Nasrid Palaces

"Palace complex, residence of the kings of Granada. It was started by the founder of the dynasty, Alhamar, in the 13th century, although the buildings that have survived to this day date mainly from the 14th century. These palaces enclose within their walls the refinement and delicacy of the last Spanish-Arab governors of Al Andalus, the Nasrids. Three palaces form this complex: El Mexuar, El Palacio de Comares, or of Yusuf I and the Palacio de los Leones, or of Mohammed V. The intimate concept of the royal palace, closed to the eyes of the curious, harmonizes the robustness of the exterior walls with the fragility of the interior, where the architectural elements become purely ornamental. The poor materials with which the palaces are decorated reveal the temporality of the construction with respect to the cosmos, proof of the transience of man. The courtyards, continuous allusions to the garden, with elements of Persian and Muslim inspiration, are the foretaste of paradise, a nomad's oasis, a delight for the senses. Water, the element that gives shape to the palace, uniting the garden with the architecture, represents purity; crystalline water that runs between the marbles of the fountains; water of life that gives richness and freshness to the garden, aesthetic beauty, generosity of the sultan... a whole world of symbols and stimuli."