DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26747#0520
-A56
SARACENIC ARCHITECTURE.
Book IX.
the former, we cannot refuse creclence to their description of the
latter.
According to these authors the enclosing wall of the palace was
4000 ft. in length E. and W., and 2200 ft. N. and S. The greater part
of this space was occupied by gardens, hut these, with their marhle
fountains, kiosks, and ornaments of various kinds, must have surpassed
in heauty, and perhaps even in cost, the more strictly architectural
part of the huilding. 4300 columns of the most precious marhles sup-
ported the roofs of the halls; 1013 of these were hrought from Africa,
19 from Eome, 140 were presented by the Emperor of Constautinople
to Ahd el Rahman, the princely founder of this sumptuous ediiice.
All the lialls were paved with marhles in a thousand varied patterns.
Tlie walls too were of the same precious material, and ornamented
with friezes of tlie most brilliant colours. The roofs, constructed of
cedar, were ornamented with gilding on an azure ground, with damasked
work and interlacing designs. All, in shoid, that the unhounded
wealth of the caliphs at that period could command was lavished on
this favourite retreat, and all that the art of Constantinople and Bagdad
could contrihute to aid the taste and power of execution of the Spanisli
Arahs was enlisted to make it the most perfect work of its age. Ilid
this palace of Zahra now remain to us, we could afford to desfise the
Alhamhra and all the works of tlrat declining age of Moorish art.
Among other huildings contained within the great enclosure of tlie
palace was a mosque. This liad five aisles, the central one wider than
the others. The total length from the Ivihlah, or niche facing Mecca,
to the opposite wall was 97 cuhits (146 ft.), the hreadth from E. to W.
49 cuhits (74 ft,.). lt was finished in the year 941, and seems to have
heen one of the last works in the palace, having heen commenced in
936. From this description it is clear that it was virtually a five-aisled
church, and as no mention is made of tlie court we may fancy that,
like tlie seven-aisled Aksah at Jerusalem, it never had that accom-
paniment, hut was in reality only a basilica extended laterally, hut on
a small scale.
We may perhaps form some idea of what its original appearance
was from the examination of what is now the church of Sta. Maria
la Blanca at Toledo (woodcut, No. 359). Although this example is
probahly at least, a century more modern, and, instead of marhle
columns and regal richness of decoration, is only of brick and stucco,
still it is a five-aisled huilding, apparently twice the length of its
hreadth, and with a central aisle higher than the others. Altogether
it is a favourahle specimen of the Moorisli style in Spain hefore it,
became degraded. Light was prohahly originally admitted hy the
clerestory, now blocked up ; hut, it, is not easy to he quite certain of
this without a more careful examination than the huilding has yet
heen suhjected to. Tradition says that it was originally a synagogue
of the Jews. This is neither improhahle nor of much importance,
ior the Jews were a numerous and powerful race during the Moorish
domination, living in amity and peace with the Mahometans, and
exercising the same arts in very nearly the same forms.
SARACENIC ARCHITECTURE.
Book IX.
the former, we cannot refuse creclence to their description of the
latter.
According to these authors the enclosing wall of the palace was
4000 ft. in length E. and W., and 2200 ft. N. and S. The greater part
of this space was occupied by gardens, hut these, with their marhle
fountains, kiosks, and ornaments of various kinds, must have surpassed
in heauty, and perhaps even in cost, the more strictly architectural
part of the huilding. 4300 columns of the most precious marhles sup-
ported the roofs of the halls; 1013 of these were hrought from Africa,
19 from Eome, 140 were presented by the Emperor of Constautinople
to Ahd el Rahman, the princely founder of this sumptuous ediiice.
All the lialls were paved with marhles in a thousand varied patterns.
Tlie walls too were of the same precious material, and ornamented
with friezes of tlie most brilliant colours. The roofs, constructed of
cedar, were ornamented with gilding on an azure ground, with damasked
work and interlacing designs. All, in shoid, that the unhounded
wealth of the caliphs at that period could command was lavished on
this favourite retreat, and all that the art of Constantinople and Bagdad
could contrihute to aid the taste and power of execution of the Spanisli
Arahs was enlisted to make it the most perfect work of its age. Ilid
this palace of Zahra now remain to us, we could afford to desfise the
Alhamhra and all the works of tlrat declining age of Moorish art.
Among other huildings contained within the great enclosure of tlie
palace was a mosque. This liad five aisles, the central one wider than
the others. The total length from the Ivihlah, or niche facing Mecca,
to the opposite wall was 97 cuhits (146 ft.), the hreadth from E. to W.
49 cuhits (74 ft,.). lt was finished in the year 941, and seems to have
heen one of the last works in the palace, having heen commenced in
936. From this description it is clear that it was virtually a five-aisled
church, and as no mention is made of tlie court we may fancy that,
like tlie seven-aisled Aksah at Jerusalem, it never had that accom-
paniment, hut was in reality only a basilica extended laterally, hut on
a small scale.
We may perhaps form some idea of what its original appearance
was from the examination of what is now the church of Sta. Maria
la Blanca at Toledo (woodcut, No. 359). Although this example is
probahly at least, a century more modern, and, instead of marhle
columns and regal richness of decoration, is only of brick and stucco,
still it is a five-aisled huilding, apparently twice the length of its
hreadth, and with a central aisle higher than the others. Altogether
it is a favourahle specimen of the Moorisli style in Spain hefore it,
became degraded. Light was prohahly originally admitted hy the
clerestory, now blocked up ; hut, it, is not easy to he quite certain of
this without a more careful examination than the huilding has yet
heen suhjected to. Tradition says that it was originally a synagogue
of the Jews. This is neither improhahle nor of much importance,
ior the Jews were a numerous and powerful race during the Moorish
domination, living in amity and peace with the Mahometans, and
exercising the same arts in very nearly the same forms.