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114-799: Lion Fountain , Lion's Fountain , Lions Fountain or Lions' Fountain may refer to: Lion Fountain, an 11th-century fountain in the Court of the Lions in the Alhambra, Spain Lion Fountain , an 18th-century fountain in Floriana, Malta Lions Fountain , a 20th-century fountain in Jerusalem, Israel Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with

228-510: A cistern which supplied water for the nearby Comares Baths. This courtyard is flanked by two arcades of three arches that feature marble columns topped by capitals carved in serpentine , which are unique in the Alhambra. Fragments of original fresco decoration are also preserved on the lower walls. Another nearby element, slightly to the east, is the Puerta de la Rauda ("Gate of the Rawda"),

342-457: A horseshoe-arch doorway topped by a dome. No longer accessible to general visitors today, this was probably the original entrance to the palace before the 16th century. The hall on the eastern side of the courtyard is known as the Sala de los Reyes or "Hall of Kings". This hall is essentially a wide rectangular space, but it has a more complicated subdivision in comparison with the other rooms of

456-538: A chapel were removed during modern restorations, to recover some of the chamber's original appearance. Likewise, many of the post-1492 additions to the Cuarto Dorado area were removed in the 20th century. The Mexuar generally consists of four main sections or buildings: two consecutive courtyards, a Council Hall (the Sala del Mexuar), and the Cuarto Dorado and its courtyard. The Cuarto Dorado courtyard served as

570-513: A chapel. A wooden gallery above this space was then added (whose railing is still visible today) and served as the choir . The walls of this back area are decorated with mosaic tilework ( zellij ) that was reused and brought here from other parts of the palace. The mosaics form star-shaped geometric patterns with emblems at their center. The emblems visible today include the Nasrid motto ( Arabic : ولا غالب إلا الله , lit.   'And there

684-566: A courtyard). Gardens with a chahar bagh -type quadripartite division are also known in many earlier monuments in both Al-Andalus and the Maghreb ( North Africa ), where they are often known as a riad ( or riyad ). The star-like shape of the elaborate muqarnas dome in the Hall of the Abencerrajes (on the south side of the courtyard) may also symbolize the celestial heaven, as suggested by

798-462: A diameter of 8 meters, making it the second-largest dome in the Alhambra. The transitional zones between the octagonal cupola and the square chamber are occupied by muqarnas sculpting, much like in the Sala de los Abencerrajes . The dome is considered of the most magnificent muqarnas domes in Islamic art . The muqarnas composition, which consists of at least 5000 prismatic pieces, unfolds from

912-404: A documentary reference to reconstitute the fountain's hydraulic system. Schirg argues that poems like those composed by Ibn Zamrak, as well as descriptions made by other historical writers, often blended direct description with metaphor and fantasy, and thus should not be taken at face value. The poet and minister Ibn Zamrak wrote a poem to describe the beauty of the courtyard. It also describes

1026-550: A factor in this evolution. Mexuar The Mexuar ( Spanish : Mexuar ; Arabic : مشور , romanized :  mashwar ) is a section of the Nasrid palace complex in the Alhambra of Granada , Spain . It served as the entrance wing of the Comares Palace , the official palace of the sultan and the state, and it housed various administrative functions. After the 1492 conquest of Granada by Christian Spain

1140-484: A formal madrasa and a mausoleum may be hard for scholars to accept, the building could have still functioned as a kind of bayt al-ḥikma ("house of knowledge") – meaning a place dedicated to education, contemplation and other intellectual or cultural activities – aimed at a royal Nasrid audience and related to their patronage of Sufism . Granada was conquered by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain in 1492 and

1254-417: A nearby gunpowder magazine . The ceiling was eventually replaced by the current Baroque-style plaster vault in 1714, designed by Spanish painter Blas de Ledesma. The hall is connected to the rest of the courtyard via three muqarnas archways. The hall accessed on the south side of the courtyard has been known since either the 16th century or the 19th century as the Sala de los Abencerrajes or "Hall of

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1368-436: A pleasure palace for entertainment. In his 2004 book on the Alhambra, Robert Irwin argued that while this interpretation is plausible, there is little direct evidence about the palace's function. It has also been suggested that the palace was built to commemorate Muhammad V's victories, in particular his retaking of Algeciras in 1369. Robert Irwin states that there is no direct evidence for this interpretation either and that

1482-594: A poem by Ibn Zamrak that was originally inscribed on the walls. A similar comparison is made in the inscriptions of the northern Hall of the Two Sisters. Some scholars have suggested that architecture of the same period in the Maghreb influenced the design of the Palace of the Lions. Juan Carlos Ruiz Souza, in proposing his theory about the palace being actually a madrasa, compares its layout and decoration to that of

1596-565: A portico. Only the northern portico, which was used as a stable after the Christian conquest, has survived to the present day, after being restored by Leopoldo Torres Balbás in 1926. Lines of trimmed cypress trees now stand in for the southern and western porticos that have disappeared. At the center of the courtyard was an elaborate fountain. Its water basin, still present, is shaped like a rectangle with three semi-circular extensions at either end. Ibn al-Khatib describes that water spilled into

1710-459: A replica of this cylindrical piece was installed in the fountain to replace the water jet, thus restoring the hydraulic system to its hypothesized original state. The restoration choices that the Patronato has made over the years in regards to the fountain have been met with criticism or skepticism from some scholars. Bernhard Schirg, for example, has criticized the use of Ibn Zamrak's poem as

1824-537: A small adjacent room was a fountain used for ablutions . In the middle of the east side of the courtyard was an entrance leading to the second courtyard. The second courtyard was known as the "Main Mashwar " and is now known as the Patio de Machuca , named after the 16th-century architect Pedro Machuca who resided here while working in the Alhambra. The courtyard was surrounded on three sides (west, north, and south) by

1938-731: A transition between the Mexuar and the Comares Palace. These components were all aligned along the same axis from west to east. Visitors to the Nasrid palace complex entered it from the west and entered into a square courtyard originally known as the "Secondary Mashwar " and now known as the Patio de la Mezquita ('Courtyard of the Mosque' in Spanish). Only the excavated foundations are visible today. Along either side of its central axis

2052-670: A treasury and pay office. It was also accessible directly from the Patio de Machuca and from the western door of the Comares Façade in the Cuarto Dorado courtyard. The design of the Council Hall is unusual compared in Andalusi palace architecture, but has parallels with Mamluk throne halls in the Middle East and possibly with the throne hall of the 11th-century Qal'at Bani Hammad in present-day Algeria . Inside

2166-519: A waiting room for visitors about to enter the Comares Palace. The entrance passage to the courtyard may have been narrow in order make it easier for guards to control who entered this space. At the end of the 15th century, after the Christian conquest, the north portico was partially obscured by the addition of a large horseshoe arch in front of it, which was dismantled in 1965. Likewise, an upper-floor wooden gallery and upper chambers were added at some point after this before eventually being dismantled in

2280-503: A water channel runs across the marble floor along the central axes of the courtyard. Additional fountains with basins are situated at the center of the pavilions, along these channels, and separately at the corners of the western and eastern porticoes. The four water channels intersect at the center of the courtyard, where the famed Fountain of the Lions stands. This fountain consists of a large elevated basin surrounded by twelve stylized lion sculptures, all carved from marble. The chamber on

2394-552: Is centered around a rectangular courtyard, which is surrounded on four sides by chambers and an arcaded gallery or portico . Many of the names for individual rooms were coined in Spanish after the end of the Reconquista and have little to do with any original Arabic names. The rectangular courtyard measures about 28.7 meters long and 15.6 meters wide, with its long axis aligned roughly east-to-west. The arches and columns of

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2508-536: Is documented at other sites of al-Andalus such as the earlier Medina Azahara near Cordoba . Other zoomorphic sculptures from al-Andalus are also attested, such as the larger example of the Pisa Griffin . The marble water basin was carved from a single piece of marble. While it appears completely white today, it was originally painted with subtle colors in order to highlight its carved decoration, but these colors have been lost due to repetitive cleaning over

2622-447: Is located on the south side and likely dates from the remodeling of Muhammad V. This doorway of this entrance is surrounded by stucco decoration and surmounted by an ornate wooden eave , but the tilework of its lower walls has been lost. This passageway originally connected the Council Hall with another large chamber to the south. The central part of this chamber was covered by a dome supported on L-shaped pillars. This hall functioned as

2736-459: Is no historical record of what his wives were called. This name was later corrupted to Daraxa or Daraja in Spanish, and survives in the name of the adjoining Lindaraja courtyard. The Alhambra was a self-contained palace-city surrounded by fortifications, built up by the Nasrid rulers of the Emirate of Granada in the 13th to 15th centuries. Multiple palaces were added and expanded over

2850-523: Is no victor but God') as well as the double-headed eagle and coat of arms of the later Christian governors of the Alhambra. To the east of the Council Hall, accessed by a narrow passage, is a small courtyard known as the Patio del Cuarto Dorado ('Courtyard of the Golden Room' or 'Courtyard of the Gilded Room'). The north side of this courtyard is occupied by a portico that precedes a hall,

2964-529: Is so named because the Spanish Renaissance architect Pedro Machuca , who worked on the Palace of Charles V and other additions to the Alhambra for Charles V , resided here in the 16th century. Significant modifications to this courtyard happened during the Christian era of the Alhambra. The Council Hall was converted into a Christian chapel in the 16th century, which entailed the dismantling of

3078-527: Is still partly incorrect, as its angles are too steep compared with similar pyramidal roofs in Moorish architecture . In 2002, the Patronato de la Alhambra (the official agency in charge of the historical site) began a major and comprehensive restoration of the Court of the Lions. This involved the temporary removal of the fountain's lion sculptures and modifications to its hydraulic system. The restoration of

3192-535: Is that which runs to that which is still that we know not which of them is flowing. Can't you see how the water runs through its bowl, but the bowl itself stops its flow just as a lover whose tears are on the brink keeps them in for fear that they might betray him. The overall form of the palace courtyard – an elongated rectangle with two halls facing each other at either end – is found in many earlier palaces in Al-Andalus, including other Nasrid palaces in

3306-578: Is used in North Africa as well, for example to denote a public square or reception area at the entrance of a royal palace in Morocco where public ceremonies took place or petitions were received. The Mechouar Palace in Tlemcen , Algeria , is another example. The Alhambra was a palace complex and citadel begun in 1238 by Muhammad I Ibn al-Ahmar , the founder of the Nasrid dynasty that ruled

3420-487: The Palacio del Partal Alto , a palace further east near the present Partal Palace . The hall consists of a central square space, acting almost like another courtyard, which is flanked by two niche-like side chambers. This kind of layout found in many other palace halls across the Alhambra. The side chambers are separate from the central space by double arches. A short corridor, passing through multiple archways, separates

3534-633: The Abencerrajes ". This name derives from the powerful Abencerrajes family ( Banu Sarraj in Arabic) who played a political role in the emirate, but there is no actual historical relation between the family and this chamber. Its original name in Arabic was al-Qubba al-Ġarbīya ("the Western Dome"). The reasons for this name are unclear, but it may have been called that in relation to the dome of

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3648-415: The Cuarto Dorado ('Golden Room'), while the south side is taken up by the Comares Façade, a highly-decorated wall façade with two doors, one of which grants access to the Comares Palace to the east. Scholar Arnold Felix has noted that the courtyard is like a "miniature palace", with all the elements of a typical Nasrid courtyard palace condensed into a smaller space. The Cuarto Dorado may have served as

3762-416: The Emirate of Granada . Several palaces were built and expanded by his successors Muhammad II (r. 1273–1302) and Muhammad III (r. 1302–1309). In 1314 Isma'il I came to the throne and undertook many further works in the Alhambra. His reign marked the beginning of the "classical" period or high point of Nasrid architecture. Isma'il decided to build a new palace complex to serve as the official palace of

3876-510: The Patio de Machuca was known in Arabic as the Majlis al-Qu'ūd ('Council Hall') and known in Spanish today as the Sala del Mexuar . It served as an audience chamber and throne hall for the sultan – at least during some periods – when he was receiving petitions from the public. It's likely that members of the public did not enter the hall itself and had to remain in the courtyards. Instead, their petitions were written down and then brought here to

3990-543: The Qubbat al-'Ard and may have contained the Dīwān al-Ins͟hā' , or Chancery. Its name suggests that there was a dome over part of the room, possibly over the alcove at the back. In the courtyard's southeast corner is a small mosque, with an alignment different from the surrounding structures. The mosque consists of a square chamber which was probably covered by a pyramidal roof, with a square minaret attached to its northwest corner. In

4104-449: The Sala del Mexuar ). As the room is too small to hold many people, it's likely that during receptions the sultan sat here by himself while his courtiers stood along the portico in front and public guests were received in the courtyard. To the east of the Bahw an-Naṣr , and accessible from it, is a private passage that leads to a small oratory on the northeastern edge of the courtyard. This

4218-513: The muqarnas compositions around Court of the Lions was able to identify deformations and imperfections that have occurred due to the many repairs and restorations that took place across generations. The Sala de los Reyes is still undergoing further restoration work. A project to restore its three painted leather ceilings was completed in 2018, while a new project to restore the stucco decoration below these ceilings began in July 2022. The palace

4332-433: The "pupil" of the garden (referring either the garden below or to the adjoining hall). The mirador room is covered by a unique lantern vault ceiling consisting of a wooden lattice structure shaped into an interlacing geometric motif and filled with pieces of coloured glass . This ceiling is the only one of its kind in the Alhambra, but historical Arabic sources describe the existence of an even larger glass ceiling that

4446-476: The "solid" appearance of the water. During the restoration work of the 1960s, experts were not yet able to implement this hydraulic system, therefore the fountain was left with a small water jet spouting water in the middle of the basin. In 1981 the original marble cylinder piece was removed for preservation and further study at the Alhambra Museum. In 2012, upon completing the restoration of the fountain,

4560-525: The 19th century, probably during the French occupation (1810–1812), the floor of the courtyard was replaced with gardens – although there has been much debate among scholars as to whether gardens had previously existed in the courtyard. In 1859 the architect Rafael Contreras "restored" the courtyard's eastern pavilion by giving it a spherical dome roof with ceramic tiling , based in part on Iranian architecture . This conformed to what European restorers at

4674-484: The Alhambra (e.g. Comares Palace), and precedents for this type can be found as far back as the 10th century in Madinat al-Zahra (near Cordoba ). The main innovation in the Palace of the Lions is the addition of two more halls facing each other across the courtyard's short axis and the accompanying extension of the columned portico to all four sides of the courtyard. The presence of the four converging water channels in

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4788-453: The Alhambra Museum. The portico on the north side consists of three arches, of which the central arch is larger than the two others. The arches are decorated with carved stucco and supported by slender marble columns, much of which is still original. The capitals of the columns have older Almohad -like designs instead of the usual Nasrid designs. A barred opening in the east wall next to the portico provides light to an underground passage that

4902-546: The Alhambra became a palace owned by the Spanish monarchy . Like much of the Alhambra, the Palace of the Lions suffered damages and underwent various repairs, restorations, and modifications over time. Under the Catholic Monarchs, it was connected to the Comares Palace by a direct passage for the first time, as it remains today. Starting in 1528, emperor Charles V commissioned the construction of new apartments in

5016-408: The Alhambra between 1868 and 1889 the oratory was incorporated into the Sala del Mexuar by knocking down a part of the wall to create a doorway between them. The floor of the oratory was also lowered from its original level to accommodate this connection – as evidenced by the elevated ledge below the windows and at the base of the mihrab. The room was restored again in 1917. The hall to the east of

5130-503: The Lions The Palace of the Lions is one of the most famous palaces in Islamic architecture and exemplifies the apogee of Nasrid architecture in Al-Andalus. The architecture of the palace presented a significant shift in the design of Nasrid palaces and introduced new trends in ornamentation. The building consists of a rectangular courtyard centered on a marble fountain with twelve sculpted lions . Four main halls surround

5244-501: The Mexuar to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad . The Comares Façade on the south side of the Patio del Cuarto Dorado is dated to 1370 during his reign. After the 1492 conquest of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs , the Alhambra was converted into a royal palace of Christian Spain. Significant modifications were carried out in the Mexuar and in the environment around the Comares Palace. The Patio de Machuca

5358-501: The Palace of the Lions is not clearly established, but it took place during Muhammad V's second reign (1362–1391), after his return from a period of exile. The Hall of the Two Sisters ( Sala de Dos Hermanas ), on the north side of the court, was completed in 1362 or between 1362 and 1365, when Muhammad V was celebrating his return to the throne and was also refurbishing the Mexuar and the Comares Palace . According to scholar Felix Arnold,

5472-466: The Palace of the Lions was built on the foundations of this earlier palace. Oleg Grabar later supported this origin story for the fountain. The proposal was based on the description of a fountain found in a poem by Ibn Gabirol in the 11th century which described the vizier's palace. Under this interpretation, the lions represented the Twelve Tribes of Israel , and two of them have a triangle on

5586-543: The Palace of the Lions was influenced by, or related to, Marinid architecture, noting that Muhammad V built the palace after returning from his exile in Fez and that the decoration of the palace resembles that of Marinid madrasas in Morocco. Jonathan Bloom remarks that the design differences between the Palace of the Lions and earlier Nasrid palaces do not appear to be a "linear development" and that Muhammad V's time in Fez may be

5700-482: The area around it remained an open garden afterward, including the area on its north side which is now occupied by the Patio de Lindaraja (Courtyard of Lindaraja ). Possibly because of this, the palace's original name may have been Qasr ar-Riyad (Arabic: قصر الرياض , lit.   'Palace of the Garden';). During the Nasrid era, the palace was completely independent from the nearby Comares Palace to

5814-479: The area to the north of the palace. The former gardens on the north side of the palace, which had allowed for an uninterrupted view of the city on this side, were turned into an enclosed garden during this period, resulting in the present Patio de Lindaraja . Additionally, the original entrance to the Palace of the Lions, on its south side, was suppressed in order to make a connection to the new Renaissance -style Palace of Charles V . Modifications were also made to

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5928-486: The basin from two gilded bronze lion sculptures. On the north side of the courtyard, behind the portico, is the Torre de Machuca , one of the fortification towers on the Alhambra's northern wall. Sultan Yusuf I converted this tower into the Bahw an-Naṣr (' Mirador of Victory' in Arabic), a square chamber with windows. It seems to have functioned as small alternative throne hall for the sultan (the main throne hall being

6042-454: The building's main hall was converted into a chapel, though many of the Christian additions were later removed during modern restorations. The palace's two main courtyards were also put to other uses and only their foundations remain visible today. The Spanish name Mexuar comes from the Arabic word mashwar ( Arabic : مشور ), meaning "place of counsel" or "conference area". The term

6156-485: The central summit into sixteen miniature domes right above the level of the windows. The upper walls of the hall are also covered in intricate stucco decoration, while the lower walls have preserved their original zellij tile decoration. Right above the tile decoration is an inscription band containing a 24-line poem by Ibn Zamrak which praises the hall's dome and makes reference to the Pleiades . Even more so than

6270-527: The centuries. This decoration includes a long inscription around the border of the bowl featuring a poem by Ibn Zamrak . The original hydraulic system was designed to keep a consistent water level in the basin. The origin of the sculpted fountain and its lions has been debated. A theory by Frederick Bargebuhr in 1956 suggests that the lion sculptures came from the 11th-century palace of the Jewish vizier Yusuf ibn Nagrela (d. 1066). Bargebuhr even suggested that

6384-452: The chronology of events makes it unlikely. However, the loot gained from those victories may have helped Muhammad V finance his construction projects. One theory by art historian Juan Carlos Ruiz Souza proposes that the palace may have actually been a madrasa and zawiya instead. According to this interpretation, the so-called Hall of Kings ( Sala de los Reyes ) and the Hall of Muqarnas ( Sala de los Mocárabes ) would have served as

6498-513: The city below. The monumental, richly-decorated southern façade of the Cuarto Dorado courtyard has been interpreted as the "façade" of the Comares Palace and is known as the Comares Façade or Façade of the Comares Palace. This façade dates from the time of Muhammad V. It has two identical doors, with the left (eastern) door leading via a winding passage to the Court of the Myrtles and the right door leading to other private chambers, including

6612-457: The courtyard, along with some upper-floor rooms. Water channels connect the central fountain with smaller fountains in the four halls. The halls feature some of the most elaborate and sophisticated muqarnas vaults in the Islamic world . The name "Palace of the Lions" or "Court of the Lions" is a modern designation given to the palace, based on the notable lion sculptures around the central fountain. Due to limited historical documentation,

6726-410: The cupola's 16 sides is pierced by a window. Inscriptions in the hall by Ibn Zamrak compare this dome to the heavens, the sun, the moon, and the stars. The upper walls of the chamber are covered in more stucco decoration, while the lower walls are covered with tile decoration. The original tiles were replaced in the 16th century with contemporary tiles from Seville . A small passageway nearby leads to

6840-490: The early 20th century. These additions were made to convert this space into a residence. A well-known drawing by J.F. Lewis in 1835 illustrates the state of the courtyard before modern restorations began. The marble basin and fountain at the center of the courtyard is a replica of an original Nasrid fountain basin that was found in the Lindaraja Courtyard, moved there from its original context, and now kept in

6954-484: The exception of miniatures ) and scholars generally agree, based on their Gothic -like style, that these paintings were probably executed by Christian artists from a Spanish court (probably the court of Pedro of Castile in Seville). Another theory by art historian Jerrilynn Dodds is that they were executed by Muslims who worked from Christian objects, in a mix-and-match of Christian Romantic motifs. The painting in

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7068-485: The floor of the courtyard is generally considered to be a symbolic representation of Paradise , which in both Muslim and Christian traditions is described as having four rivers. This arrangement may have drawn on the tradition of the Persian chahar bagh – a garden divided along its central axes into four symmetrical parts – while combining it with the classical peristyle tradition (a portico or arcade surrounding

7182-405: The forehead, indicating the two extant tribes Judá and Leví . However, this origin theory has since been challenged or refuted by many other scholars, mostly on the arguments that a poetic description is not direct evidence of the two fountains being the same, that the description in the poem itself is not an exact match, and that the style of the lions belongs to 14th-century Nasrid art. In

7296-429: The fountain and most of the courtyard was completed in 2012. One of the last steps in the restoration was the replacement of the courtyard's previous gravel flooring with a pavement of Macael marble flagstones , a decision based on the study of historical archives and on new archeological investigations showing that the underlying rock bed would have made the topsoil too thin for gardens. A recent study of some of

7410-447: The fountain inside the Court of the Lions during the second half of the 16th century. In 1590 the western chamber of the palace, the Sala de los Mocarabes , was destroyed by the explosion of a nearby gunpowder magazine . The room's former muqarnas- vault ceiling, now lost, was eventually replaced by a Baroque-style plaster vault in 1714, designed by painter Blas de Ledesma for the visit of Phillip V and Isabella of Parma . In

7524-716: The fountain's hydraulic system. It is carved around the rim of the basin: وَمَنْحُوتَة مِنْ لُؤْلُؤٍ شَفَّ نُورُهَا تُحَلِّي بِمُرْفَضِّ الجُمَانِ النَّوَاحِيَا بِذَوْبِ لُجَيْنِ سَالَ بَيْنَ جَوَاهِرٍ غَدَا مِثلَهَا في الحُسْنِ أبْيَضَ صَافِيَا تَشَابُهُ جَارٍ لِلْعُيُونِ بِجَامِدٍ فَلَمْ نَدْرِ أَيَّاً مِنْهُمَا كَانَ جَارِيَا أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ المَاءَ يَجْري بِصَفْحِهَا وَلَكِنَّهَا سَدَّتْ عَلَيْهِ المَجَارِيَا كَمِثْلِ مُحِبٍّ فَاضَ بِالدَّمْعِ جَفْنُهُ وَغَيَّضَ ذَاكَ الدَّمْعَ إِذْ خَافَ وَاشِيَا Sculpted of pearls, of limpid light all bedecked by dewdrops spilled; liquid silver flowing amongst jewels, sharing their white, transparent beauty. So similar

7638-409: The fountain's main basin. Based on the description provided by Ibn Zamrak's poem inscribed on the basin, he theorized that the holes were connected to a system of pipes that allowed water to flow both in and out of the basin at the same time. This system maintained a steady water level in the basin and prevented the surface of the water from being disturbed, as suggested by Ibn Zamrak's poem, which evokes

7752-400: The hall below. As with the Sala de los Abencerrajes, an upper floor room above the entrance corridor also has windows overlooking the courtyard. The large wooden doors at the entrance of the hall are masterpieces of Nasrid-era carpentry. They were removed from their original location and are currently housed and displayed at the Alhambra Museum. Right behind the doorway is a small passage on

7866-446: The hall from the Court of the Lions. On an upper floor above this corridor is a small chamber with a window overlooking the courtyard, similar to a mirador (lookout). The main central space of the hall is covered by a highly elaborate three-dimensional muqarnas dome ceiling, featuring a 16-sided cupola in the shape of an eight-pointed star . The cupola and the transitional zones around its base are all filled with muqarnas . Each of

7980-423: The hall its current name. The golden motifs include emblems of the Catholic Monarchs and other heraldic motifs. Along the back wall of the chamber there were probably three windows originally, but after the Christian conquest the two side windows were walled up (visible now only as niches in the wall) and the central window was transformed into a small balcony with benches and a double-arched window with views onto

8094-435: The hall's central dome in 1540 in order to add an upper floor. The Patio del Cuarto Dorado was also heavily modified in order to convert it into a residence. Isabella of Portugal resided here when she visited in 1526 with her husband Charles V. The residence was later used by the governors of the Alhambra and was still in use in the 19th century when Washington Irving visited the site. Restorations were carried out in

8208-399: The late 19th-century and early 20th century. Among other things, they restored the surviving northern arcade of the Patio de Machuca , though most of the Patio de Machuca and the Patio de la Mezquita are visible only as foundations today. introduced a connecting doorway between the Council Hall and the oratory. Some of the Christian features added to the Council Hall for its conversion to

8322-517: The left leading to latrines and a small passage on the right leading to a staircase to the upper floor. On the northern side of the Sala de Dos Hermanas is an arched doorway leading to a wide rectangular chamber known as the Sala de los Ajimeces ("Hall of the Mullioned Windows"). This chamber is covered by a long rectangular muqarnas vault ceiling which is composed of multiple consecutive muqarnas domes blending into one another. On

8436-465: The lions were put back in place in December 2011. The hydraulic system of the fountain was also studied during the recent restoration process. In 1884, when the fountain's main basin was raised, a cylindrical marble bloc was discovered whose top was pierced by many holes. In 1890, archeologist Francisco de Paula Valladar hypothesized that this piece was the means by which water originally spilled into

8550-480: The madrasas and zawiyas built during the 14th century by the contemporary Marinid and Abd al-Wadid dynasties, whose courts were based in Fez (present-day Morocco ) and Tlemcen (present-day Algeria ), respectively. He notes the significant cultural and political relations that existed between the Nasrid, Marinid, and Abd al-Wadid courts. For example, Muhammad V spent his exile between 1359 and 1362 living in Fez under

8664-408: The middle chamber shows a group of ten Muslim men in noble garb sitting on cushions and engaged in a discussion or debate. Multiple identifications have been proposed for the figures, with one hypothesis being that they depict ten Nasrid sultans, while other possibilities include ten sages, writers from different eras, or scholars representing the various sciences. This scene, because it seems to show

8778-403: The most sophisticated stucco-carved decoration in the Alhambra, featuring arabesque, geometric, and epigraphic motifs with blind muqarnas arches framing the windows. The lower walls also have original mosaic tilework forming very fine Arabic inscriptions. One of the inscriptions around the window refers to the ruler's throne as the " caliphal throne" and describes the ruler (Muhammad V) as

8892-447: The north and south sides, the central bay is wider than all the others as it leads to the entrance of the hall behind it. On the east and west sides, a pavilion structure projects into the courtyard from the portico. It has been argued by Georges Marçais that the spacing of columns and arches was set to the golden ratio , but there is no strong evidence that Muslim architects ever used it. Instead, as Antonio Fernández-Puertas postulates,

9006-544: The north side of this hall is a small projecting room with double-arched windows on three sides which overlook the gardens below. This lookout chamber is known as the Mirador de Lindaraja . The Spanish word mirador denotes a belvedere or lookout, while the name Lindaraja is a corruption of Arabic 'Ayn Dar 'Aisha (Arabic: عين دار عائشة , lit.   'Eye of the House of 'Aisha'). This small chamber has some of

9120-492: The northern walls of the Alhambra to serve new purposes, including the Torre de Machuca in the Mexuar's second courtyard. Under Muhammad V (r. 1354–1359 and 1362–1391) Nasrid architecture reached its apogee, which is evident in the nearby Palace of the Lions which he built to the east of the Comares Palace. Between 1362 and 1365 he rebuilt or significantly refurbished the Mexuar. The writings of Ibn al-Khatib recount that in December 1362 Muhammad V held lavish festivities in

9234-404: The ongoing major restoration of the palace, the original wooden roofs were restored and steps were taken to prevent further damage. The paintings themselves underwent a restoration process which was completed in 2018. The hall on the northern side of the courtyard is known as the Sala de Dos Hermanas or "Hall of the Two Sisters", so-called because of two large slabs of marble that form part of

9348-553: The palace library, the Hall of Two Sisters ( Sala de Dos Hermanas ) would have been a multifunctional space, the upstairs Court of the Harem ( Patio del Harén ) would have been a residential apartment for the person in charge of the madrasa, and the Hall of the Abencerrajes ( Sala de los Abencerrajes ) would have served as the madrasa's oratory and possibly also as the mausoleum of Muhammad V himself. Another scholar commenting on this theory, Cynthia Robinson, argues that while its function as

9462-666: The palace's original name during the Nasrid period cannot be confirmed for certain. One theory is that it was known as the Qasr ar-Riyad ( Arabic : قصر الرياض , lit.   'Palace of the Garden') or, more fully, Qasr ar-Riyad as-Sa'id (Arabic: قصر الرياض السعيد , lit.   'Palace of the Joyous Garden';). Another suggestion is that it was known as Dar 'Aisha (Arabic: بيت عائشة , lit.   'House of 'Aisha'), purportedly named after one of Muhammad V 's favourite wives, although there

9576-493: The palace. The hall is divided into seven sub-units by muqarnas arches. Each of these sub-units is covered by its own muqarnas vault ceiling. Three of the sub-units are square chambers and their muqarnas vaults are set within a cupola pierced with windows, which brings in more light. These chambers are open to the courtyard via a triple archway sculpted with more muqarnas . The other four sub-units are smaller and rectangular in shape, serving as either transitional spaces between

9690-474: The pavement. Its original Arabic name was al-Qubba al-Kubrā ("the Great Dome"), suggesting it had a particular significance. Like the southern Sala de los Abencerrajes across from it, it consists of a large square space covered by an elaborate muqarnas dome, with two small side chambers on either side. The muqarnas dome is set within an eight-sided cupola pierced with two windows on each side. The dome has

9804-599: The protection of the Marinid court, while the Abd al-Wadid ruler Abu Hammu Musa II (r. 1353–1389), a close friend of Muhammad V, was born in Granada and lived there until the age of 29. Cynthia Robinson, in discussing Ruiz Souza's theory, agrees in general that madrasas and Sufi shrines in the Maghreb, such as those in Fez and Tlemcen, must have had an effect on the design of the Palace of the Lions. Robert Irwin also believes that

9918-483: The rectangles used in the construction may have been based on square roots and surds . The pavilions are also supported by slender columns forming three bays of different sizes on each side of the pavilion, with the middle bay slightly wider than the two side bays. At the corners of the pavilion the columns meet in groups of three. The pavilions have pyramidal roofs covering a wooden dome ceiling inside it. The wooden domes feature geometric patterns similar in style to

10032-477: The rectangular hall is a central square space delineated by four columns supporting the ceiling. It's likely that this square central space was originally covered by a dome with a lantern that had coloured glass windows, perhaps similar to the coloured glass vault in the Mirador de Lindaraja (in the Palace of the Lions ). Arabic sources referred to the dome as the Qubba al-'Ulyā ('High Dome'). The sultan's throne

10146-413: The repetition of the Nasrid motto " wa la ghaliba illa-llah " (Arabic: ولا غالب إلا الله , lit.   'And there is no conqueror but God'). The courtyard also features a sophisticated system of water channels, fountains, and basins. At the center of the southern hall, the northern hall, and the eastern and western porticoes is a small fountain at ground level with a round basin from which

10260-416: The rest of the palace was built between 1377 and 1390. Some scholars have suggested that the palace was most likely completed in 1380. Inscriptions throughout the palace feature poems by Ibn Zamrak , a poet and long-serving vizier at the time, which suggests that he was probably involved in its design. The area the Palace of the Lions was built on was formerly part of a larger garden or riad . Much of

10374-459: The ruler or "king", inspired the hall's current name. The paintings in the other two chambers show scenes of court life, including a jousting competition and hunting scenes, set amidst a landscape of gardens and palaces. After the Reconquista, the Sala de los Reyes was used as a chapel and as a headquarters for the parish of Santa Maria de la Alhambra while the church of the same name

10488-409: The second half of the 16th century, after the Alhambra had become a Spanish palace, the fountain was significantly modified by the addition of smaller water basins above the central spout in order to create a multi-level fountain. In 1624 sculptor Alonso de Mena repaired the fountain and cleaned it. In the early 19th century a set of spouts were added to the fountain and in 1837 another spout was added at

10602-412: The southern hall, this northern hall appears to have designed as its own independent residence. The side chambers on either side of the hall are accessed through single doorways and these chambers have their own smaller niche-like side chambers on their north side. An upper floor exists and wraps around the central hall, with a single arched window on each side of the hall providing a view from this floor to

10716-455: The square chambers or as side chambers at opposite ends of the hall. Each of the seven sub-units of the hall is accompanied by a niche-like chamber of equal width behind it (on its eastern side). The three larger chambers are each covered with a rounded vault ceiling made of wooden planks. The surface of the ceiling is covered with leather that has been painted with pictorial scenes. Pictorial scenes are relatively rare in Islamic art (with

10830-484: The sultan and the state, known as the Qaṣr al-Sultan or Dār al-Mulk . The core of this complex was the Comares Palace, while another wing, the Mexuar, extended to the west and acted as the public sector of the complex and the entrance to the Comares Palace. The Council Hall or Sala del Mexuar was first built in this time. Yusuf I (r. 1333–1354) expanded the Comares Palace. He also built or converted existing towers along

10944-445: The sultan by court officials. The sultan then deliberated and passed judgement. The hall's floor is higher than the level of the courtyard and it was originally accessed from the latter via three tall steps leading to a doorway, on the west side of the hall. This entrance, along with the steps, were suppressed and walled off when the hall was converted into a Christian chapel in the 16th century. Another entrance, now used by visitors,

11058-463: The surrounding portico are arranged in a complex pattern that is unique in the architecture of the Islamic world . Single columns alternate with groups of two or three columns to forming a visual rhythm that highlights certain parts of the façade. Each column or group of columns demarcates a bay : there are 17 bays on the north and south sides of the courtyard and 11 bays on the east and west sides. On

11172-421: The time thought the "Arab style" should look like. The domed roof was disassembled in 1934 by Leopoldo Torres Balbás and replaced with its current pyramidal roof, which set off an international debate about the nature of restorations. Torres Balbás argued for a more scientific approach to restoration, in contrast with the more "stylistic" restoration philosophy of his predecessors. Nonetheless, Torres Balbás's roof

11286-450: The title Lion Fountain . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lion_Fountain&oldid=983809237 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Court of

11400-447: The top of the fountain to reflect the tastes of the time. The original (lower) main basin was also raised in height in 1884. In the 20th century efforts were made to return the fountain to its original state. Several tests and studies began in 1945 and in 1966 it was generally restored to its hypothesized original appearance, removing the pieces that were added to it from the 16th century onward. In 2002 another major restoration process

11514-472: The treasury (mentioned above) connected to the rest of the Mexuar. The façade is one of the most heavily decorated walls in the Alhambra, covered in stucco decoration for most of its surface except for tile decoration along the lower portions (some of which comes from modern restorations). The carved stucco includes an Arabic inscription featuring a poem by Ibn Zamrak (d. 1393) and the Throne Verse of

11628-413: The upper floor where there were additional rooms and a latrine. These rooms are not usually accessible to tourists today. One of the chambers is a courtyard known as the Patio del Harén ("Courtyard of the Harem"), located above and just west of the Sala de los Abencerrajes . It was part of an independent apartment which could be accessed from the palace's original street entrance. It is also located above

11742-560: The west and had its own street entrance. On the south side of the palace, separated from it by a narrow street, was the Rawda (Arabic: روضة ), the dynastic mausoleum of the Nasrids, of which only the foundations remain today. A widely-held scholarly view is that the palace was intended to serve as a private residence with a more intimate character than the Comares Palace, which served more official public functions. It may have served as

11856-407: The western side of the courtyard, through which visitors enter the Court of the Lions today, is known as the Sala de los Mocárabes or "Hall of the mocárabes ( muqarnas )". It is a narrow rectangular hall. Originally, it was covered by a ceiling of muqarnas vaults and was considered one of the most beautiful rooms in the Alhambra. However, in 1590 the chamber was largely destroyed by the explosion of

11970-407: The wooden ceiling in the center dates from a later era, the wooden ceilings around this edges have preserved their original designs with geometric patterns . The window shutters date from the 16th century when the conversion to a chapel occurred. On the north side of the hall is another rectangular space that was originally a separate hall that was joined to the main hall during its conversion into

12084-523: The wooden ceilings in other parts of the Alhambra like the Hall of the Ambassadors. The arcades of the porticos and the pavilions feature intricately-carved stucco decoration, known as yesería in Spanish. A sebka motif – a stylized lozenge-like motif – fills the spaces above the arches and between the columns, accompanied by further vegetal arabesques , other abstract motifs, and muqarnas sculpting. There are also Arabic inscriptions, including

12198-427: The years by different rulers. The Palace of the Lions was added by Muhammad V, who is also responsible for other important contributions to the Alhambra. The period of Muhammad V's reign is considered by scholars to mark the apogee of Nasrid architecture, characterized in particular by a profusive use of muqarnas (stalactite-like sculpting) and three-dimensional muqarnas vaults. The chronology of construction in

12312-402: Was a line of four trees in four planters, a feature unique in Nasrid architecture. The courtyard was surrounded by a series of chambers. According to Ibn al-Khatib's writings, these chambers were used by the sultan's secretaries, which means it was likely here that official documents and records were written and kept. The largest room, on the south side, was likely what Ibn al-Khatib referred to as

12426-536: Was a private prayer room for the sultan, equipped with a mihrab and with double-arched windows offering views onto the landscape and the city below, similar to the oratory of the Partal Palace . The mihrab and the walls of the chamber are decorated with carved stucco with arabesque motifs. An inscription on the mihrab includes an excerpt of verse 205 of the seventh surah of the Qur'an . During restorations to

12540-400: Was begun by the Patronato de la Alhambra . One of the 12 lion sculptures was removed that year, followed by the rest in 2007, in order to undergo restoration in the Patronato 's workshops. Harmful residues and particles were removed and cracks were repaired. The water basin, due to its size, remained on site and was restored in situ . After being exhibited at the Alhambra Museum for 2 years,

12654-400: Was being built nearby (over the site of the previous mosque) during the 16th century. In 1855 Rafael Contreras significantly modified the roof the hall by the addition of new individual roofs on top of each of the painted wooden roofs, replacing the former common roof that protected all three of them. This resulted in poor ventilation and caused the paintings to deteriorate. In 2006, as part of

12768-402: Was likely placed on a carpet under this dome. The dome was dismantled around 1540 to create upper-floor room. The walls around the room are decorated with carved stucco and with tilework. The columns in the center uphold a consoles with stucco muqarnas that uphold the wooden ceiling. The Nasrid capitals of the marble columns retain their original polychromatic (colour) decoration. While

12882-407: Was once present in the Mexuar palace. The central fountain of the courtyard, which has been modified and restored several times over the centuries, consists of a bowl-like marble basin surrounded by twelve lions. The lions face outwards and appear as if supporting the basin on their backs. All these components are made of Macael marble from Almeria . The existence of fountains with lion sculptures

12996-489: Was used by Nasrid guards to move around the palace. The Cuarto Dorado hall behind the portico is accessible through three decorated archways, of which the central one is again larger than the others and surmounted by two windows. The hall itself is an elongated rectangular space covered by a vaulted wooden ceiling with geometric motifs. In 1499, after the Christian conquest, this ceiling was painted and gilded with ornamental motifs by Juan Caxto and Jorge Fernández, which gave

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