Nasrid art
The Nasrid art, also called Granada art, constitutes the last stage of Hispano-Muslim art. It developed during the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, extending in addition to the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, Barbary and the Christian domains of the Iberian Peninsula, contributing to the emergence of Mudejar art.
The quintessential work that defines the Nasrid dynasty (1237-1492) is the Alhambra, Qalat al-Amra, "the red castle", a true synthesis of palatial architecture Islamic and the new fortification elements incorporated into military architecture. Associated with it is an almunia or recreational garden known as the Generalife or Yannat al-Arif or "architect's garden".
Historical context
As the Almohad empire weakened, new small kingdoms emerged in al-Andalus that took power between the 13th and 15th centuries. The battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, in 1212, opened the way to the south for the Christian conquerors. In contrast, from 1232, the Muslims of Arjona (Jaén) proclaimed Muhamad ibn Yusuf ibn Nasr sultan. Thus began a process of territorial reconstruction through which a new kingdom was formed in Penibética Andalusia, the Nasrid, whose capital from 1237 would be Granada. Constant Christian pressure gradually reduced the kingdom, ending with the capitulation of Granada on January 2, 1492. Thus, the last Islamic bastion of al-Andalus disappeared. Thus emerging the term of 'Nazari Art'
The Alhambra
The Alhambra was started by the founder of the dynasty, Muhammad I, who abandoned the Taifa fortress located in the Albaicín and chose this hill to locate his residence. The place had the remains of a small fortification from the XI century that it transformed into its own citadel. To do this, he endows it with a double enclosure: an exterior one as a barbacaba or antemuro and an interior one reinforced by high towers; and installs inside a military neighborhood with houses, bathroom and cistern.
From the citadel, the walled enclosure of the city is developed, marked out with defensive towers, although some of them introduce the novelty of becoming palatine dwellings. Despite the character of these towers, the true palatine nucleus is made up of the so-called Old Royal House of the Alhambra, of which the Comares and Los Leones palaces are a part. Apart from these residential and protocol complexes, the city was also endowed with a congregational mosque, baths, mint, servants' quarter, royal cemetery, and workshops.
Among the main palatal nuclei, we must first highlight the mexuar (maswar) or room where the council of ministers or viziers meets. Its construction is due to Ismail I, being reformed by Muhammad V. Despite having undergone major transformations, its rectangular room has four columns in the central part that supported a lantern. Around this central square space there are as many rectangular rooms.
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To the north of the mexuar stands the courtyard of the Cuarto Dorado. One of its sides is closed by a large façade called Comares because it is the monumental access to said palatine complex. The Comares Palace, built by Yusuf I and restructured by Muhammad V, owes its name to the Arabic term qamriyya or qamariyya, which in the East is used to designate stained glass windows. The great façade of Comares located in the courtyard of the Cuarto Dorado, following the tradition of oriental monarchs, served as a frame for the monarch when sitting before it, he granted public audiences to his subjects. But, at the same time, the façade clearly reveals its double purpose, since one of its doors serves as access to the residential area while the other leads into the palace courtyard. This large rectangular patio, called the Myrtles or the Pool, is articulated around a longitudinal axis whose central part is occupied by a pool. The two longest sides of the rectangle were occupied by four private dwellings - two on each side - for the four legitimate wives of the sultan. The smaller sides, porticoed, welcomed: in the south the home of the crown prince while in the north was that of the sultan. The latter is a rectangular room delimited with alcoves known as the Barca room (baraka, blessing). A small corridor parallel to the room leads at its right end to a small oratory while at the left end a staircase ascended to another chamber located above the throne room. Finally, and housed in the powerful Comares tower was the Throne Room or Ambassadors Room whose wooden roof has been interpreted as the seven heavens of the Koranic Paradise. In this room the monarch celebrated his receptions and solemn acts.
Crosswise to this set is the Palace of the Lions, built by Muhammad V. Traditionally, it has been considered the private residence of the monarch; although recently a similar function to the previous nucleus has been attributed to it. Thus, the room of the Two Sisters would act as a mexuar while the Lindaraja viewpoint would be the throne room. Regardless of any of these possible functions, the complex is articulated around a transept courtyard at the intersection of which is the fountain with twelve marble lions from a construction of the XI. Two pavilions advance on the smaller sides of the courtyard while its four sides are porticoed. In the axis of each one of them are opened the corresponding rooms known by the names of: Hall of the Mocárabes, of the Abencerrajes, of the Kings.
Features
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Thus, the Alhambra complex and some other buildings such as the Cuarto Real de Santo Domingo and Alcázar Genil, both in Granada, the vestiges of the city of Ronda and the numerous castles allow us to establish the general framework of Nasrid art that It is none other than the synthesis of Hispano-Muslim art.
Military architecture
Military architecture develops the systems generated in previous times, giving them greater complexity. Palatine architecture employs two types of patio organization whose precedents can be traced back to Medinat al-Zahra. These are the monoaxial patio —Patio de los Arrayanes or de la Alberca— and the transept patio —Patio de los Leones. The rooms linked to them respond again to two typologies: one elongated with ends delimited by alcoves, and another square surrounded by rooms. The Hall of the Boat and the Hall of the Two Sisters serve as an example.
Religious architecture
The few vestiges of religious architecture allow us to think of mosques that follow the Almohad model with naves perpendicular to the qibla wall. The only novelty comes from the fact of using marble columns when the building has a certain relevance. As for the ornamental repertoire, they use a decorative profusion that masks the poverty of the materials, using everything from tiled baseboards and stucco plasterwork to painted decoration, such as the one preserved in the vault of the Sala de los Reyes. The column with a cylindrical shaft is characteristic
Civil architecture
As far as civil architecture is concerned, the city of Granada has the testimony of two buildings: the funduq and the maristan. The funduq, currently called Corral del Carbón, was a kind of hostel or inn for the accommodation of foreign merchants and their merchandise, which sometimes specialized in a specific product. The maristan or hospital, later associated with an asylum, was built by Muhammad V and demolished in 1843. Both foundations had a two-story quadrangular structure around a patio with a pool.
Ornamentation
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Regarding the ornamental repertoire, they use a decorative profusion that masks the poverty of the materials using: from tiled baseboards and stucco plasterwork, to painted decoration; like the one preserved in the vault of the Hall of the Kings. The column with a cylindrical shaft and the capital with two bodies are characteristic: one cylindrical decorated with ribbons and the other cubic with ataurique. The preferred arches are cambered and angled semicircular. The wooden roofs alternate with muqarnas vaults made in stucco like those of the Room of the Two Sisters or the Room of the Abencerrajes. Likewise, to the usual ornamental motifs —geometric, vegetal and epigraphic— the Nasrid coat of arms is added, which would be generalized by Muhammad V.
Decorative arts
Similar to the architectural splendor is that acquired by the sumptuary arts, highlighting ceramics with a metallic reflection and silk fabrics to which can be added bronzes, inlays and weapons. Luxury ceramic, known as metallic reflection or golden earthenware, is characterized by subjecting its last firing to reduced fire —of oxygen— and a lower temperature. With this procedure, the mixture of silver and copper sulfide used in the decoration reaches oxidation, producing a metallic shine. It was also frequent to add cobalt oxide, giving rise to a series in blue and gold. With this technique the famous "glasses" or vases from the Alhambra.
The Nasrid fabrics, for their part, constitute the last stage of splendor of Andalusian silk fabrics that will be replaced by carved velvets. They are characterized by their intense colors and the use of motifs identical to those used in architectural decoration.
Other art shows
Since at least the middle of the XX century, there have been records of hidden paintings in the Hall of Ambassadors of the Comares Palace of the Alhambra, in parts only accessible to the Nasrid craftsmen who participated in the construction. In later restoration tasks of the Mirador de Lindaraja, at the beginning of the century XXI, the existence of 80 hidden polychrome drawings made by the artisans who worked on the decoration of the palace was documented. Later work also revealed the existence of more drawings in the west temple of the Patio of the Lions, including, both groups of drawings, human representations something prohibited in Islam!.
Later development
Starting in the 19th century, with revivals, renaissances and neo movements, neo-Arab emerged, bringing together all Muslim arts, including the Nasrid, where plasterwork, tiles, muqarnas and especially its columns are copied, as we see in the Alhambra Palace, the Casino de Murcia, the Moorish Kiosk, the Great Synagogue of Budapest, the New Synagogue of Berlin, or the House of Crystals.
Palace of the Alhambra
Casino de Murcia
Kiosco morisco
House of Crystals
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