The first large, historical European garden I visited in my life was La Alhambra and the Generalife, in Grenada, Spain. It was first constructed as a fortress in the 9th century, and was renovated to become an expansive Moorish palace throughout the 11th to 14th centuries. The palace and gardens cover nearly 142,000 square meters, and are perched on a hilltop in Granada.
While the size and the history of La Alhambra are impressive, what I found most appealing about the palace was the Islamic gardens. In true garden form, their beauty simply cannot be portrayed accurately through words and pictures. Rather, they must be observed in person to have their beauty fully appreciated. Nearly every section of La Alhambra has water features of some kind. Pictured below is a central fountain with four streams leading from it, which is common in many Islamic gardens. The water features add a cooling, peaceful element to the gardens while visitors walk through, and it is one of my favorite elements in La Alhambra.
Islamic gardens are unique in that, on the surface, they seem relatively simple. However, they are actually filled with beautiful intricacies and symbolism. It is this deeper meaning that is the reason why Islamic gardens are my favorite. Walking through the gardens of La Alhambra, I was astounded by the detail and beauty of each element in the gardens. The three typical styles used to decorate the Islamic gardens are arabesque, geometric and calligraphic, and the designs that these styles create is endlessly beautiful.
But it is more than just the physical beauty that I appreciate the Islamic gardens in La Alhambra. I also like the reason that Islamic gardens are filled with these detailed designs: Muslims believe that Allah is beautiful and he loves beauty. Therefore, by creating beautiful works within their gardens, Muslims show their love and devotion to their God. The Islamic garden is outwardly understated, but walking through it allows one a religious experience - it is really filled with abounding beauty and love for Allah that can be appreciated by anyone.
I completely agree with your statement that seeing a garden in person is a completely different experience than viewing picture. It brings everything to life. Do you think that the Islamic gardens would still be your favorite had you not seen La Alhambra in person?
ReplyDeleteThere truly is a lot more than first meets the eye when it comes to Islamist gardens. They are wonderful examples of how subtle detail can go a long way in creating a serene garden. Furthermore, their use of water is truly impressive. Great that seeing the Islamic garden of La Alhambra reinforced your appreciation for the Islamic garden, that adds a nice personal anecdote. I would, too, like to know if seeing the Islamic garden made Islamic gardens your favorite.
ReplyDeleteI found your post very interesting because I also have a fascination with Islamic gardens. When we learned about them in class they initially sounded beautiful, but a bit formulaic. However, after seeing Islamic gardens in Turkey, I completely fell in love with them. It was exactly how you described; experiencing the gardens in person can give you an entirely new perspective and appreciation.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you describe the deeper meaning of Islamic gardens - how their intricate beauty and religious symbolism makes their apparent simplicity so special. I wasn't able to see any Islamic gardens during my travels, but I hope to in the future. The pictures you included are great, but, as you said, you need to walk through one to truly experience it.
ReplyDelete