"CS.052 Wall decoration" by Denis Baly
 

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Creator

Denis Baly

Creation Year

1974

Image ID

CS.052

Alternate Identifier

B49.233

Subcollection

CS: Granada

Abstract

Arabic calligraphy in carved stucco on a wall in the Comares Court, Alhambra. The wider central band contains script in Kufic, while the smaller bands contain script in less angular and more cursive ‘Naskhi’ script. The Alhambra’s walls are filled with text—most of these are Quranic inscriptions, but also include a lot of poetry by the court poets. - SK.

Description

This wall formed the façade of the Comares palace which was constructed under Muhammad V. The wall is an outstanding example of Islamic decoration—the whole surface is covered in elaborate stucco, faience and woodwork. The right-hand door leads to the Sultan’s private suite, while the left hand door, via a convoluted passage, leads to the Comares palace. Between the two doors was the Sultan’s throne, no longer there. The Alhambra as a whole is one of the most fantasized monuments of Islamic Architecture, captivating the imagination of a vast number of writers and artists, including Washington Irving and the French author Chateaubriand, to name just a couple. Indeed, some parts of the Alhambra, such as the Court of the Lions, are commonly written about examples of the most beautiful architecture in the world. The palace-complex as it stands today was built mostly in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries under the Nasrid dynasty (1238-1492), in particular by Yusuf I (1333-54) and his son Muhammad V (1354-59, 1362-1391). Out of six royal palaces, only two survive (the Comares palace and the Palace of the Lions). A summer palace called the Generalife (from the Arabic jannat al-arif, ‘the garden of the architect’) is also extant. – SK

Image Notes

Photograph created 1974. Photograph processed June 1974. Formerly catalogued as B49.233. Notes written on the slide or index: Wall decoration.

Image Format

35 mm slide

Geographic Reference

Granada, Spain

Keywords

Moorish, Muslim, Fourteenth Century, Fifteenth Century, Palace, Stucco, Stucco Carving, Tiles, Mosaic, Inscription, Kufic Script, Quranic Inscription, Naskhi Script

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In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted
 
 
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