Have you ever stopped to think about the symbology of the Gardens of the Alhambra and the Generalife? We accompany the Tour of the Generalife and Gardens of the Alhambra and discover it with us.
The purpose of the Muslims was to represent in these Gardens one of the essential pillars of Islamic culture: The Paradise, by treating vegetation and water. On the other hand, it aims to show the visitor the evolution of the ways in which it has been carried out. gardening in the Alhambra over time, in addition to stimulating the senses, a curious example is that the sense of touch is improved, cooling the air with countless water jets from Sierra Nevada and taking advantage of air currents on a specific side of the hill of the sun, the hill where whose summer Palace it is located.
The Generalife It was built in the XNUMXth century with the purpose of being a space dedicated to rest of the Muslim kings of Granada and also to work, leisure, pleasure and enjoyment of the five senses.
We can find a wide variety of orchards, buildings, flora and fauna, etc., which makes it one of the most attractive places in the city of Granada. One of the curiosities of this garden is the Cypress of the Acequia del Generalife. According to legend, he saw Morayma, Boabdil's wife, and a knight from the Abencerrajes tribe having love affairs at night. When Boabdil found out, he was so angry that he decided to kill several nobles from the Muslim tribe.
The Gardens of the Alhambra of Granada were intended for the private sphere of the governor of the Alhambra. One of the myths narrates that some gold porcelain vases were found in them, probably hidden at the time of the Conquest of Granada, so gold was used to design and decorate the garden, although with the arrival of the Napoleon's troops, the garden was decorated in the French style, which is still preserved today. It is known as the garden of poets, since it was described and painted by various artists and travelers such as Mariano Fortuny and Joaquin Sorolla, important painters of the XNUMXth century.
Both gardens have very similar characteristics in terms of Flora and fauna. In the Alhambra, we can find a green oasis and a great source of biodiversity, in addition to containing large water supply services to the Generalife and to its orchards, palaces, baths, mosques, etc. As we well know, the Muslims wanted the grounds they were alive so they enhanced them with aromas, ornamental aesthetics, sound, etc. For example, in the Orchards of the Generalife, four orchards can be found: the Huerta Colorada, the Huerta Grande, Huerta de Fuentepeña, and the Huerta de Haberdashery, which try to create a catalog of species with historical value and are of an old variety.
Oil is also produced, pastures for livestock, which are forests that surround the north face of the Alhambra, such as the Umbría del Darro and Generalife, and the Bosque de San Pedro, which are made up of hackberry.
The vegetation It has been introduced at different times. In the Alhambra, there a variety of 700 species. You can find lilies, irises, or plants such as basil, thyme, jasmine, citrus and cypresses, etc, but the most important is the myrtle, which is used as a means of remunerating the Board of Trustees of the Alhambra. These types of plants come from the Arab, medieval and Islamic period, since the families of these times decorated their gardens with this type of vegetables, for example they used to plant
roses, carnations, lilies or violets. Later, new categories have been introduced such as the geranium or the pompon.
As for the the variety of fauna, there are some 161 species vertebrates in the Alhambra: 105 birds, 36 mammals and 5 amphibians, as well as 3 species of fish. Most of them are found on the Cuesta de Gomérez, such as the great tit, goldfinch, blackbird, robin, wren, etc. This diversity allows there to be a large assemblage of animals where there is no human presence. If you are a nature lover, I personally suggest that you go at sunset to listen to the social gatherings of these singing birds. Don't miss out on the wonderful experience of discovering one of the most peaceful and pleasant places in Granada in the Tour of the Generalife and Gardens of the Alhambra!