Alhambra - The Red One

The bus winds its way up the hillside, impossibly long bus, impossibly tight corners. Impossible to see even a glimpse of this modern world wonder.

Alhambra-fortress and palace-the red one. It sits atop its hill, guarding the view of Gránada below and hiding its incredible beauty until it slowly unfolds through the Islamic aesthetic of tranquility, cleansing through sight, sound, and scent.





Gardens of roses, orange trees, myrtle and more frame the walls of the fortress and the palace, kept in impeccable array by an army of gardeners.







Intricately carved plaster evokes both elaborate piped icing and continuously forming stalactites, invoking Allah in the repetitive calligraphy and motifs that cover vast walls and ceilings.













Finely tuned geometric patterns dance across richly colored mosaic tile, fancifully interpreting mysteries such as the heavens and the oceans.









Coffered ceilings, pieced from honeyed wood richly highlighted with gold and paint, warm the heavens they represent.



Water burbles softly from serene marble fountains and flows gently in gazing pools lest the view be distorted. They are fonts of gentle sound, saving symphonic overtures for the sea just beyond the mountains to the south.





Quintessential Mudéjar architecture, isolated from mainland Islamic influence, allowed to grow and literally flourish at the hands of hundreds of skilled artists and artisans.

An earthly paradise.