Monuments of Al-Andalus: A Journey Through History

Posted on Jan 1, 2024 in History

Alcazaba of Málaga

  1. It has a defensive enclosure with a double wall and rectangular towers distributed regularly and which in the 14th century was joined to the nearby castle of Gibralfaro.
  2. It is mainly built of brick, with outstanding arches and other decorative elements.
  3. Among its courtyards the most importants are the Surtidores courtyard, which is landscaped, the Patio de la Alberca, which has a low fountain in its center and the Patio de los Naranjos with two small pools.
  4. The Alcazaba of Malaga, is a fortification that had its origin between the years 756 and 788. (first Caliphate)
  5. The Alcazaba of Malaga was the place where government affairs were discussed and a cabinet where decisions were made.

Alcazaba of Almería

  1. Abd-alrahman III mandó construir esta alcazaba en el año 955.
  2. Es la mayor fortaleza en la península ibérica construida por los Árabes.
  3. La Alcazaba, el escenario perfecto de varias películas. Muchas películas como ‘Indiana Jones’ fueron rodadas en esta fortaleza.
  4. Tiene la Torre de Pólvora. Se usaba para almacenar los explosivos.
  5. En ella se instaló el primer pararrayos de la ciudad. Para prevenir accidentes.

Medina Azhara (Córdoba)

  1. What does Medina azahara mean? Means ‘the shining city’.
  2. What function did the Medina Azahara construction near Cordoba have? The medina Azahara was treated as the new seat of the government of the caliphate and as the place of residence of the caliph
  3. What type of arch does the Medina Azahara palace use? The interior was decorated with plaster, ceramic, marble and wood. The double arch system was not the original, it was provided by the romans.In the medina were round point arches.
  4. Who built the palace? Abderramán III al-Nasir.
  5. Why built the palace? Abd al-Rahman III decided to build the city-palace in honour of his favourite woman, Azahara. However, recent research strongly suggests that the real reason for the Caliph founding Medina Azahara was to promote the new image of the recently-created independent western Caliphate as a one of the strongest, most powerful kingdoms in Medieval Europe.
  6. The temple, unlike the Mosque of Cordoba, was built well oriented towards Mecca.

Alhambra of Granada

  1. Where is it located? Granada
  2. By whom was it built? Muhammad Ibn Al – Ahmar.
  3. Killings were done in the old days
  4. It is the tomb of Isabel the Catholic
  5. It is the most visited monument in Spain and the most important work of Muslim art in Europe.
  6. The twelve lions of the Patio de los Leones of the Alhambra representing the twelve tribes of Israel
  7. The name Alhambra has its origins in an Arabic word meaning “red or vermilion castle”,
  8. The Alhambra in Granada was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984
  9. Was founded by king Mohammed better known as Alhamar.
  10. It the decoration of the Alhambra uses geometry and art to fill the entire palace
  11. Inside the Alhambra there are poems and texts from the Koran as a way of decoration
  12. It has horseshoe arches and most of the Alhambra is made of stone

The Giralda

  1. The Tower was the tallest tower in Spain and one of the tallest in Europe. The Giralda “beats” the Big Ben in London.
  2. The Giralda is the bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa María de la Sede de Sevilla.
  3. The Giralda took as its source of inspiration the minaret of the Koutoubia mosque in Marrakech (Morocco).
  4. The Giralda bell tower is made up of 24 bells, each with its own name, and whose rings are programmed by computer.
  5. To the right of the Giralda is the Puerta del Lagarto. Looking up, you see a crocodile.

Aljafería of Zaragoza

  1. It is a fortified palace built in Zaragoza in the second half of the 11th century.
  2. It had many uses, one of the most curious is that it has been a prison for the Inquisition and a palace for the Catholic kings.
  3. The Inner courtyard of La Aljaferia, called Patio de Santa Isabel in honor of the princess Isabel de Aragón, stands out for being an open and landscaped space that unified the entire palace.
  4. When the palace was used like a prision most of the prisoners draw in the walls.
  5. The Golden Hall was one of the main rooms of the palace.It is called the Golden Hall because the walls were painted in colors (specifically, yellow, red and green). When the Sun peeked through the room it made these tones of the wall shine making it look like gold.

Mosque of Córdoba

  1. Se empezó a construir en el 785 cuando lideraba el omeya Abderramán 1º.
  2. Había 1003 columnas hechas de mármol, jaspe y granito.
  3. Se inspiraron en acueductos romanos para crear los arcos.
  4. La mezquita se transformó en catedral tras la expulsión de los judíos y musulmanes.
  5. No estaba orientada a la Meca, cosa extraña puesto que todas las mezquitas estaban orientadas a ella.

The Golden Tower

  1. Located in Sevilla
  2. On the banks of the guadalquivir river
  3. It was built by the almohad governor of Seville.
  4. It was declared a historical and artistic monument in 1931.
  5. It was also a gunpowder warehouse,a church and a prision.
  6. On the inside, it contains a museum.