DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.7431#0022
12 A DESCRIPTION OF THE
of the air, arising from the fountain and the noble sheet of
water connected with it, must have been truly delightful.
The pavement, with which it is surrounded, is of white
marble ; and on either side was a parterre of flowers, now
neglected. The usual inscription is presented in Cufic
characters. The windows of the end, and upper part, of the
south side, have been shut up in consequence of the palace
of Charles V. having been erected. The pent roof in the
north front of the Pateo del Agua, appears to be a modern
addition: for its projecting rafters are plain, while those on
the other three sides are ornamented. It is therefore highly
probable, that such addition was made by some of the later
kings of Spain, in order to make the four sides look uniform.
Some of the stucco work is also modern, and of very inferior
execution to that of the Arabs, which for the most part re-
' mains unimpaired, while the other is rapidly mouldering
away.
PLATE XXXII.
elevation of an alcove in the pateo del agua.
The tasteful ornaments and elegant form of the Cufic cha-
racters, which could not be distinctly exhibited in the pre-
ceding plates, are here displayed to the greatest advantage.
The mosaics, which are in excellent preservation, must have
been extremely beautiful in the time of the Moors.
The walls of the alcoves in the Court of the Pateo del Agua
present various effusions of the muse, which have been in-
scribed by different travellers, and which of course vary in
style and execution. The following is the best of these
votive offerings, and was transcribed verbatim by the author
of the present work, on the 20th of July, 1802, from the wall
of one of the alcoves:
" When these fam'd walls did Pagan rites admit,
<e Here reign'd unrivall'd breeding, science, wit.
" Christ's standard came, the Prophet's flag assail'd,
" And fix't true worship where the false prevail'd :
" And, such the zeal its pious followers bore,
" Wit, science, breeding, perished with the Moor.
" H. F. Gr-lie, Feb. 7, 1790."
Happily for the honourable author of this severe but just
censure on the furious bigotry of the Spaniards, it was written
in English. Had the reverend fathers of the Holy Inquisi-
tion been apprised of its tendency, it is more than probable
that the preceding honest effusion of his indignation would
have procured him the favour of a residence (for some time
at least) within the walls of that merciful tribunal.
PLATE XXXIII.
a perspective view of the court and fountain of lions.
After passing through the Court of the Baths, which appears
to be the grand exterior vestibule of the palace, we enter
another court, by the Spaniards termed Quarto de los Leones,
ALHAMRA AT GRANADA.
or the Lions' Court, than which, nothing more elegant can
be conceived : it is, indeed, the most perfect model of Moorish
architecture.
The Lions' Court is an oblong square, one hundred feet in
length, and fifty in breadth; and is surrounded with a cor-
ridor of one hundred and twenty-eight columns that support
the arches, on which rest the upper apartments of this en-
chanting palace. A beautiful portico, not unlike the portals
of some Gothic churches, projects into this court at each ex-
tremity; the stuccoed ceiling of which is executed with equal
perfection and elegance. The colonnade is paved with white
marble ; and the slender pillars themselves, are of the same
material. They are disposed very irregularly, being some-
times single, and at other times in pairs, or clusters of three;
but the magnificent coup-d'oeil of the whole is peculiarly
pleasing to the eye of the astonished visitor. The columns
are about nine feet high, including the base and capital, and
eight inches and a half in diameter: the larger crescent arches
above them, are four feet two inches in width ; and the smaller
arches are three feet wide. To the height of five feet from
the ground, the walls are ornamented with a beautiful yellow
and blue mosaic tiling, with a border containing the often re-
peated sentence, " There is no Conqueror but God," in blue
and gold. The capitals of the pillars vary in their designs,
each of which is very frequently repeated in the circumference
of the Court; but not the least attention has been paid to
placing them regularly or opposite to each other.
The arches are further ornamented with a great variety of
tastefully designed and exquisitely finished arabesques, in
which no trace of animal or vegetable life is to be found, and
which are surmounted with the usual inscriptions : and above
these arches, an elegantly finished cornice runs round the
whole court. From some remaining fragments of tiles, which
are varnished and painted of various colours, and with which
the building was originally covered, it should seem, that the
roof was anciently more lofty than it now is. In the centre of
the court stands the celebrated fountain, whence it derives its
name, and which is more clearly delineated in the following
engravings. The only thing that disfigures the harmony of
this noble Court, is the projecting roof of red tiles, which,
according to Mr. Swinburne, was put on by order of M. Wall,
formerly prime minister of Spain, under whose administration
the Alhamra received a complete repair. In a garden front-
ing the Court above described, four stones were found some
years since, containing the epitaphs of four sovereigns of
Granada. That of Abu-l-Hajjaj Yusuf is given at length,
accompanied by an English translation, in the " History of
the Mahometan Empire in Spain," Appendix, No. 15.
PLATE XXXIV.
elevation of the fountain of lions.
In the centre of the superb Court, above described, stands
the Fountain of Lions : the animals, twelve in number,
of the air, arising from the fountain and the noble sheet of
water connected with it, must have been truly delightful.
The pavement, with which it is surrounded, is of white
marble ; and on either side was a parterre of flowers, now
neglected. The usual inscription is presented in Cufic
characters. The windows of the end, and upper part, of the
south side, have been shut up in consequence of the palace
of Charles V. having been erected. The pent roof in the
north front of the Pateo del Agua, appears to be a modern
addition: for its projecting rafters are plain, while those on
the other three sides are ornamented. It is therefore highly
probable, that such addition was made by some of the later
kings of Spain, in order to make the four sides look uniform.
Some of the stucco work is also modern, and of very inferior
execution to that of the Arabs, which for the most part re-
' mains unimpaired, while the other is rapidly mouldering
away.
PLATE XXXII.
elevation of an alcove in the pateo del agua.
The tasteful ornaments and elegant form of the Cufic cha-
racters, which could not be distinctly exhibited in the pre-
ceding plates, are here displayed to the greatest advantage.
The mosaics, which are in excellent preservation, must have
been extremely beautiful in the time of the Moors.
The walls of the alcoves in the Court of the Pateo del Agua
present various effusions of the muse, which have been in-
scribed by different travellers, and which of course vary in
style and execution. The following is the best of these
votive offerings, and was transcribed verbatim by the author
of the present work, on the 20th of July, 1802, from the wall
of one of the alcoves:
" When these fam'd walls did Pagan rites admit,
<e Here reign'd unrivall'd breeding, science, wit.
" Christ's standard came, the Prophet's flag assail'd,
" And fix't true worship where the false prevail'd :
" And, such the zeal its pious followers bore,
" Wit, science, breeding, perished with the Moor.
" H. F. Gr-lie, Feb. 7, 1790."
Happily for the honourable author of this severe but just
censure on the furious bigotry of the Spaniards, it was written
in English. Had the reverend fathers of the Holy Inquisi-
tion been apprised of its tendency, it is more than probable
that the preceding honest effusion of his indignation would
have procured him the favour of a residence (for some time
at least) within the walls of that merciful tribunal.
PLATE XXXIII.
a perspective view of the court and fountain of lions.
After passing through the Court of the Baths, which appears
to be the grand exterior vestibule of the palace, we enter
another court, by the Spaniards termed Quarto de los Leones,
ALHAMRA AT GRANADA.
or the Lions' Court, than which, nothing more elegant can
be conceived : it is, indeed, the most perfect model of Moorish
architecture.
The Lions' Court is an oblong square, one hundred feet in
length, and fifty in breadth; and is surrounded with a cor-
ridor of one hundred and twenty-eight columns that support
the arches, on which rest the upper apartments of this en-
chanting palace. A beautiful portico, not unlike the portals
of some Gothic churches, projects into this court at each ex-
tremity; the stuccoed ceiling of which is executed with equal
perfection and elegance. The colonnade is paved with white
marble ; and the slender pillars themselves, are of the same
material. They are disposed very irregularly, being some-
times single, and at other times in pairs, or clusters of three;
but the magnificent coup-d'oeil of the whole is peculiarly
pleasing to the eye of the astonished visitor. The columns
are about nine feet high, including the base and capital, and
eight inches and a half in diameter: the larger crescent arches
above them, are four feet two inches in width ; and the smaller
arches are three feet wide. To the height of five feet from
the ground, the walls are ornamented with a beautiful yellow
and blue mosaic tiling, with a border containing the often re-
peated sentence, " There is no Conqueror but God," in blue
and gold. The capitals of the pillars vary in their designs,
each of which is very frequently repeated in the circumference
of the Court; but not the least attention has been paid to
placing them regularly or opposite to each other.
The arches are further ornamented with a great variety of
tastefully designed and exquisitely finished arabesques, in
which no trace of animal or vegetable life is to be found, and
which are surmounted with the usual inscriptions : and above
these arches, an elegantly finished cornice runs round the
whole court. From some remaining fragments of tiles, which
are varnished and painted of various colours, and with which
the building was originally covered, it should seem, that the
roof was anciently more lofty than it now is. In the centre of
the court stands the celebrated fountain, whence it derives its
name, and which is more clearly delineated in the following
engravings. The only thing that disfigures the harmony of
this noble Court, is the projecting roof of red tiles, which,
according to Mr. Swinburne, was put on by order of M. Wall,
formerly prime minister of Spain, under whose administration
the Alhamra received a complete repair. In a garden front-
ing the Court above described, four stones were found some
years since, containing the epitaphs of four sovereigns of
Granada. That of Abu-l-Hajjaj Yusuf is given at length,
accompanied by an English translation, in the " History of
the Mahometan Empire in Spain," Appendix, No. 15.
PLATE XXXIV.
elevation of the fountain of lions.
In the centre of the superb Court, above described, stands
the Fountain of Lions : the animals, twelve in number,