¡Salam-aleikum, habibi! Hamed has jumped down off the wall to say goodbye to you! This delightful water feature is just as it was when it was first constructed, back in the Nazrid times. Let us go up it, because this is the end of your visit, and it makes me feel a little sad.
As you can see, the hand rail is made of water channels so that the water can flow down on either side, in merry bubbles. And in the centre, a thin line of water feeds the little circular pools on the ground. You see, the birds can cool off, and it makes the surroundings feel even more full of life.
This is just one more example of how Andalusí architecture sought to bring nature and domestic surroundings together in a single harmonious whole. As you can see, stimulation of the senses was a constant feature of my time. For the upper clases, at least..!
Oh, to be a Sultan, habibi, and enjoy this archway of foliage, which protects us from the heat and supplies us with pure, fresh air.
At the end of the stairway, the sultan originally had a little private prayer room, which was the quietest and most hidden away place in the Granada, but there is nothing left of it today.
There is, however, a small pavilion, built by the 19th century Romantics, in the Neo-classical style of their time.
And this is where the Generalife ends, habibi. It is time for me to jump back over the wall and return to the Medina, to meet the newcomers. It is time for the two of us to say farewell. You will return to your world, after wandering through these gardens, and you will go back across the Royal Water Channel as you did when you arrived.
May your destiny be kind to you, and may your gods give you guidance – be they Allah, Jesus Christ, or your own good conscience. While you admire the Alhambra from a distance, do not forget that here in Granada there lies a place that is home to all scents, colours, beliefs, and cultures. If you remember this always, you will not vanish from our memory. A part of you will remain forever here with me, in the heart of the Alhambra.
Goodbye, traveller. Farewell, habibi.
(c) (R) 2013, MUSMon com S.L.
Text (a) Carlos Madrid (2012)
Picture:
Source: Own work
Author: Julián Hernández Martínez (2013)
Picture: The alhambra from the Albarraicin
Source: Wikipedia
Author: Balbo (2006)
Licence: Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled GNU Free Documentation License.
The MUSMon.com audio guide on the Alhambra in Granada is a new, independent production. It helps you to get to know all the secrets of this World Heritage Site, in a light-hearted, convenient way. There are 90 minutes of commentary, illustrated with over 50 pictures, so you won’t miss a single detail during your visit.
Wander through the grounds and buildings of the Alhambra and Generalife, guided by commentary that has been prepared for you by a team of experts. +info