Nasrid Palaces at the Alhambra

Playing hookey from our graduation ceremony gave us the afternoon to get to the Nasrid Palaces at the Alhambra that we had missed in our first visit.  We went on-line and bought tickets a few days ahead of time so we knew we had to present ourselves at the entrance to the Palaces right at 2pm.

We had a little time to wander from the main gates through the gardens and down to the lower level where the palaces are.  The Nasrid dynasty ruled in Granada from the 11^th century until the Christians conquered in the 1492.  These palaces are what are left of the original Moorish palace and many areas have been beautifully preserved and restored.

We began our tour of the palaces in the Mexuar, or the public rooms of the palace.  These areas would have been meeting rooms and the places of commerce and diplomacy.  The design of these rooms was meant to be impressive of course, to the people seeking an audience with or the services of the ruling family who were no doubt awed by the vastness of the spaces and the huge expense incurred in their design and decoration.

Islamic artwork uses geometric patterns and patterns found in nature like flowers and leaves but does not use depictions of people of animals.  The written Arabic language also lends itself to beautiful designs and words and phrases are carved everywhere.

From the Mexuar we headed into the Comares Palace (Palacio de Comares) which was the actual living quarters and private residence of the Caliph and his closest family and advisors.  It is difficult in this day and age to really comprehend how people lived at this particular time.  Many rooms had pool s and fountains with running water to help cool them in the hot summer months. Ceilings are coffered and inset with inlaid wood and painted in flowing Arabic script.  The windows and arches were designed for both strategic significance and for the views of the kingdom, and each one is fully carved and decorated from the inside so the view of the window is as beautiful as the view seen from it.

The finally the Palace of the Lions (Palacio de los Leones), this was the part of the palace that housed the harem.  The women and children lived in beauty and luxury.  The patio of the Lions is the centerpiece of this area and at the time we first visited it was closed for restoration.  We could only glimpse in through the scaffolding and plywood but what we could see was spectacular.  (The restoration work is now complete and it is absolutely spectacular!)

The tours of the Nasrid Palaces can be done many ways, we did it on our own, just purchasing tickets and reading about the things we saw.  There are Audio guides available for those that haven’t done their research and live, guided tours are offered if you want to spend the money.  The number of people admitted to the palaces is limited each day because they are trying very hard to protect and preserve them.  If you want a very different and quite romantic experience, try taking the tour at night, the views are spectacular and the groups are smaller so there is a more intimate feel to the palaces.

All in all and afternoon very well spent!