Showing posts with label Alhambra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alhambra. Show all posts

Monday, March 7, 2011

details, details everywhere (part 3)

Here's my 3rd (and final, I think) installment of the "details, details everywhere" posts recollecting the ornate art and decor of Andalucia. So far we looked at the amazing details given to the ground and how the paths, courtyards, floors were all adorned. Next we saw photos of eye-level surfaces - walls so heavily decorated with beautifully detailed tile. And now we turn to the ceilings above and see perhaps the most intricate designs and shapes yet. I think it makes sense - the builders of these grand buildings: palaces, churches, mosques, and museums probably held the view that since these ceilings were closest to the heavens then they should reflect that proximity and be nothing but the most extraordinary examples beauty.  

inside the cathedral in Sevilla
how can stone appear like lace?

inside the Musee Beaux Arts, Sevilla

goldenly adorned ceiling inside
the Alcazar, Sevilla

a sight that must be beheld in person to appreciate
its full magnitude - one of the many rooms
in the Alhambra 

another ceiling within the Alhambra
gold and wood making for

 an interpretation of a night's sky

Cordoba's Mezquita - a former mosque,
now a cathedral
 
even in our hotel, in Granada,
details were given to the 

hallway ceiling -  a brilliant way 
to let light in and keep heat out

another shot of the Mezquita in Cordoba

Thursday, January 13, 2011

remembering the Alhambra

Recently I was lucky enough to be able to see the magnificent Alhambra in person.  This Moorish masterpiece is located in the jewel of a city, Granada.  Do you know how everything is starting to look more and more similar?  KFC's in Bangkok, McDonald's in Paris, Starbucks just about everywhere.  To me, when I get to see something completely unique (or at least completely new to me) I find it pretty exciting.  This is one of the reasons why the Alhambra was amazing - I had never seen anything like it before.  I don't really believe in "must-see"/"must-do" lists because everyone has their own sense of what a vacation should be, but if you're interested in history, architecture, gardens, or really delicious food then Granada would be a perfect destination, and perched on top of a hill within Granada is the Alhambra.  

Prints have been my favorite souvenir lately.  It's such a nice way to have a lasting reminder of trips.  I recently framed two prints I bought in Granada.  I think these small prints perfectly capture the beautifully intricate details that cover practically all of the surfaces within the Alhambra.  I love the dark blue and white - don't you think this simple color palate makes the ornate lines pop?


the 2 images - details from the Alhambra

amazingly intricate

details upon details
There are places I've been that even before I leave I already know I'll be back.  Granada and the Alhambra are 2 of those places.