Islamic or Paradise Garden in the Gardens of the Generalife, near the Alhambra Palace, City of Granada, Andalusia, Spain
City of Granada, Andalusia, Spain: an Islamic or Paradise Garden in the Gardens of the Generalife, adjacent to but outside the walls of the Alhambra Palace. An Islamic Garden is characterised by long ponds and planting for shade from scorching sun. The Palacio de Generalife, on the slopes of the Hill of the Sun (Cerro del Sol), was built in the 13th century by the Nasrid Sultans as a summer palace, for their leisure and recreation. The Moorish Kings of Granada used it as a refuge from daily life in the Alhambra and their round of official duties. The name Generalife may come from the Arabic Yanat-al-Arif or Jannat al’Arif (Garden of the Architect) - a reference to Allah as Architect of the Universe. Very few of the original Generalife buildings now exist. The gardens are among the earliest Moorish gardens to survive, but they have undergone many changes since the 1500s. In particular, the Jardines Nuevos is largely due to Francisco Prieto Moreno, who rearranged it between 1931 and 1951. The name Alhambra has its origins in an Arabic word meaning "red castle" and the Alhambra Palace is amongst the finest Islamic buildings in Europe. Construction probably began in the 9th century, but the buildings standing today were built chiefly between 1238 and 1358 in the reigns of Ibn al-Ahmar, founder of the Nasrid dynasty, the last Islamic kingdom in Western Europe, and his successors. The Alhambra became a Christian court in 1492 when Catholic monarchs, King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile, conquered Granada and expelled the Moors.
Size: 2832px × 4256px
Location: Gardens of the Generalife, City of Granada, Andalusia, Spain
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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