Chapter III: Andalusia.5 (2)

The beautiful Patio, with its colonnade and fountain, contains several
antiques; in the angles are two excellent replicas of a statue of
Athena, of the time of Phidias.—Adjoining the court, on the right, is
the so-called Prætorium of Pilate, and straight in front are the
Vestibule, with its superb azulejos, and the Chapel, with its charming
Gothic-Moorish decoration. To the left of the vestibule is a room with
azulejos and a rich artesonado ceiling.—A magnificent staircase,
roofed by a much admired dome, ascends to the upper floor, which is
not accessible.

From the Plaza de Pilatos we follow the Calle de Caballerizas and Calle Descalzos to the N.W. to the pretty Plaza de Argüelles (Pl. D, 2, 3). Here rises _San Pedro_, a Gothic church of the 14th cent., containing a fine timber ceiling and pictures by Pedro Campaña and Roelas (sacristan, Calle Doña María Coronel 1).

Following the Calle de la Imagen, and crossing the _Mercado_ (Pl. D, 3), we reach the Calle Laraña.

The =University= (Pl. D, 3) now occupies an old Jesuit convent. The _University Church_ (entered from the quadrangle; fee ½–1 p.), built in 1565–79 by Bartolomé Bustamante (?) for the Jesuits, in the Renaissance style, contains fine Renaissance monuments and several sculptures and paintings by Montañés, Alonso Cano, Roelas, and others.

The churches in the N.E. QUARTER, such as _Omnium Sanctorum_ (Pl. B,
3), _San Marcos_ (Pl. C, 2), and _Santa Marina_ (Pl. B, 2) still
possess towers in the Moorish style, which were once the minarets of
mosques.—The so-called _Casa del Duque de Alba_ (Pl. C, 2), Calle de
las Dueñas 5, a palace built for the Riberas (p. 65) in the Mudejar
style after 1483, contains a court planted with palms and a staircase
richly adorned with azulejos, but the house itself is not shown.

In the Calle de Santa Paula, a little to the E. of San Marcos, is the
_Convento de Santa Paula_ (Pl. C, 1, 2), a nunnery founded in 1476.
The forecourt has a superb Gothic portal, with terracotta
ornamentation by Franc. Nicoluso of Pisa and reliefs of saints by
Pedro Millán (p. 63). The rich mural azulejos (16th cent.) in the
church’ are well worth seeing.

In the Ronda de Capuchinos (Pl. A, 1, 2) there are considerable
remains of the ancient _City Wall_, with its external towers and low
parapet (‘barbacana’, after Byzantine models).

c. The Western and South-Western Quarters.

Starting from the small PLAZA DEL PACÍFICO (Pl. D, 4), planted with orange-trees, we follow the Calle de San Pablo to the S.W. as far as the church of _Santa Magdalena_ (Pl. D, 4) and then turn to the right into the Calle de Bailén. From this in turn we again diverge to the right and follow the Calle de Miguel de Carvajal to the PLAZA DEL MUSEO (Pl. D, 5; officially, Plaza de la Condesa de Casa Galindo), in which rises a _Bronze Statue of Murillo_.

The *=Museo Provincial= (Pl. D, 5; adm., see p. 60), occupying an old monastery of Mercenarii (_Convento de la Merced_), contains the small _Museo Arqueológico_ and the _Museo de Pinturas_, a famous picture-gallery. The gallery contains several valuable sculptures, but its chief treasure consists in 23 _Murillos_, mostly from the old Capuchin monastery (Pl. A, B, 1), depicting the legend of St. Francis of Assisi and the foundation of the Franciscan order.

A small court leads to the N. CLOISTERS, where the antiques (Roman,
Visigothic, Moorish), along with some modern works, are exhibited.
From the nearer aisle of the cloisters an azulejos-portal leads
straight into the—

GREAT HALL of the picture-gallery, once the convent-church. The
**_Murillos_ are all hung on the walls of the nave. On the S. wall, by
the entrance, note specially the Concepción, the Annunciation, SS.
Leander and Bonaventura, and the ‘Virgen de la Servilleta’, said to
have been painted on a table-napkin. On the N. wall we note St. Felix
of Cantalicio with the Infant Jesus, the *Almsgiving of St. Thomas of
Villanueva, the great Conception, the Adoration or the Shepherds, and
Christ on the Cross embracing St. Francis.

On the end-wall of the church is the Martyrdom of St. Andrew by
_Roelas_. The transept and choir are hung with numerous pictures by
_Zurbarán_ (notably the Triumph of St. Thomas Aquinas, in the choir).
Here, too, are several *Sculptures: _Pietro Torrigiani_, Virgin and
Child, with the penitent St. Jerome (in terracotta); _Montañés_,
wooden figures of the Virgin and Child, John the Baptist, and St.
Dominicus.

A room on the UPPER FLOOR contains modern pictures.

The Calle de los Reyes Católicos, in line with the Calle de San Pablo (p. 66), ends at the Puente de Isabel Segunda (Pl. F, 6), the chief bridge crossing to the suburb of _Triana_.

A little short of the bridge we turn to the left and follow the PASEO DE CRISTÓBAL COLÓN (Pl. E, F, 5, 4), skirting the left bank of the Guadalquivir and the quays. On the left lie the _Bull Ring_ (Pl. F, 4, 5); then the pretty PLAZA DE ATARAZANAS (Pl. F, 4; Arabic Dâr as-San῾a, ‘arsenal’, ‘place of work’), on the site of the old Moorish wharf, where the great _Artillery Arsenal_ (Maestranza), the Hospital de la Caridad, and the _Custom House_ (Aduana), are now situated.

The =Hospital de la Caridad= (Pl. F, 4; adm., see p. 60), erected for the ‘brotherhood of charity’ (Hermandad de la Caridad) in 1661–4, possesses, in its baroque church, six far-famed **_Murillos_ (1660–74). Two of these in particular are the delight and admiration of every beholder: Moses striking the Rock (Cuadro de las Aguas, or La Sed, ‘the thirst’) and the Feeding of the Five Thousand (Pan y Peces, ‘bread and fishes’). Besides these pictures there are, on the left, the Infant Christ, the Annunciation, and San Juan de Dios carrying sick persons into the hospital; on the right, the young John the Baptist. By tho high-choir are two singular but repulsive pictures by _Juan Valdés Leal_ (1630–91), the Raising of the Cross and the Triumph of Death.

Near the S. angle of the Plaza, close to the river, rises the =Torre del Oro= (Pl. G, 4), once a fortified tower of the Moorish Alcázar (p. 61), and ever since called the ‘tower of gold’ on account of its brilliant azulejos. The upper part of the tower dates from the Christian period only; the window openings and the balconies were constructed in 1760.

Near the Torre del Oro begin the *=Public Gardens= of Seville, which, particularly in spring, when roses, camellias, and orange-blossom are in their glory, afford a delightful promenade. The favourite part is the _Paseo de las Delicias_ (Pl. H, 3), beginning at the _Palacio de Santelmo_ (Pl. G, 3; now a priests’ seminary), where the people of fashion drive on fine afternoons. On the way back we may walk through the _Parque María Luisa_ (Pl. H, 2), once part of the Santelmo gardens, and regain the town by the Calle San Fernando, passing the great _Tobacco Factory_ (Pl. G, 3), a huge baroque building of 1757.

8. From Seville to Cordova.

81½ M. RAILWAY (Seville and Madrid Line) in 2¾–4¾ hrs. (fares 16 p.
40, 12 p. 30, 7 p. 40 c.); one _train de luxe_ daily, 1st cl. only,
fare 10 per cent higher. Trains start from the Estación de Córdoba.

_Seville_, see p. 59. We follow the Guadalquivir upstream, at some distance from its lofty reddish banks, which are visible at times. Nearing (13½ M.) _Brenes_ we enjoy a last retrospect of the cathedral of Seville with the Giralda.

22 M. _Tocina_, the junction for Mérida and Lisbon. Beyond (25½ M.) _Guadajoz_ we cross to the right bank of the Guadalquivir. 46½ M. _Peñaflor_, adjoining rapids of the river which drive large mills. 49 M. _Palma del Río_, at the confluence of the Guadalquivir with the _Genil_ (p. 74). 67½ M. _Almodóvar_, with a loftily situated Moorish castle, now being restored.

81½ M. =Cordova.=—At the STATION (_Estación de Madrid, Sevilla y
Málaga_; Pl. B, C, 1; Rail. Restaur.) are omnibuses from the chief
hotels.

HOTELS (comp. p. 51; charges should be arranged beforehand). _Hot.
Suizo_ (Pl. a; C, 2), corner of Calle Duque de Hornachuelos and the
narrow Calle Diego León, pens, from 12½ p., variously judged.—Less
expensive: _Hot. de Oriente_ (Pl. c; C, 2), pens. 8–10 p.; _Hot. de
España & Francia_ (Pl. b; C, 2), pens. 8 p.; _Hot. Simón_ (Pl. d; C,
2), pens. 5–6 p., very fair; these three are in the Paseo del Gran
Capitán; _Cuatro Naciones_, Calle San Miguel 4.

CAFÉS. _Café-Restaur. Suizo_, Calle Ambrosio de Morales (Pl. D, 3);
_La Perla_, Calle del Conde de Gondomar No. 1, _Cervecería Alemana_
No. 8.

POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Pl. D, 3), Plazuela de Seneca.

BRITISH VICE-CONSUL, _Richard Eshott Carr_.

HALF-A-DAY, when time presses: _Cathedral_ (open all day, except 12–2;
closes 2 hrs. before sunset); visit to the Mihrâb, Renaissance choir,
Mudejar chapel, etc., for which a permiso (2 p.) is obtained at the
Oficina de la Obrería, adjoining the Puerta del Perdón; then the
_Guadalquivir Bridge_, with the _Calahorra_; the _Paseo del Gran
Capitán_ and _Jardines de la Victoria_.

_Cordŏva_, Span. _Córdoba_ (391 ft.), a provincial capital and the seat of a bishop, with 60,000 inhab., lies at the foot of the _Sierra de Córdoba_, a spur of the Sierra Morena, in a plain sloping gently down to the _Guadalquivir_. The town, whose ancient glory has long departed, now contains little or nothing to interest the expectant traveller except the mosque, now the Cathedral, which in spite of many later additions and disfigurements, is still the grandest monument in Spain of the Moorish period. Other memorials of this Mecca of the Occident, once famous as a patroness of science also, now survive only in several portals and inscriptions.

_Corduba_, the most important of the ancient Iberian towns on the
upper course of the Bætis, became a Roman colony in 152 B.C., and was
noted for its commerce and its wealth. The Visigothic king _Leovigild_
wrested it in 571 from the Byzantines and made it an episcopal see.
After the decisive battle of 711 (p. 51) Cordova was captured by the
Moors, aided by the Jews who were alienated by the arrogance of the
Visigoths. With the Moorish sway begins the world-wide fame of the
city, especially from the time when the emir _Abderrahmân I._, of the
house of the _Omaiyades_ (p. 485), on his escape from the massacre of
his family at Damascus, settled at Cordova in 756 and declared his
independence of the Oriental caliphate. As the capital of the Spanish
or western caliphate, Cordova soon became the wealthiest city in
Spain, and even for a short time the richest in Europe, notably under
_Abderrahmân II._ (822–52) and _Abderrahmân III._ (912–61), the
greatest of the Omaiyades, and also under the governor (hâjib)
_Al-Mansûr_ (d. 1002). It even rivalled Bagdad and Fez as a brilliant
centre of Mohammedan culture, to which students flocked from every
part of the Occident. At length, after the _Almoravides_ and
_Almohades_ (p. 95), who had been summoned to aid the citizens against
the Christians, had vainly attempted to arrest the decay of the city,
Cordova fell, in 1236, into the hands of _Ferdinand III. of Castile_,
who expelled the Moorish inhabitants and in 1248 made Seville his
residence. The city afterwards fell into decay and poverty, and the
once highly extolled Campiña became a desolate wilderness.

See ‘Cordova’, by _A. F. Calvert_ and _W. M. Gallichan_ (London,
1907).

From the Carrera de la Estación, or ‘station street’, bearing a little to the left, we enter the _Paseo del Gran Capitán_ (Pl. C, 1, 2), the favourite promenade of the townsfolk on summer evenings.

At the S. end of the Paseo, near the church of _San Nicolás de la Villa_ (Pl. C, 2), with its octagonal tower, once a minaret, we take the Calle del Conde de Gondomar to the left, and then, just short of the Hotel Suizo, follow the Calle de Jesús María (Pl. C, 2, 3) to the right. This street, continued by the Calle de Angel de Saavedra, the Calle Pedregosa, and the Calle Céspedes, leads to the S. to the cathedral.

The **=Cathedral= (Pl. C, 3, 4; adm., see p. 68), once the _Mesjid al-Jâmia_, or ‘chief mosque’ of the city, one of the greatest in the world, and still called _La Mezquita_, is the grandest and noblest creation of Moorish architecture in Spain. The mosque was founded by Abderrahmân I. in 785, on the site of a Christian church, and was intended to form a great religious centre for all believers in Spain, and to induce the great stream of western pilgrims to repair to Cordova instead of to Mecca. A model for the edifice was found in the arcaded courts and colonnaded halls of the Egyptian mosques (such as the Amru Mosque, p. 460). The original edifice contained only ten rows of columns, which formed eleven longitudinal and twelve transverse aisles. The central aisle was a little wider than the others and ended in a Mihrâb, or prayer-recess, designed to mark the direction of Mecca (Kibla). As the building soon proved inadequate for the population, which was rapidly increased by accessions from the East, Abderrahmân II., in 833–48, added seven transepts on the S. side and erected a new mihrâb. A further prolongation by fourteen transepts was effected by AlHâkim II. (961–76), after which the magnificent third mihrâb (mihrâb nuevo) formed the termination of the building. Though the mosque was now considered the finest in the Occident, rivalling the Kairuin mosque at Fez, it failed to satisfy the ambition of Al-Mansûr (p. 69). As the sloping ground on the S. side precluded extension in that direction, this governor, in 987–90, caused seven new rows of columns to be raised on the E. side, thus increasing the number of aisles to nineteen, but destroying the symmetrical plan of the building, which required the mihrâb, or holy of holies, to be in line with the main axis of the building.

After the conquest of Cordova by the Christians in 1236 (p. 69) the mosque was dedicated to the Virgin (Virgen de la Asunción). The Spaniards at first confined their operations to walling up most of the doors and then fitting up side-chapels along the walls. As the needs of the Christian ritual, however, soon demanded the construction of a choir (primitivo coro), part of the second mihrâb and the adjoining aisles had in 1260 to be demolished. Still greater damage was done by the insertion of the Renaissance choir in the centre of the building, and of the Sala Capitular, or sacristy, in the middle of the S. wall.

The GROUND PLAN forms an immense rectangle of about 575 by 427 ft., of which fully a third is occupied by the court. Court and church are surrounded by a fortress-like battlemented wall which, on three sides, rests on massive substructions. Nothing indicates the object of the building except the rich portals, flanked with niches and windows, and, on the N. side, adjoining the Calle del Obispo Herrero, the _Campanario_ or bell-tower (305 ft. high), which was substituted for the Moorish minaret in 1593. Ascent of the tower interesting (adm. 25 c.; 255 steps).

The *_Puerta del Perdón_, the main gateway, restored in 1377 on the model of the gate of that name at Seville (p. 63), adjoins the clock-tower and leads into the—

*_Patio de los Naranjos_ (‘orange-court’), once the court of the mosque, where the faithful performed their ablutions. Light and spacious, yet well-shaded by orange and palm-trees, watered by five fountains, and always enlivened with groups of quiet visitors, it presents a typical scene of Oriental repose. The avenues were originally laid out in line with the colonnades in the interior of the mosque. The old arcades of the court (claustro) are now walled up on the N. side. Of the nineteen gates on the S. side, two only, the _Puerta de las Palmas_, the chief entrance to the cathedral, and the small doorway of the eastmost colonnade are now open.

The *INTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL, in spite of its moderate height (37 ft.), and in spite of much disfigurement, is singularly impressive. In the subdued light the forest of columns seems endless. They average 13 ft. only in height, and are of the most diverse materials, many of them having been brought from late-Roman buildings or from Christian churches. The capitals show a marvellous wealth of design; their bases are buried in the pavement, the level of which has been raised by 11–14 inches in the course of centuries. The vast number of horseshoe arches which connect the columns, in the direction of the length of the church, and the upper semicircular arches resting on projecting pillars impart peculiar life to the building. The painted timber-ceilings of the different roofs have been restored in their original style. The sumptuous mosaic pavement has disappeared, and so too have the countless chandeliers and lamps which burned perpetually during the Moorish period.

The wealth of artistic decoration was lavished chiefly on the mihrâbs, the first of which has been entirely destroyed. The second and third were each provided with a vestibule and two side-rooms, part of which was formerly shut off to form the Caliph’s maksûra (or court-platform). The vestibule of the *Second Mihrâb, with its superb shell-vaulting, still exists.

The **THIRD MIHRÂB is considered a marvel of art. The front is adorned with two rows of columns, one above the other, and with double toothed arches. The vestibule, now Capilla de San Pedro, and the prayer-niche itself, a kind of heptagonal chapel of barely 13 ft. in diameter, exhibit the most elaborate efforts of early-Moorish art, especially in the rich marble plinth and in the coloured glass mosaics executed by Byzantine artists. The toothed arches of the windows and the boldly interlacing arches of the superb dome point to a later high development of Moorish art.

Of the CHRISTIAN ADDITIONS to the church one of the most noteworthy is the sumptuous _Capilla Mudéjar de San Fernando_, to the left of the second mihrâb, erected over the old royal vault. The *_Renaissance Choir_ (Coro and Capilla Mayor), designed by _Hernán Ruiz the Elder_ in 1523, was completed, with many alterations, in 1627. Though only 256 by 79 ft. in size, it is crowded with no less than 63 columns, and it rises high above the roof of the mosque. It is considered a masterpiece of the plateresque style, but has ruined the original symmetry of the mosque.

The =Alcázar= (Pl. C, 4; now a prison), erected in 1328, contains but scanty relics of the ancient Moorish castle.

The Calle Torrijos, on the W. side of the cathedral, descends to the _Puerta del Puente_, a triumphal arch of the time of Philip II., on the site of the Moorish bridge gateway. The Moorish *=Bridge= (Pl. C, D, 4) of sixteen arches, resting on Roman foundations, here unites Cordova with the S. suburb of _Campo de la Verdad_. Halfway across we have a fine view of the cathedral, and of a dam, up the river, with Moorish mills. The massive tête-de-pont, _Calahorra_ (Iberian _Calagurris_), also is of Moorish origin.

Returning into the town from the bridge, we may next visit the _Puerta Almodóvar_ (Pl. B, 3), a relic of the Moorish city-wall, and then walk through the _Jardines de la Victoria_ to the station.

9. From Cordova viâ Bobadilla to Granada.

153 M. RAILWAY in 6¼–8½ hrs. (fares 36 p. 30, 28 p. 20, 19 p. 30 c.);
express on Mon. & Frid. only; change at Bobadilla (Railway
Restaurant). Beyond Bobadilla views to the right.

_Cordova_, see p. 68.—The train crosses the _Guadalquivir_ and runs through a dreary hill-country (_Campiña_). Looking back, we see Cordova, the Sierra of Cordova, and Almodóvar (p. 68).

We cross the _Guadajoz_ several times. Beyond (21 M.) _Fernán Núñez_ the vine and olive culture begins. 31 M. _Montilla_ (1165 ft.), once famed for its _Amontillado_, resembling the wine of Xeres (p. 59). Farther on, to the left, we have a view of the distant Sierra Nevada (p. 49).

47 M. _Puente Genil_ (Rail. Restaur.). The town lies 2 M. to the N.W., and is seen to the right as we cross a lofty bridge over the _Genil_ (see below). The train ascends to the plateau of the _Sierra de Yeguas_, in view, farther on, of abrupt Jurassic mountains.

62 M. =La Roda=, junction for Utrera. (Lines to Cadiz and Seville, see R. 6.)

Running to the S.W. the train soon reaches the watershed (1477 ft.) between the Guadalquivir and the Guadalhorce. Beyond (69½ M.) _Fuente Piedra_ we observe on the right the _Laguna Salada_, a salt-lake resembling the shotts of N. Africa (p. 169).

77 M. =Bobadilla=, see p. 57.

The Granada train diverges to the N.E. from the Málaga line (R. 11), and ascends the broad valley of the _Guadalhorce_. On the right soon appears the _Sierra de Abdalajis_.

87 M. _Antequera_ (1346 ft.; Fonda de la Castaña and others), the Roman _Anticaria_, lies picturesquely at the N. base of the hills, with a ruined Moorish castle. The _Cueva de Menga_, 10 min. to the E. of the town, is one of the largest dolmens in Spain.

99½ M. _Archidona_; the town lies on a hill, 3¾ M. to the S.—We next cross the watershed between the Guadalhorce and the _Genil_ and descend through several tunnels. After the third the snow-covered _Sierra Nevada_ suddenly appears towards the E.

121 M. _Loga_, the _Lôsha_ of the Moors, together with _Alhama_, a little town on the hill 12½ M. to the S.E., once ‘the keys of Granada’, were captured by the Catholic kings (p. 75) in 1488.

The country is now hilly and at places sandy; the Genil with its Vega (p. 73) remains on the right. 132 M. _Tocón_, at the foot of the _Sierra de Prugo_, On the left rises the bare _Sierra de Parapanda_, which the natives of Granada regard as a barometer. 144 M. _Pinos Puente_, at the foot of the barren _Sierra de Elvira_.

We next enter the fertile _Vega_, enclosed by olive-clad hills. 148 M. _Atarfe_, station for _Santa Fe_, 3 M. to the S.W., on the left bank of the Genil, built in the form of a Roman camp by Isabella the Catholic during the siege of Granada. The capitulation was signed here in 1491 (p. 75), and so too, in 1492, was the contract with Columbus regarding his voyage of discovery (p. 5).

In the foreground appears the lofty _Albaicín_ (p. 74); then, overtopped by the Sierra Nevada, (153 M.) _Granada_ (see below).

10. Granada.

The STATION (_Estación de los Ferrocarriles Andaluces_; Pl. B, 6; no
buffet) is 1¾ M. from the hotels in the Puerta Real and nearly 2 M.
from those near the Alhambra. Hotel-omnibus to the former 1, to the
latter 2 p.; an ‘omnibus general’ (50 c. each pers. or each trunk)
plies to the _Despacho Central_ (p. 51), opposite the Hot. Victoria.

=Hotels= (comp. p. 51). _Near the Alhambra_, in the Alhambra Park, a
beautiful, but in winter a cold situation, ¾ M. above the town (2–3
min. from the hill-tramway station; see below): HOT. WASHINGTON IRVING
(Pl. b; F, 2), with the dépendance SIETE SUELOS (Pl. c; F, 2),
patronized by English and Americans; ALHAMBRA PALACE HOTEL (Pl. a; F,
3), new, R. 6–12½, pens. 20–35 p.; *PENS. MISS LAIRD, Carmen de Bella
Vista, with garden, 8½–12 p. per day; HOT. DEL BOSQUE DE LA ALHAMBRA,
at the N. base of the Alhambra Hill, below the Torre de Comares (Pl.
E, 2), pens. 8–15 p., well spoken of.—_In the Town_ (ca. 1¾ M. from
the Alhambra): *HOT. ALAMEDA (Pl. d; F, 5), adjoining the shady
Carrera del Genil, with view of the Sierra Nevada, pens. 8–20 p.; HOT.
DE PARIS (Pl. e; E, 4), Gran Via de Colón 5, with terrace, restaurant,
etc., pens. 9–20 p.; HOT. VICTORIA, on the W. side of the Puerta Real,
with fine view, pens. from 8 p., Spanish, quite good; HOT. NUEVO
ORIENTE (Pl. g; E, 5), Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo 8, pens. 7 p.,
quite Spanish, very fair; FONDA NAVÍO, Calle Martínez Campos (Pl. E,
5), with a favourite restaurant.—Drinking-water not good.

=Cafés.= _Café Colón_, Calle de los Reyes Católicos (Pl. E, 4);
_Imperial_, Carrera del Genil (Pl. F, 5).

=Tramways.= 1. _Plaza Nueva_ (Pl. E, 4)-_Cocheras_ (red disc): through
the Calle de los Reyes Católicos (Pl. E, 4, 5) to the Puerta Real, the
University (Pl. D, 5), and the Rail. Station (Pl. B, A, 6).—2. _Plaza
Nueva-Cervantes_ (yellow): viâ the Puerta Real and the Carrera del
Genil to the Paseo de la Bomba (Pl. G, H, 4).—3. _Puerta Real_ (Pl. E,
5)-_Vistillas-Alhambra_ (green): viâ the Plaza Nueva to the Puerta de
los Molinos (Pl. G, 3; change), then by the hill-tramway
(rack-and-pinion) to the Alhambra Park (Cuesta de las Cruces; Pl. F,
2, 3), in ¼ hr.; fare 30 c.

=Cabs= (stationed in the Carrera del Genil). Drive in the town, with
one horse 1, with two horses 2½ p.; per hour 2 or 3 p.—To the
Alhambra, Albaicín (p. 79), and Sacro Monte (p. 78) 5 p. extra (but
bargain advisable). Carr. and pair may be had also from the Despacho
Central or the Alhambra hotels (3 p. per hour).

=Post & Telegraph Office= (_Correo_; Pl. E, 4), Calle de los Reyes
Católicos. Post-office open 10–12 and after 2; poste restante letters
delivered 1 hr. after arrival of trains.

=British Vice-Consul=, _Chas. E. S. Davenhill_.

=Sights.= _Alhambra_ (p. 79), daily, 9–12 and 1–6, adm. 50 c.–1 p., on
Sun. free; some rooms specially shown by the custodian.—_Generalife_
(p. 87), best by morning light; tickets (papeletas) at the Casa de los
Tiros (p. 77), on week-days, 9–11, free.—The _Cathedral_ (p. 76),
daily, closed between 11 and 2.30; the _Capilla Real_ (p. 76), either
in the morning before high-mass (in winter at 10, in summer at 9), or
2.30 to 4, in summer 3–5 p.m.—The smaller churches are usually open
from an early hour till 8.30 or 9 only, but are shown later by the
sacristan (fee).—The usual hours for other sights are 8–12 and 2–6;
between 12 and 2 a substantial fee is exacted.

=Promenades.= In winter, Carrera del Genil (p. 77), 3–5; in summer,
Paseo del Salón (p. 77) and Paseo de la Bomba, 5–7. Band on Sun. and
Thurs.

=Guides= at the hotels, needless except when time presses. Those who
pester strangers in the streets and at the entrance to the Alhambra,
as well as gipsy beggars, should be disregarded.

CHIEF ATTRACTIONS (two days). 1st. Forenoon: the _Cathedral_ (p. 76);
_Placeta de la Lonja_ (p. 77); _Casa de los Tiros_ (p. 77); _Carrera
del Genil_; *_Paseo del Salón_; afternoon: _Alameda del Darro_ (p.
78); *View from _San Nicolás_ (p. 79) or from _San Miguel el Alto_ (p.
79).—2nd. *_Alhambra_ (p. 79) and _Generalife_ (p. 87).

_Granáda_ (2195 ft.; pop. 69,000), once the capital of the Moorish kingdom, and now that of the province of Granada, the residence of an archbishop and seat of a university, lies most picturesquely at the foot of two hills (about 490 ft. high), which gradually slope to the E. up to the _Cerro del Sol_, and descend abruptly to the fertile, well-watered river-plain of the _Vega_. The _Albaicín_, the northmost of the two hills, the oldest quarter of Granada, once the residence of the Moorish aristocracy, but now inhabited chiefly by gipsies, forms a town by itself. The deep ravine of the _Darro_, which is generally dry as its water is much diverted for irrigation purposes, separates the Albaicín from the _Monte de la Assabica_, or Alhambra Hill to the S. (comp. p. 79). The Darro, descending from the N.E., turns to the S. near the Alhambra Hill and falls into the more important _Genil_.

The two hills were once occupied by Iberian and then by Roman settlements, the one on the Albaicín having perhaps already borne the name of _Garnata_. Soon after 711 the Moors built the ‘Old Castle’ (Al-Kasaba al-Kadîma) on the site of Garnata. After the decline of the caliphate of Cordova (p. 69) _Zâwi ibn Zîri_, the governor of Granada, declared himself independent in 1031, and founded here the dynasty of the _Zirites_, which, however, was overthrown by the Almoravides (p. 95) in 1090. As the power of the Almohades (p. 95) declined the native governors revolted anew. At length in 1246 Granada became the seat of the _Nasride Dynasty_ founded by _Al-Ahmar_ (‘_Mohammed I._‘), which, after the fall of Seville, succeeded, in alliance alternately with the Castilians and the Merinides (p. 95), in retaining possession of Granada, Málaga, and Almería for nearly 250 years. Mohammed I. offered an asylum in Granada to the Moors who were expelled from Cordova, Valencia, and Seville, and began the building of the ‘New Castle’ (Al-Kasaba al-Jedîda) on the hill of the Alhambra. His successors afterwards created the Alhambra Palace, the most sumptuous of royal residences. Thanks to their fostering care for agriculture and industry, for science, art and architecture, Granada attained such brilliant prosperity as even to eclipse the fame of the old caliphate of Cordova.

The downfall of the kingdom of Granada was at length brought about by party struggles between the _Zegri_, the _Beni Serrâj_ (the _Abencerrages_ of legend; comp. p. 84), and other noble families, and by quarrels between king _Mulei Abu’l-Hasan_ (d. 1485) and his son _Boabdil_; a welcome opportunity was thus afforded to Ferdinand and Isabella, the so-called ‘Catholic Kings’, of intervening and thus gaining their life-long object of destroying the last Moorish kingdom in Spain. After the death of his father Boabdil remained inactive when Ferdinand proceeded to besiege Málaga (p. 90); he made one despairing attempt at resistance when the Spaniards demanded the evacuation of Granada, but in 1491 had to conclude a humiliating peace. He soon afterwards crossed the Sierra Nevada and retired to Tlemcen in N. Africa (p. 187), where he ended his inglorious career. With the Spanish domination began the decay of the city; it was depopulated by the decrees of the Catholic Kings, the Inquisition held fearful sway here, and ere long Granada became a ‘living ruin’. Within the last few years, however, the busy tourist traffic, the establishment of sugar-factories, and the prosperous mining industry of the Sierra Nevada have somewhat repaired the fortunes of the city, and several of the old quarters have been entirely modernized. But its picturesque history, its memorials of the most glorious period of Moorish culture and art, and the striking view of the snow-mountains it affords will ever render it the most fascinating goal of travellers in Andalusia.

See ‘Granada: Memories, Adventures, Studies, and Impressions’, by
_Leonard Williams_ (London, 1906); and ‘Granada and the Alhambra’, by
_A. F. Calvert_ (London, 1907).

a. The Lower Town.

Leaving the railway-station (Pl. B, 6; tramway No. 1, see p. 73), we follow the Calle Real de San Lázaro to the S.E. to the _Paseo del Triunfo_ (Pl. C, 4), so named from the column in honour of the Virgin (triunfo). Here, by the half-ruined _Puerta de Elvira_ (Pl. C, 4), begin the old Calle de Elvira and the new GRAN VIA DE COLÓN (Pl. C-E, 4), both leading to the chief artery of traffic, the narrow—

CALLE DE LOS REYES CATÓLICOS (Pl. E, 4, 5), which is built above the Darro, and connects the busy Puerta Real (Pl. E, 5), to the S.W., with the Plaza Nueva (Pl. E, 4; officially, Plaza Rodriguez Bolivar), to the N.E., at the foot of the Alhambra Hill (p. 79).

In the Calle de Lopez Rubio, a side-street, is the so-called _Casa del Carbón_, once a Moorish granary, with picturesque horseshoe arches and stalactite vaulting. To the S.W. of it is the modern town-hall (_Ayuntamiento_).

The short streets on the opposite side lead to the _Alcaicería_, (Pl. E, 4, 5), with its numerous columns, which was burned down in 1843, once a Moorish market-hall (Al-Kaisariya), resembling the Oriental sûks (p. 335), and to the modernized _Plaza de Bibarrambla_ (Pl. E, 5), named after a Moorish city-gate which once stood here. A few paces from these lies the PLACETA DE LAS PASIEGAS. Here, surrounded by buildings which mar its effect, rises the—

*=Cathedral= (Pl. D, E, 4, 5), an imposing memorial of the conquest of Spain, and the finest Renaissance church in the kingdom. It was begun in 1523 by _Enrique de Egas_ in the Gothic style, continued in 1525 by _Diego de Siloe_ (d. 1533) in the plateresque style (p. 51), and consecrated, while still unfinished, in 1561. The N. tower only, which is now 187 ft. high, has been erected; the huge façade was begun in 1667 by _Alonso Cano_, who was also the chief author of the sculpture and painting in the church; the interior was not completed till 1703.

Two of the SIDE PORTALS, the Puerta de San Jerónimo, the first
entrance to the N. in the Calle de Jiménez de Cisneros, and the Puerta
del Colegio, on the E. side of the ambulatory, are adorned with
sculptures by _Siloe_ and others. The *Puerta del Perdón, the second
portal to the N., also owes the beautiful ornamentation of its lower
part to _Siloe_.

The *INTERIOR (adm., see p. 74) has double aisles with two rows of
chapels, a lofty transept which does not project beyond the
side-walls, a central choir, and a Capilla Mayor with ambulatory. The
vaulting, 100 ft. in height, is borne by massive pillars and
half-columns. Total length 380, breadth 220 ft. The decoration in
white and gold harmonizes well with the fine marble pavement (1775).

The *CAPILLA MAYOR, 148 ft. long and 154 ft. high, is crowned with a
dome resting on Corinthian columns. On the pillars in front of the
marble high-altar are kneeling statues of the ‘Catholic Kings’, by
_Pedro de Mena_ and _Medrano_ (1677); above them are painted *Busts of
Adam and Eve, in oak, by _Alonso Cano_, who painted also the
representation of the Seven Joys of Mary.

SIDE CHAPELS. The Capilla de San Miguel, on the right, lavishly
decorated in 1807, contains a picture by _Al. Cano_, the Mater
Dolorosa (after Gasp. Becerra).—In the Capilla de la Trinidad, beyond
the door of the Sagrario (p. 77), is a painting of the Trinity by _Al.
Cano_.—The Altar de Jesús Nazareno contains *Pictures by _Dom.
Theotocópuli_ (St. Francis) and _Ribera_; the fine Bearing of the
Cross is by _Al. Cano_.—By the same artist are also the fine oaken
busts of St. Paul and John the Baptist in the Capilla de Nuestra
Señora del Carmen, adjoining the N. aisles.

From the first chapel in the ambulatory, to the right of the Puerta
del Colegio, a portal by _Siloe_ leads through an ante-room
(antesacristía) into the SACRISTY (18th cent.), containing a crucifix
by Montañés (p. 61) and an Annunciation and a Conception (a sculpture)
by _Al. Cano_.

A handsome portal leads from the right transept into the late-Gothic
*=Capilla Real=, the burial-chapel of the ‘Catholic Kings’, where
Charles V. caused his parents Philip of Austria and Juana the Insane
also to be interred. The marble *Monuments are in the Italian
early-Renaissance style: on the right those of Ferdinand and Isabella,
by the Florentine _Domenico Fancelli_; on the left, Philip and Juana,
by _Bartolomé Ordóñez_. The high-altar, with the kneeling statuettes
of the ‘Catholic Kings’, is by _Philip Vigarní_, a Burgundian; the
reliefs in wood, historically interesting, represent (left) the
surrender of the Alhambra keys and (right) the compulsory baptism of
the Moors. Behind the reliquary altars, which are opened on four
festival-days only, are hung Madonnas by _Dierick Bouts_, altar-wings
by _Roger van der Weyden_, a Madonna and a Descent from the Cross by
_Memling_, and other pictures. Over an altar in the right aisle is a
*Winged Picture by _D. Bouts_.

The third great addition to the cathedral, the =Sagrario=, erected as
a parish church in 1705–59, occupies the site of the ancient mosque,
with its eleven aisles, which was used for Christian worship down to
1661.

The picturesque PLACETA DE LA LONJA (Pl. E, 4), on the S. side of the cathedral, affords a good view of the _Lonja_ (Exchange), built in 1518–22, which stands before the Sagrario, of the rich architecture of the Capilla Real, and of the—

=Casa del Cabildo Antigua=, once the seat of the Moorish university founded here after the downfall of Cordova and Seville, afterwards the residence of the ‘Catholic Kings’, and now a cloth magazine. Its fantastic exterior dates from the 18th cent.; in the interior are two interesting rooms of the Moorish period (fee 50 c.).

* * * * *

From the E. end of the Calle de los Reyes Católicos (p. 75) the Calle Castro y Serrano and Calle Doctor Eximio lead to the right to the _Casa de los Tiros_ (Pl. E, 4), a building in the Moorish castellated style, dating from the 15th cent., and now owned by the Marquesa de Campotéjar. The court contains a venerable tree-like vine. Tickets for the Generalife (comp. p. 74) are issued here.

The Calle de Santa Escolástica leads hence to the Plaza de Santo Domingo (Pl. F, 4) and the old monastery of _Santo Domingo_ (now a military school), with its pleasing church (15–17th cent.).—A little to the S.W. is the—

_Cuarto Real de Santa Domingo_ (Pl. F, 4; admittance seldom granted), the Al-Majarra of the Moors, now named after a tower of the 13th cent., a superb villa with a Moorish portal and a hall whose charming decoration is older than the Alhambra. The beautiful garden is said to have been laid out in Moorish times.

We now cross the Plaza Bailén to the N.W. to the favourite winter promenade (p. 74), the _Carrera del Genil_ (Pl. E-G, 5), shaded with plane-trees, which begins at the Puerta Real (p. 75) and now comprises the former _Alameda_. Adjoining the Carrera on the left is the—

*=Paseo del Salón= (Pl. G, 5, 4). planted with elms and adorned with a bronze statue of _Isabella the Catholic_. Delightful view to the N.E. of Monte Mauror with the Torres Bermejas (p. 80); to the S.E. towers the majestic Sierra Nevada, from whose rocky crest the _Picacho de la Veleta_ (11,148 ft.), the grandest point of view in all Andalusia, alone rises conspicuously.

b. Darro Valley and Albaicín.

At the mouth of the Darro Valley lies the PLAZA NUEVA (Pl. E, 4; p. 75), another focus of traffic (tramways, see p. 73). On the left is the _Audiencia_, formerly the Chancilleria, built in 1531–87 for the Capitán General or governor. The pretty arcaded court was probably designed by Diego de Siloe (p. 76).

A few paces farther to the E. the Darro is not covered in. Here, on the right, on the site of an old mosque, is the church of =Santa Ana= (Pl. E, 3), a Renaissance building, perhaps designed by _Diego de Siloe_ in 1541, with a fine plateresque portal and an admirable timber ceiling. The tower, built by _Juan Castellar_ in 1561–3, with its azulejos and jutting roof resting on corbels, resembles a minaret.

Opposite the church, on the right bank of the Darro, begins the CARRERA DEL DARRO (Pl. E, 3, 2), one of the oldest parts of Granada, affording picturesque views, notably of the towers and walls of the Alhambra, which had its oldest approach from this quarter. (Part of a horseshoe arch of the bridge is seen on the left bank.) The _Bañuelo_, at No. 37, now occupied by poor families, is a Moorish bath, dating perhaps from the 11th century.

On the right side of the street we come to the church of _San Pedro y San Pablo_ (Pl. E, 3, 2), with its fine timber ceiling. On the opposite bank of the Darro we observe traces of the landslip under the N.E. corner of the Alcazaba (p. 81), below which are the arches of an aqueduct. To the N. of the church is the _Casa de Castril_, a curious Renaissance building with an ornate portal by a pupil of Siloe.

We next reach the ALAMEDA DEL DARRO (Pl. E, 2), planted with elms; above us, on the right, is the Generalife (p. 87); on the left, Albaicín (p. 79). Crossing the bridge to the right we enter the steep CUESTA DEL REY CHICO (Pl. F, 2), which leads through the ravine mentioned at p. 79, and past the Moorish towers of the Alhambra, to the _Puerta de Hierro_ (p. 87), the E. gate of the Alhambra, and to the _Generalife_.

From the Darro the CUESTA DEL CHAPIZ (Pl. E, D, 2) ascends to the N. to the old suburb of _Albaida_. The street is named after the _Casa del Chapiz_, erected early in the 16th cent. in the Mudejar style for two Morisco nobles, with two separate patios. The house, now a bakery, is entered from No. 14, at the corner of the Camino del Sacro Monte.

From this point the CAMINO DEL SACRO MONTE (Pl. D, 2, 1) ascends the cactus-grown slope. The numerous poor _Cuevas_, or cave-dwellings, are chiefly occupied by gipsies (gitanos). The path ends at the (25 min.) =Sacro Monte= (to the N.E. of Pl. D, E, 1), a Benedictine monastery of the 17th cent., now a divinity and law school. The view of the Alhambra across the Darro valley, of the town and the Vega, is one of the finest near Granada.

Footpaths ascend from the Cuesta del Chapiz in 25 min., and from the Sacro Monte in ¾ hr., partly through deep gorges, to the chapel of =San Miguel el Alto= (Pl. D, 1), in the midst of aloes and cacti, where we enjoy a grand *View of the Alhambra, the town, the Vega, and the Sierra Nevada.

* * * * *

The side-streets of the Carrera del Darro (p. 78) ascend to the N. to =Albaicín=, a poor suburb (p. 74). Not far from San Pedro y San Pablo (p. 78) is the small Gothic church of _San Juan de los Reyes_ (Pl. D, 2), an early 16th cent. edifice, whose tower was once a minaret.

Above this church, and of like date, is the Gothic church of =San Nicolás= (Pl. D, 2), also built on Moorish foundations, and containing a fine timber ceiling. The famous *View of the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada is a favourite subject with artists. The _Puerta de los Estandartes_ (Pl. D, 3), close by, is a relic of the Moorish _Castle Wall_, which runs down hence to the _Puerta Monáita_ (Pl. C, 3, 4). On the N. side the Cuesta de la Alacaba (Pl. D, C, 3, 4) descends to the Paseo del Triunfo (p. 75).

On the way back to the Plaza Nueva we pass the Franciscan nunnery of _Santa Isabel la Real_ (Pl. D, 3), whose church has a tasteful late-Gothic portal by Enrique de Egas.

c. The Alhambra.

The =Alhambra= occupies the plateau, 795 by 195 yds., of the _Monte de la Assabica_ (p. 74), which rises abruptly from the Darro on the N. side, while on the S. it is separated by a gorge, the _Assabica_ of the Moors, from the lower spur of the _Monte Mauror_ (Pl. F, 3; p. 80). The axis of this range of hills is abruptly intersected by a second gorge, the _Cuesta del Rey Chico_ (p. 78), separating it on the E. side from the _Cerro del Sol_ (p. 87), at the foot of which lies the Generalife (p. 87). On the narrow W. point of the plateau stands the castle of _Alcazaba_. Beyond the small glacis on its E. side, and beyond the Plaza de los Aljibes, rises the _Alhambra_ itself, adjoining which, on the S.E., lies the _Alta Alhambra_, once quite a little town, where the retinue and servants of the court resided. The whole of these buildings, enclosed by a wall with numerous towers, were called by the Moors _Medînat al-Hamrâ_, literally ‘red city’, from the colour of its stone.

The HISTORY of the Alhambra begins with Mohammed I. (1232–72), the
first Nasride sovereign. While the Zirites resided on the Albaicín
hill (comp. p. 74), Mohammed chose the Alhambra Hill as a site for his
palace. The building was continued by his son _Mohammed II._
(1272–1302), and the Alhambra mosque (p. 86) was erected by _Mohammed
III._ (1302–9). _Abu’l-Walîd Ismaîl_ (1309–25) was the first to erect
a small palace outside of the Alcazaba, but this, with the exception
of the Patio del Mexuar (p. 85), was taken down by _Yûsuf I._
(1333–54). Yûsuf began the stately Comares or myrtle-court palace,
with its throne and audience room; to him are ascribed also the
Comares tower (p. 83), the baths (p. 85), and the enclosing wall of
the Alhambra Hill, with 23 additional towers. For the more sumptuous
part of the pile _Mohammed V._ (1354–91) was chiefly responsible. To
him was due the completion of the Myrtle Court, the erection of the
Cuarto de Machuca, the summer abode of part of the family, and of the
luxurious lion-court palace, the winter dwelling of the court and of
the sovereign’s harem. The last Moorish king who made additions to the
Alhambra was _Mohammed VII._ (1392–1408).

The ‘Catholic Kings’, as Ferdinand and Isabella are styled, took a
great interest in the Alhambra; they restored the decorations of the
interior and strengthened the walls. Charles V. visited Granada in
1526, but with less satisfactory results. Although an enthusiastic
admirer of Moorish art, he caused many outbuildings of the Alhambra to
be removed to make way for his new palace (p. 86). At length, after
1718, when Philip V. discontinued the payment of money for the upkeep
of the buildings, they rapidly fell into decay, and in 1812 the
French, on their retreat, blew up several of the towers. Since 1830,
however, the work of restoration, though sometimes in doubtful taste,
has been resumed.

It is hardly necessary to remind our readers of _Washington Irving’s_
delightful ‘Tales of the Alhambra’, which were partly written on the
spot. A series of magnificent views of the Alhambra is given in the
monumental work of _Jules Goury_ and _Owen Jones_, published at London
in 1842. See also ‘The Alhambra’ by _A. F. Calvert_ (2nd ed., London,
1907).

The HILL TRAMWAY (rack-and-pinion; p. 73) ascends from the Puerta de los Molinos (Pl. G, 3) on the S. slope of _Monte Mauror_, affording a splendid view of Granada, the Vega, and the Sierra Nevada on the left, to the Cuesta de las Cruces (p. 81) in the Alhambra Park, a few minutes’ walk from the entrance of the Alhambra.

The shortest ROAD to the Alhambra is the Calle de Gomeres (Pl. E, 4, 3), which ascends steeply from the Plaza Nueva to the S.E., between the hills of the Alcazaba and the Torres Bermejas, to the Puerta de las Granadas, the present chief entrance to the Alhambra Park.

The =Puerta de las Granadas= (Pl. 1; E, 3), erected by _Pedro Machuca_ (p. 86), in the form of a triumphal arch, on the site of the Moorish _Bîb Alaujar_, occupied the centre of the wall connecting the Alcazaba with the TORRES BERMEJAS, the fortifications on the W. point of the Monte Mauror, which were built at the same period as the Alcazaba, but have been frequently restored.

The *TORRES BERMEJAS (Pl. F, 3; ‘red towers’), now a military prison,
deserve a visit, which may be best paid on the way back from the
Alhambra or the Generalife. The path diverges from the Cuesta de las
Cruces (p. 81) a few paces to the E. of the Puerta de las Granadas.
Adm. on application at the guard-house. The extensive buildings, with
their underground stabling, the cistern, and the casemates, convey an
excellent idea of an ancient Moorish fortress. Stairs, rather steep,
ascend to the platform (_azotea_) on the chief tower, where we obtain
a most picturesque view.

The *=Alhambra Park= (_Alameda de la Alhambra_; Pl. F, 3, 2), a ‘sacred grove’ unique of its kind, occupies the Assabica Valley (p. 79), reaching far up its slopes. It was planted at the end of the 18th cent. with elms exclusively, placed so close together as to form one dense roof of leafage, the home of countless nightingales. In March, when the sun shines through the leafless branches, the soil is temporarily covered with rich vegetation.

From the Puerta de las Granadas three roads ascend to the Alhambra. To the right is the CUESTA DE LAS CRUCES, leading up the S. side of the park to the hill-tramway and the _Alhambra Hotels_ (p. 73); to the left is the rather fatiguing CUESTA EMPEDRADA, the old route to the castle, ending at the _Puerta Judiciaria_ (see below); between these is the easy MAIN ROAD, passing three fountains, and also leading to the hotels, but connected by side-paths with the Puerta Judiciaria. Carriages use this road and pass through the _Puerta del Carril_ (Pl. 6; F, 2).

The entrance-tower, with the *=Puerta Judiciaria= (Pl. 5; E, F, 3), which, according to the inscription, was erected in the reign of Yûsuf I. in 1348, and was called by the Moors _Bîbush-Sheria_ (‘gate of justice’), deserves special attention. Like many of the Alhambra towers, this was really an independent building, the road between the gates of which was made tortuous for defensive purposes. About halfway up is the horseshoe-shaped _Outer Gate_, above which is seen a hand with outstretched fingers, a symbol often used in the East and in S. Europe to avert the evil eye. The _Inner Gateway_ still has its old Moorish doors studded with iron.

A narrow passage ascends thence to the _House of Gómes Tortosa_ (on the right; Pl. 7, E, 3), the conservator of the Alhambra. Into the N. wing is built the *=Puerta del Vino=, probably once the main W. entrance of the _Alta Alhambra_ (p. 86). This gate seems to have been once connected by a wall with the Puerta de Hierro (p. 87), so as to shut off the Alcazaba, the palace, and the mosque from the Alhambra suburb.

At the top of the hill we enter the broad PLAZA DE LOS ALJIBES (Pl. 8; E, 3), so named from the cistern (_al-jibb_) filled with water from the Darro. The level of the plaza was raised about 16 ft. when Charles V. built his palace, and it is now adorned with hedges of myrtle. On the E. side rise the Moorish palace (p. 82) and the handsome building erected by the emperor (p. 86); on our left is the E. front of the Alcazaba with two towers, the _Torre Quebrada_ and the _Torre del Homenaje_, 85 ft. in height (Pl. 10, 11; E, 3); to the N. we look down into the Darro Valley.

The =Alcazaba= (Pl. E, 3; Arabic _Al-Kasaba_, ‘the citadel’) stands about 460 ft. above the Plaza Nueva (p. 78). Except on the E. the hill falls away abruptly on all sides, and so suddenly on the N.E., in consequence of a landslip, that the castle-wall seems endangered. The only entrance to the castle is now the _Puerta de la Alcazaba_ (Pl. 9; E, 3), at the S.W. angle of the Plaza de los Aljibes. The interior of the castle is now occupied by gardens. Of the original building scarcely anything remains except the ruined enclosing wall, with its huge towers and external terraces (_Adarves_). At several points the masonry resembles the concrete work of the Romans (p. 290).

At the W. extremity of the Alcazaba stands the ‘watch-tower’, the *TORRE DE LA VELA (Pl. 13; E, 3), the _Ghafar_ of the Moors, on which the three ‘pendones’ of Ferdinand and Isabella were displayed for the first time on 2nd Jan., 1492.

The Vela Tower commands a very extensive *VIEW (doorkeeper 30 c.). At
our feet lies the entire city; to the left, beyond the Alhambra Park,
rise the Torres Bermejas; to the right, beyond the Darro, is the
Albaicín; in front of us extends the almost circular green Vega,
enclosed by brown and sun-scorched ranges of hills; to the S.E. towers
the Sierra Nevada; to the S. and S.W. rise the Sierra de Almijara,
Sierra Tejea, and Sierra de Alhama; to the W. are Santa Fe (p. 73) and
the hills of Loja (p. 72); then, to the N.W., are the Sierra de
Parapanda (p. 73), Sierra de Elvira, and other hills. Lastly, to the
E., we see the Moorish Alhambra and the palace of Charles V., the
church of Santa María (p. 86), the Generalife (p. 87), and the Silla
del Moro (p. 88).

The *JARDÍN DE LOS ADARVES (Pl. 15; E, 3), the S. terrace, overgrown with venerable ivy and vines, is entered by a small door (recognized by the iron scallop-shells on it) to the left of the Alcazaba gate. The view is most picturesque, especially towards evening.

* * * * *

The Moorish **=Alhambra Palace= (adm., see p. 74), commonly known as the _Casa Real_, adjoins the N.E. angle of the Plaza de los Aljibes. Like other Moorish secular buildings it is externally insignificant, and it is quite eclipsed by the huge palace of Charles V. (p. 86). Like the ancient Greek and Roman dwelling-houses it is entirely closed on the outside, while all the rooms open on an internal court as a common centre. When the house was enlarged a new court had to be added, and so too the kings of Granada built palace after palace, each with its own court and separate entrance.