The Nasrid Palaces where the center of power for the Granada Emirate. They are designed around rectangular interior courtyards and flowing water. The decoration looks inward rather than outward, and is made of stucco, and stonework. The courtyards are surrounded by arcades and hallways and have rooms that look out, through screens, to the City of Granada, below. Upper floors have smaller rooms more easily heated in winter. In accordance with Islamic law there are no human figures represented, but rather geometric designs of plaster, wood and tile along with calligraphy with prayers, poems and sayings. “There is no victor but Allah” is one of the most common scripts. People proclaimed the Nasrid rulers to be victors and their response became their motto. The geometric patterns inspired M.C. Escher when he visited in 1922.
Click here to read my first post on the Alhambra and see a gallery of pictures.
How fortunate you were to find a guide who knew accessible routes through the Alhambra! It clearly wasn’t built after people started thinking the disabled like to travel too.