The Alhambra Granada Palaces Gems are Magical Corners of the Nazrid PalacesThe Alhambra Granada Palaces Gems are manyThe steadily advancing Christian Reconquista time-bomb ticked faster every day. Aid may have come from Morroco but the fear of being overun by their rescuers, kept the Granadines, politically isolated. Simultaneously, Nazrid Art and Architecture evolved in prodigious steps.Paradise LostMemories of the lushness of Andalucia Spain with its great rivers and the Sierra Nevada. Moorish Spain's prosperous al-Andalus civilization had reached its highest degree of luxury: the spectacular beauty of the Alhambra Granada Spain, the Cordovan Mezquita and other mosques and palaces built on the Iberian peninsula, themes deeply mourned in the Islamic world.Muslims and Jews were ruthlessly and bloodily eradicated from Spain during the reconquista. The Four Principle Halls that lead off from the Patio de los Leones
The Beauty Spots
One of the Alhambra Granada Palaces Gems was the lindaraja window which is extremely low. It was purposely designed - to observe from - lying down, either on silk cushions or from low ottomans Aixa wept at this very window, gazing at the distant Vega fields: while Boabdil's release from Lucena was negociated with the Catholic kings 
Another Alhambra Granada Palaces Gems is the Oratorio: Prayer room. It is situated in the Mexuar Palace. What are Muquarnas?Muquarnas are domes with stalactite decor.Another analogy: they are heavily ornamented 3D Honeycombs. 
30th December 1362, there was no other construction in the Patio de los Leones, other than the Hall of Two Sisters. After this date Mohammed V began further construction. The other halls, enclosed the Patio de los Leones - as we know it today. The Hall of Muquarnas is found, as you enter towards the Patio de los Leones. It is THAT entrance corridor. Muquarnas: Intricate, ornate, stalactite decor - cleverly draped over the Architecture.
The Halls of kings has three 14th century paintings which were painted by Christian artists on its flattened, inclined leather ceiling. The middle painting depicts the first ten (honourable) Nazrid Emirs. 
One is of a hunting scene and the other is of a relaxed conversation between two kings. Isolation from Islamic ArchitectureFor a long time, Muslim Spain had received no new architectural influence from Islam. During his enforced exhile in Morroco, Mohammed V was introduced to the Almohad's artistic work of Muquarnas. When the Emir regained his Granadine Emirate, he imported Muquarnas artisans to instruct his local workforce. From this point-on, the use of Muquarnas became an identifying Nazrid symbol, identified, with the Art and Beauty of the Alhambra.The Hall of Two SistersThe "Sister's" Denomination: the two immense slabs of perfect and pure white marble, situated on the opposite sides of the low fountain. The Hall of Two Sisters was the residence of the Emir's preferred concubine. Chaise-longues, ottoman's, rich silk cushions, tapsteries and carpets would have been its furnishings.
Trompe d'Oeil ArtworkEach ceiling or vault decorated with stalactite muquarnas was a form of Trick of the Eye Art: (French) Trompe d'oeil. Artwork involving an unbelievable amount of detail: a work of Three Dimensions.The dome of the Two Sisters represents the movement of the Cosmos encased within a star shape. Over 5,000 cells compose this ceiling. Illiumination from the strategically positioned, high windows creates its illusionary movement. The sun's path moves incessantly: the play of shadow-and-light shifts continually. Purpose of the Still FountainsThe still fountains acted as architectural mirrors - observed from the inside of the room and as cooling systems.Water circulated constantly and in doing so, it evaporated during the heat of the summer. The height of the muquarnas vaults retained the cooling effect. (This created a type of "moisture air-conditioning" - similar to what was used in the Expo '92 in Sevilla where visitors walked through fine mist sprays - which were effective cooling methods during the torrid hours of the day.) The Hall of the AbencerrajesThe dome of the Hall of the Abencerrajes is similar, if one is unfamilar with the Alhambra artwork - yet it is entirely different.The Hall of the Abencerrajes was famous for a tragic legend...
Politics and Palace Intrigue sparked a Deadly Rumour...Isabel de Solis was a beautiful Christian prisoner. She was twelve or thirteen when she arrived to the Alhambra. Isabel was first imprisoned in the Captive's Tower. Once she had been converted to Islam, she became known as Soraya - otherwise known as: "Morning Star." The Emir Abu Hasan (Hacem Muley) fell passionately in love with his new favourite.The Emir's wife, Aixa (Fatima) was rejected by her husband after twenty years marriage and she and her two sons Boadbil and Yusef were banished to live in the Tower of Comares under house arrest. What was that Deadly Rumour?Soraya had been witnessed "trysting" under the old Cypress tree in the Cypress garden (Generalife) with the head of the clan of the Abencerrajes family.Previously...Boabdil and Yusef escaped.Boabdil had allied with the aristocratic Abencerrajes during his effort to claim the Granadine kingdom. A terrible civil war broke out. On the 5th July 1482 AD, Boabdil declared himself: King of Granada. In 1483 Boabdil became a Christian prisoner - during the Battle of Lucena. His mother negociated his freedom. A signed treaty - which further advanced the Christians effortlessly into Granada - and a vast sum of money passed into Christian hands. The Christians nicknamed Boabdil "El Rey Chico": the small king - for his ever-shrinking kingdom. Boabdil was regarded as a disgrace. Ignomious terms of the signed Treaty were "the point of no return" of Moorish Rule in Spain. The Moors, in turn, nicknamed him: the unlucky one - El Zogoibi. Indeed, when Boabdil was born, the astronomical predictions were: Boadbdil would become king of Granada and bring about the complete downfall of the Moorish Rule of Spain. His father had returned to the Alhambra. Fierce civil war was destroying his kingdom. What became of the Abencerrajes?The male clan Abencerrajes were summoned. Under the orders of Emir Abu Hasan: 37 males, young and old were massacred. Blood seeped everywhere; their cries for mercy haunted the Alhambra. To this day the Abencerrajes hall fountain is stained...
Four Christian knights were summoned to defend her cause, or she would be burned alive. Thirty days were given for the knights to appear - not one appeared until the very last hour. Her case was defended. It had been the Zenetes who invented and purported the conspiracy. The Zenetes were political rivals of the Abencerraje clan. The Emir mistakenly judged that the source of the rumour had been a deed of the jealous Sultana. After Boabdil's release, he and his mother withdrew to live in Almeria. Did the Alhambra Granada Palaces Gems survive - or was Boabdil's predicted astrology correct...
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