Water in Alhambra

Written By Tarfah Alrawaf
 

When Muhammad ibn Nasr founded the Kingdom of Granada, one of his efforts to transform Alhambra from a military structure to a habitable place was by supplying water from the river Darro. Water shaped the agricultural nature of the area.
As well as its function, water holds a symbolic meaning and an aesthetic value. His successors used the Quranic description of what heaven looks like as their design plan and made water a continuous feature. Fountains filled each palace, courtyard, hall, and patio.
Their obsession with water took them as far as to make a staircase of running water in Generalife. The elongated pools mirrored the buildings and made them look grander, while the small fountains that were placed in the halls were used to cool the air inside. The sound of running water in the gardens also allowed for more private conversations.



Written by Tarfah Alrawaf


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Lisan Aldin Ibn Alkhatib
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Poets of Alhambra