamnotquitesurewhetherIamdreamingorremembering,whetherIhave
livedmylifeordreamedit.Justasdreamsdo,memorymakesmeprofoundly
awareoftheunreality,theevanescenceoftheworld,afleetingimageinthe
movingwater."-EugeneIonesco(1909-1994)
ThesettingforBizet's"Carmen"aswellasMozart's"MarriageofFigaro",Seville,a
UNESCOcityofmusic,isasun-drenchedcityoforangeblossoms,flamencorhythms,
andthedelicioussmellsofSpanishcooking.Forcenturies,SevillewasSpain'slargest
cityandamajorgatewaythroughwhichthevastwealthoftheNewWorldpouredinto
Europe.TodayitisthecurrentcapitaloftheautonomouscommunityofAndalucia.The
Giralda,aformerveneratedminaretofthemosque,andthecurrentbelltowerofthe
cathedral,wastheculminationofAlmohadarchitectureandservedasamodelforthe
contemporaryminaretscapitalsofRabatandMarrakech.(NawawiFoundation)

BeneaththemountainssouthofSevillearenestledwhitevillagesthatdrape
acrossAndalusia'shilltopsandvalleys.Wewanderthesmallstreetsofold
Moorishquarters,withtheirdistinctivewroughtironbalconiesand
whitewashedhomes.
"Travelisfataltoprejudice,bigotry,andnarrow-mindedness,andmanyofour
peopleneeditsolelyontheseaccounts.Broad,wholesome,charitableviewsof
menandthingscannotbeacquiredbyvegetatinginonecorneroftheearthall
one'slifetime."-MarkTwain(1835-1910)
"Oneneverreacheshome...Butwherepathsthathaveanaffinityforeachother
intersect,thewholeworldlookslikehome,foratime."-HermannHesse(1877-1962)

"Only a poetry of
specifics, a poetry
emerging from everyday
events, can be conceived
as the appropriate
means to recover a sense
of spiritual purpose"
-OctavioPaz(1914-1998)

Barrio de Santa CruzThe

ancientquarterofSevillewith
smallwindingstreets,hidden
patiosandoncehometo
Seville'sformerJewish
community
OppositePage:Top-Torredel
Oro,thewatchtowerand
prisonbuilttocontrolaccessto
SevillealongtheQuadalquivir
river.Adodecagonaltructure
builtbytheAlmohaddynasty
inthe13thc.
Middle-Gardensinthe
Alczares Reales de Sevilla
Bottom-BaosdeDoaMara
dePadillaintheAlczares
Reales de Sevilla, entered
from the garden

CatchingcloudsinSeville

"In his 'Epistle of the Birds', Avicenna (c. 980-1037) likens the soul to a bird
tethered by the human body, seeking to free itself in search of knowledge...to
seek a state of intellectual immortality and happiness...to abstract from nation
and religion, from time and place, from language and culture, what makes one,
transcendentally, a...humanist voice of peace...A philosophy of peace beckons the
heart to free itself, the intellect-soul to immerse into the underlying humanity
that unites us all: Avicenna's bird, Absal, not one which is tied down by
contingent circumstances, such as religion or culture or language, or even place
or time, or associated with a specific community. Absal is the human-being's
quest for ultimate wisdom. A seeker's profession is to tour the world. Avicenna's
model philosopher is a "man-of-the-world", an "enlightenment" seeker of the
truth, an affiliate of free souls, not just of a specific culture religion or
geographic location." - From the 'Three Voices' sympsium presentation by Sari
Nusseibeh, University of Torino, 2008.

"Let yourself be silently

drawn by the stronger
pull of what you really
love"

-JalaluddinRumi(13thc)

"The wise man belongs to

all countries, for the
home of a great soul is
the whole world"
-Democritus,Greek
Philosopher(ca.460-ca.
370BC)

Outdoorrooms

"Tener duende' or 'having soul', a heightened state of emotion, expression and

authenticity, often connected with flamenco...El duende is the spirit of evocation.
It comes from inside as a physical/emotional response to music...Folk music in
general, especially flamenco, tends to embody (an) authenticity..."

-Maurer:'In Search of Duende'(1998)

Chivalry & Courtship in Andalusia

DiscussingtheconnectionbetweenArabic
'courtesy'andthatofSouthernFrance,
ReneNellisays:"The earliest, most
profound, and most decisive influence was
that of Muslim Spain."
InPlato'sSymposium,Pausanias
mentionstwodifferenttypesoflove,noble
andvulgar.Hereferstothesetypesoflove
as"HeavenlyLove"and"CommonLove"vieweddifferentlyasonefocusesonthe
bodymorethantothesoul.
"The12thc.wasthecenturyofthebirth
ofEurope,andinitemergedwhatlater
wouldbethegreatcreationsofcivilizationamongthemlyricpoetryandtheideaof
loveasawayoflife.Itwasthepoetswho
inventedcourtlylove...thetermcourtly
lovereflectsthemedievaldistinction
betweencourtandtown.Notvulgarlove...
butaloftysentiment,characteristicofa
noblecourt...purified,refinedlove."
-OctavioPaz,The Double Flame. (2001)

1934SevilleAprilFairposter-Feria de abril de
Sevilla,anannualweeklongSevillefairthat
takesplacetwoweeksafterEastertothisday,
anddatesbackto1847
Opposite:DancingSevillanasdressedin'farales'

Corrida de Toros
La Maestranza in Sevilla
(Plaza de toros de la Real
Maestranza de Caballera
de Sevilla) - the oldest
venue that held the first
bullfighting spectacle in
1765.
Bullfighting traces its roots
to pre-historic bull worship
and sacrifice. The killing of
the sacred bull (tauroctony)
is the essential central
iconic act of Mithras, which
was commemorated in the
mithraeum in Rome, a
place of worship for the
followers of the mystery
religion of Mithraism in the
Roman Empire.

Bullfighting Poster 1996

PassagetothePlazadeTorosdelaRealMaestranzadeCaballeradeSevilla

"If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to
man as it is, infinite"-WilliamBlake(1757-1827)

'A real tradition is not

the relic of a past that
is irretrievably gone; it
is a living force that
animates and informs
the present'
- Igor Stravinsky, Poetics of
Music in the Form of Six
Lessons (1947)

el arenal steps

"Be forgiving of your

friend when he offends
you, for perfection is
seldom ever found.
In everything there is
some flaw; even the
lamp, despite its
brilliance, smokes"
- Ibn al-Haddad (1087 CE)

el arenal bullring, Seville

"At the risk of seeming

ridiculous, let me say
that the true
revolutionary is guided
by a great feeling of
love...one must have a
great deal of humanity
and a strong sense of
justice and truth in
order not to fall into
extreme dogmatism and
cold scholasticism, into
isolation from the
masses. We must strive
every day so that this
love of living humanity
will be transformed into
actual deeds, into acts
that serve as examples,
as a moving force."
- Ernesto Guevara (1965)

Seville Cathedral
The Largest Gothic temple in
Europe, (15th c.) holding the
tomb of Christopher Columbus
- built on top of a mosque
(Mezquita Mayor) but
preserved it's courtyard 'Patio
de los Naranjos' as an access to
the cathedral.

"Love is patient,
Love is kind.
It does not envy,
It does not boast,
It is not proud.
It does not dishonour
others,
It is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered.
It keeps no record of
wrongs.
Love does not delight in
evil but rejoices with the
truth.
It always protects,
always trusts,
always hopes,
always perseveres.
Love never fails.."
(1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Seville Cathedral interior

TheGiralda(from'Giraldillo'
orweather vane,inreferenceto
thesculptureonitssummit)
wastheminaretofthemosque
thatwasreplacedbySeville
Cathedral.Consideredthe
culminationofAlmohad
architecture.Builtin1184-96.
Entrancetothetowerisfrom
insidethecathedral.Insteadof
stairs,thereare35gently
inclinedrampswideenough
fortwoguardsonhorsebackto
pass.Theclimboffersviewsof
thecathedral'sbuttressesand
gargoylesonthewayuptothe
observatoryplatformontop.

Baos
de Doa
Mara
de Padilla
in
Alczares
Reales
de Sevilla

"When you enter the garden, you enter yourself and know yourself..." - Ibn Arabi
"Wonder! a Garden amongst the flames!
My heart has become able
To take on all forms.
It is a pasture for gazelles,
For monks, an abbey.
For the idols, sacred ground,
Ka'ba for the circling pilgrim,
It is the tablets of the Torah
And also the leaves of the Koran
My creed is Love; Wherever its caravan turns,
That is my belief"
- Muhyyeddin Ibn Arabi (1165-1240 CE),
Andalusian Muslim mystic and poet"

Alczar of Seville - once a Moorish fort. It is the oldest royal palace still in use in
Europe, and the official residence of the Spanish royal family when in Seville

"And I have felt a

presence that disturbs
me with the joy
Of elevated thoughts: a
sense sublime
Of something far more
deeply interfused,
...Whose dwelling is the
light of setting suns, And
the round ocean and the
living air, And the blue
sky, and in the mind of
man: A motion and a
spirit, that impels
All thinking things, all
objects of all thought,
And rolls through all
things." -William
Wordsworth, "Tintern
Abbey" 1798

Patio de las Doncellas in Reales Alczares de Sevilla

with its delicate rooms and
lush gardens

Hispano-Moorish
decorative forms:
Almohad and Mudjar
style Architecture
Azulejo (from the Arabic
word zellij meaning
polished stone) HispanoMoresque tile cladding
with interlocking
curvilinear, geometric or
floral motifs famous in
Seville - both ornamental
and a cooling technique.
Mudjar style (12th c.) is a
symbiosis of techniques
and ways of understanding
architecture resulting from
Muslim and Christian
cultures living side by side
in the Iberian Peninsula.

"While we sleep here, we are awake elsewhere."

- Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986)

'In the same way, this Ocean of Light

is the Ocean of Darkness in relation to
the Ocean of Knowledge and Wisdom,
and Knowledge and Wisdom are the
water of life found in darkness.'
- Nasafi, on the inner illumination of
knowledge and wisdom (13 c.)

"The land deprived of skillful

irrigation of the Moors, grew
impoverished and neglected, the
richest and most fertile valleys
languished and were deserted, and
most of the populous cities which had
filled every district in Andalusia, fell
into ruinous decay; and beggars,
friars, and bandits took the place of
scholars, merchants and knights. So
low fell Spain when she had driven
away the Moors. Such is the
melancholy contrast offered by her
history." - Stanley Lane-Poole, The Moors
in Spain (1896)

Los Reales Alczares de Sevilla

"If the believer

understood the meaning
of the saying 'the colour
of the water is the colour
of the receptacle', he
would admit the validity
of all beliefs and he
would recognise God in
every form and every
object of faith."-Ibn
'Arabi,'Fuss al-Hikam'

"When the mirror of your

heart becomes clear and
pure, you'll behold
images which are outside
this world..."-Jelaluddin
Rumi(1207-1273)

'The Sufi's book is not of

ink and letters; it is
nothing but a heart
white as snow'-Rumi

RealesAlczares-Courtyard

"AndsovanquishedforeverfromtheSpanishterritorythisbrave,intelligentand
enlightenedpeople,whowiththeirresolutionandlabourinspiredlifeintotheland,which
thevainprideoftheGothscondemnedtosterility,andendoweditwithprosperityand
abundanceandwithinnumerablecanals,thispeoplewhoseadmirablecouragewas
likewise,inhappinessandadversity,astrongramparttothethroneoftheCaliphs,whose
genius,progressandstudyraisedinitscitiesaninternaledificeoflightwhichsentits
raysintoEuropeandinspireditwiththepassionofstudy,andwhosemagnanimous
spirittintedallitsactswithanunrivalledcolourofgrandeurandnobility,andendowed
itintheeyesofposteritywithasortofextraordinarygreatnessandcharmingcolourof
heroismwhichinvokesthemagicalagesofHomerandwhichpresentsthemtousinthe
garbofGreekhalf-gods." - Conde as quoted in Prescott, Philip II of Spain, Vol. III
"Thoughidealized...thereremainsanappreciationofthefactorsbehinditsdownfall.
Someofthesewereexternal,suchastheunificationandexpansionoftheChristian
kingdomsofSpainandthegeographicandpoliticalisolationofAl-Andalusfromtherest
oftheMuslimworld.TherewerealsointernalfactorsthatcontributedtothedeclineofAlAndalus,particularlytherivalriesthatweakenedanddividedIslamicSpain,thegreed
andself-indulgencethatgrippeditselites,andthelossofaunifyingreligiousvision...On
theotherhand,IslamicSpainwasanimmenselyfertilegroundforlearning,producinga
longseriesofintellectual,aestheticandscientificadvancesattributabletoMuslim,
ChristianandJewishthinkers....Thisblossomingwasdueinparttothespiritof
tolerancethatprevailedformuch,thoughnotall,ofthehistoryofAl-Andalus...Despite
thepassageof(over)500years,Al-Andaluscontinuestocastitsspell.Asthebirthplaceof
someoftheworld'soutstandingscholarsandartisans,homeofdazzlingarchitectural
masterpieces,andsettingofabrilliantsocietynotableforboththeheightofits
achievementsandthedepthsofitsdecadence,Al-Andalusretainsitsemotionalimpact
anditsprivilegedplaceinMuslimhistoricalmemory."-Greg Noakes, 'TheOther1492'(1993)
Alczares Reales de Sevilla - Courtyard of the Maidens,PatiodelasDoncellas

'Time is no longer
succession and becomes
what it originally was
and is: the present, in
which past and future
are reconciled."-Octavio
Paz(1914-1998)

"Words always fail when

what we're trying to
express is the truth."-

EugeneIonesco,playwright
(1909-1994)

"The Truth was much

more beautiful"
-AlejoCarpentier
(1904-1980)

StudysketchoftheBaosde
DoaMaradePadilla

"...the magic tower,

which rose above the
houses of the city, as a
palm-tree rises above the
shrubs of the desert; it
was in fact the same
tower standing at the
present day, and known
as the Giralda, the
famous Moorish tower of
Seville" -Washington
Irving, Alhambra

'La Giralda' Minaret (12th c.)

reused as a bell tower next to
the Cathedral that holds
Christopher Columbus' tomb

"Perhaps to love is to learn

to walk through this world
To learn to be silent,
Like the oak and the linden of the fable
To learn to see
Your glance scatters seeds.
It planted a tree.
I talk, because you shake its leaves"

-OctavioPaz(1914-1998)

AnexceptionallytallpalminSeville

Postscript
"These are the moments which are not calculable, and cannot be assessed in words; they
live on in the solution of memory, like wonderful creatures, unique of their own kind,
dredged up from the floors of some unexplored ocean." -Lawrence Durrell, Justine (1957)
This book, essentially a collage of images, drawings and texts pieced together to attempt
to draw meaning, is in essence an object of love. An attempt to unravel some of the
mysteries behind the conception and making of the enchanting places visited, to
communicate something eternal, timeless, transcendent. The architectural readings and
encounters with the remarkable remnants of Andalusia, particularly the Alhambra,
narrated a manifestation of order and unity, internal richness and complexity; while
evoking a tranquil state of being. The interconnectivity of many elements, and the
elaborate integration and use of water in the architecture, is particularly noteworthy.
Other traditional archetypes such as the arch and arcade framing distant views, the path
as a leading theme, and walled gardens and courtyards - these vernacular elements
embody a worldview built to reflect equilibrium, paradisial serenity, and the
interconnectivity of creation. A world where science, faith and art were not incompatible;
the sacred and profane reconcilable; as manifested through the unique spirit of the time.
"Making a Book is like taking part in a dance, you're trying to figure out how the other
person feels, moves, breathes, thinks, to catch his rhythm. You feel drawn along a huge
current...they are meaningful because they are objects of love. They are created by
someone's passion to communicate something through art, and that's the only way an
artist communicates" - Anita Saewitz, 'Beyond Words: The Marriage of Art and
Literature in Bookmaking', Film (1999).
In 'Dance, Consciousness of Life', Thilda Herbillon-Moubayed writes:
"What is 'the fantastic'? A means of escape from a hostile reality? The ability to surrender
to the world of play and imagination? Emancipation? An escape? A distanced view used to
attain light and nourish oneself with poetry? A vagabond of amorous adventure? An
expectation of the exceptional? A transcendence of reality? An admission of the
supernatural? A reaction against rationalism? The avowal of the impossibility of action...?
The fantastic is all of that" (2005)

G l o s s a r y -linguisticcross-roads
Spanishlanguage,alsocalledCastilian,isaRomancedialectthathadgraduallyevolved
fromtheRomanLatin.ArabicbegantofilterinthelanguageduringMoorishtimesin
Andalusiaandthelexicalinfluenceisevidenttoday,insuchArabicderivednamesof
sometownsandvillages,suchasAlginet(al-jannat-thegardens/paradise),Alcacer(alqasr-thecastle),Alzira(al-jazira-theisland).Othercommonexamplesbelow:
Acequia-(orSequia)fromtheArabical-saqiya,meaningAqueduct.
Aciete-fromtheArabicwordforoil,Al Zeit.
Albufera-fromtheArabicwordforlake,Al Buhaira.
Alcachofas-fromtheArabical-kharshuf,meaningArtichoke.
Adobe-fromtheArabicwordforsun-driedmudbrick,Al Tub-e
Arrecife-FromtheArabical-rasif meaningstonepavedroadorsidewalk
Azucar-fromtheArabicwordforsugar,Al Sukar
Berenjena-fromtheArabicbidinjan,meaningAubergine.
Espinacas-fromtheArabicisbinagh,meaningSpinach.
Gibraltar-namegiventotheSouthernendoftheIberianPeninsula(Campode
Gibraltar).FromtheArabicJebel Tariq,or'MountainofTariq'.
Guadalquivir-Granada'smostfamousriver,whosenameisderivedfromtheArabic
'Wadi-al-kabir',or'thebigriver'.
Hasta-fromtheArabic'Hatta',aprepositiontomean'Until'.
MadridorMajrit-Spain'scapitalcity,couldhavebeenderivedfromtheArabic:Majrit,
orMajra,meaningwaterchannel.
Naranja-fromthePersiannaranj,meaningorange.
Ojal-fromtheArabicinsha'Allah orLo sha'Allah or'Godwilling',expressingdesirefor
somethingtopass,andareminderoftheuncertaintyofthingswhenplanningforthe
future,andtoturntoGodinallaffairs.
Ol-fromtheArabicWallah,or'byGod',anexpressiontocheer.
Rincn-Corner.FromAndalusiArabic'Rukan',derivedfromclassicalArabicRukn.
Troubadour-fromtheArabicverbTarab,connotingmusicality,tosing,makemusic,to
fillwithjoy,ortomovewithmusic.
Usted-politeformof'You',comesfromtheArabicUstadh, orsir.
Zoco-(orAzogue)FromArabicsoukmeaningmarket.

"...to open a view into the second dimension of our consciousness, the reality of
dreams, images and memories."
- Juhani Pallasmaa, On the task of Architecture (1986)
Secret gardens in Pinos Genil, Granada

References
Ardalan, Nader, Laleh Bakhtiar. The Sense of Unity. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973)
Barrucand, Marianne. Moorish Architecture in Andalusia. (Koln: Taschen 2002)
Bishko, Charles Julian, Studies in Medieval Spanish Frontier History (London: Variorum Reprints,
1980)
Buckhardt, Titus. Mirror of the Intellect: Essays on Traditional Science and Sacred Art. (State Univ
of NY Press, 1987)
Buckhardt, Titus. Art of Islam, Language and Meaning. (Westerham: Westerham Press. 1976)
Charles, H. A sense of the sacred: Building Bridges Between Islam and the West. (Wilton Park
International Studies. 1996)
Collins, Roger, Early Medieval Spain: Unity in Diversity, 400-1000, (New York: St. Martin's Press,
1983)
Compton, Linda. Andalusian Lyrical Poetry and Old Spanish Love songs: The Muwashshah and its
Kharja. (New York: New York University Press, 1976)
Corbin, Henry. Alone with the Alone: Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn 'Arabi. (NJ:
Princeton Press, 1997)
Dodds, Jerrilynn D., Mara Rosa Menocal, and Abigail Krasner Balbale. The Arts of Intimacy:
Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the Making of Castilian Culture. (Yale University Press, 2008)
Fernndez-Puertas, Antonio. The Alhambra. (London : Saqi Books, 1997)
Grabar, Oleg. The Alhambra. (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1978).
Grabar, Oleg. The Meditation of Ornament. (Washington: Princeton University Press. 1992)
Harvey, L. P., Islamic Spain 1250-1500, (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press,
1990)
Ibn Al'Arabi, Muhyeddin. The Bezels of Wisdom. Translation: Austin (Paulist Press, 1980)

Irving,Washington.TheAlhambra,(London:H.G.Bohn,1850)
Kennedy,Hugh,MuslimSpainandPortugal:APoliticalHistoryofal-Andalus,(London&New
York:Longman,1996)
Lane-Poole,Stanley.'TheStoryofTheMoorsinSpain'(NewYork:PutnamSons,1896)
Lomax,DerekW.andMackenzie,David,eds.,GodandManinMedievalSpain:EssaysinHonourof
J.R.L.Highfield,(Warminster:Aris&Phillips,1989).
Lorca,FedericoG.,C.Maurer.TheCollectedPoems:ABilingualEd(Ferrer,Straus&Giroux,2002)
Menocal,MariaRosaandRaymondP.Scheindlin,andMichaelSells.(ed)TheliteratureofAlAndalus(NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress,2000)
Nasr,SeyyedHosseinNasr.TheGardenofTruth:TheVision&PromiseofSufism,Islam'sMystical
Tradition.(NY:HarperCollinsPublishers,2007)
Read,Jan.TheMoorsinSpainandPortugal,(London:FaberandFaber,1974)
[Journal]Abercrombie,Thomas.WhentheMoorsRuledSpain.NationalGeographic(July1988)
[interview]Gacek,Adam.Manuscripttraditions.McGillUniversity,SchoolofIslamicStudies.
(September2nd,2003)
[Film]IslamicArt.Princeton:FilmsfortheHumanities,inc.(1988)
[Exhibit]Rahim,Habibeh,curator.InscriptionasArtintheWorldofIslam,UnityinDiversity,New
York:HofstraUniversityMuseum.(1992)
[Conference]:Transculturalisms:DiversityandMetamorphosis.InternationalCouncilforCanadian
Studies..UQAM(May22-24,2003)
[Symposium]MuhyideenIbn'ArabiSociety:'MysticalPerceptionandBeauty',WorcesterCollege,
Oxford,UK-(May2013)
[Web]UNESCO:http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/es
JuntadeAndalucia:http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/andalucia.html
Alhambra:http://www.alhambradegranada.org/,http://www.alhambra-patronato.es/