The Alhambra is a palace and fortress that is located in Granada, Spain. It was built on a plateau that overlooks the city of Granada. It takes its name from the Arabic word signifying “the red castle.” Alhambra reflects the color of red because of the bricks that is made from red clay from the plateau. The Alhambra is a reflection of the culture of the Nasrid Dynasty, the last Muslims to rule Spain. It is also evidence of the skills of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian artists, craftsmen, and builders.
The Alhambra was first constructed as a small fortress in 889 AD on the remains of Roman fortification. The first palace was built by Samuel Ha-Nagrid, the Jewish grand vizier. It was largely ignored until the mid-13th century until the Moorish
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It has 1,730 meters (1 mile) of walls and thirty towers of varying size that enclose the city within a city. Access to Alhambra was restricted to four main gates. The Alhambra's nearly 26 acres include structures with three distinct purposes: a Palace for the ruler and close family, the citadel barracks for the elite guard who were responsible for the safety of the Alhambra, and an area called medina, or city where court officials lived and worked. The different parts of the complex are connected by paths, gardens and gates but each part of the complex could be blocked in the event of an …show more content…
After the Christian conquest they began the alterations of the Alhambra. The Alhambra became the location of the Royal Court of Ferdinand and Isabella. The palaces were partially altered to Renaissance style. The Alhambra mosque was replaced with a church. The rooms in the palaces were Italianized and art works on the walls were filled in with white wash. Over the centuries the Alhambra and its Moorish art were further damaged. In 1812, some of the towers were blown up by the French during the War of Independence and in 1821 an earthquake did further damage to the structure. In 1828, through the 20th century, restoration of the Alhambra took place. In 1930, a young architect named Leopoldo Torres Balbás opened up arcades that had been walled up, opened up filled in pools, replaced missing tiles, and completed damaged
Both these dynasties inherently inhabited the same territories (the Timurids ruled until the 1500s). Unfortunately due to a series of later earthquakes, there is not much surviving architecture from the reigns of the first two Safavid shahs. Shah Abbas, who moved the Safavid capital to Isfahan, practically reinvented the city based on collection of buildings including palaces, mosques, bazaars and madrasas. Abbas arranged the center of the city around a large open area called the Meydan-i Shah (Square of the Ruler) and located to the south end of the Meydan-i Shah is the largest of Shah Abbas 's imperial mosques, the Masjid-i Shah (Mosque of the Shah). The Masjid-i Shah"s development began in the 1612 and finished by around 1638. Something unique about the position of the mosque against the position of the square is that the qibla wall of the mosque is not adjusted with the square because the square was present prior to the mosque, hence the architects of the Masjid-i Shah built the entrance portal to the mosque turning 45 degrees. Another unique and fascinating note is that the scale is incredible. These enormous portals and minarets were garnished in elegant tile with massively patterned color to create a cohesive effect on the courtyard of the mosque. As for the interior, the abundant use of blue, yellow and gold including with the tessellations of vines, leaves
Mindi Abair has been nominated two times for a Grammy. That is just how awesome she is. She is a American saxophonist, vocalist, author, and President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the organization that does The Grammys.
For example, mosques and other praying sites always faced Mecca. The qibla in the Great Mosque of Cordoba is an exception because it faces Baghdad however, praying sites in the gardens of the Alcazar in Granada do face Mecca. Despite that difference, the mosque in Granada has a rectangular shape and is divided into a courtyard and the praying hall just like most mosques which derive their shape from Muhammad’s home. “The courtyard was an integral part of the Mosque, for it contained the fountains for washing the face, hands, and feet for the ritual purification before prayer.” (Burckhardt 10) and the minaret which brought cities together at the time of prayer. This standardized layout across the Islamic world provides a unifying structure for its people and the
The city-state had magnificent thick outer walls, temples were rebuilt as new, and building built with beautiful resources such as limestone. Nebuchadnezzar established an atmosphere for the arts and intellect to thrive in. Another great accomplishment of Nebuchadnezzar is the Ishtar gate, which was dedicated to the gods; the gate was ornamented with animals, and decorated with glaze. The thriving atmosphere is another reason why Babylon was so powerful. Nebuchadnezzar made it his obligation to make Babylon the greatest place on earth, and while he was king, Babylon was the paradigm of
The Grand Mosque is the first mosque in Islam also the greatest, and it is in the center of the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia." It is an area of 750,000 square meters and it can hold 4 Million people." It costs $11,316,818,165$ for the comprehensive restoration. In the center of the mosque, is Kaaba. Muslims believe that is a sacred spot. The meaning of Kaaba in Arabic is cube like structure. It is really based on a small room with marble and black basalt stones constructed brought in from the nearby mountains. According to the Koran, a man named Abraham and his son Ishmael built the Kaaba in response to God's command. Kaaba has been in the Grand Mosque for a long time however really a few people who saw the inside of it on the other hand millions saw the outside of the Kaaba but both of them who saw it from the inside and outside drank from Zamzam well which been running more than 1,350 years.
ng the military and economic leaders. In 691 the Dome of the Rock was built by one caliph who wanted to de-emphasize Mecca. He intended this rock in Jerusalem to be the spot for the faithful instead of the Ka'bah, and was successful. The Umayyad Caliphate was taken over by the Abbasids in 750.
The actual building itself appears similar to a castle. The architecture had royal features due to the triangular points on the top of the building. There were three open doors; one big main entrance in front, two small side doors, and all the guests entered through the main entrance. Once I walked in, a big gold Buddha was centered in the back surrounding multiple iconic religious statues. There seemed to be about a hundred religious statues highly dazzled in silver or good.
The Alhambra palace is considered the finest expression of urban Moorish architecture in Europe. It was constructed in the era of Nasrids who ruled Spain in the 14th and 15th century. It is known for its sophisticated planning, complex decorative programs, and its many enchanting gardens and fountains. The Alhambra's most celebrated structures are the three original royal palaces. These are the Comares Palace, the Palace of the Lions, and the Partal Palace, each of which was built during 14th
The Ishtar Gate to the city of Babylon stood as a testament to the aim of King Nebuchadnezzar II to rebuild the ancient city of Babylon as the most grandiose and magnificent of the ancient world’s cities. Citizens of the neo-babylonian empire were the first to bear witness to its grandeur and were likely the best equipped to appreciate the aesthetics contributing to its religious meaning. Given that it was a main entrance to the central capital of Babylon, the gate could have been seen by citizens of different social classes and levels of education, and in turn may have conveyed different meanings to different classes of citizens. In the eyes of a merchant or artisan, the brilliant blue faience bricks adorned with religiously symbolic animals
In past the very mosque was located on the Rue de la Marine in Algiers during the French reign. At that time it was the entrance street to the Harbour of Algiers but now it does not exist anymore and has been surpassed by the Boulevard de Ernesto Guevara as well as Rue de Angkor. The Great Mosque of Algiers is seen here with recorded portico of columns and poly-lobed arches which were constructed in the colonial period. Presently, the mosque is supported by a large of numbers of arches and pillars and was mostly added after the reconstruction of the mosque by the French. The Great Mosque of Algiers has a four-sided veranda measuring about 38*46 meter. Different reaches have proved that in 1097 the mosque was structured, in 1332 the minarets were added in the northwestern corner of the mosque and corridor was placed around the mosque in 1840. There are eleven sections of mosques and stonework columns are there to support each section of the mosque. These columns are decorated by Moorish Arches (Inclined roofs). The mosque is square in shape and it’s interior is composed of a series hallways, rooms and passages with the shared theme of archways and pillars throughout the building. Both floors and walls are adorned by intricate mosaic. The main building is facing into a courtyard, away from prayer hall and galleries. The prayer hall is further segregated into eleven naves each of them is covered with a double inclined roof. The main mehrab an arched niche shows the direction of Mecca. The very Mehrab was destroyed by the French during their Colonial rule in Algiers. It was originally built in 1097 and was considered as an inseparable part of the mosque. The reconstructed mehrab is a typical design followed in 18th century Algiers. It in the in the form of
As for the frequency of xiedou violence during the period of the year 1768 to 1888 in Taiwan, whose causes are prone to be attributed to ethnic or subethnic strife, David Ownby, the author of ‘The Ethnic Feud in Qing Taiwan: What is this Violence Business, Anyway? An Interpretation of the 1782 Zhang-Quan Xiedou’, has presented us a different view regarding this social issue. Through the violence incident of 1782, he points out that xiedou were usually aroused by routine conflicts instead of strategic choices of ethnic communities and led by local toughs and mercenaries rather than landlords, lineage elders or temple leaders. According to historical records, the author elaborates the development of Zhang-Quan xiedou which can be divided into four levels. The initial level was simply a chance dispute arising from gambling between Zhangzhouers and Quanzhouers, which later led to the death of Liao Lao, a member of Quanzhou group.
...re that was most unique to the Early Dynastic period was the oval enclosure with a centralized platform to lend stability to the shrine. Storage were found near the enclosure. The Temple Oval at Khafaje best exemplifies the unique formation of the oval enclosure in the temples. This enclosure had a double perimeter wall present which was highly unusual for enclosures. Another oval temple was found that Tell al Ubaid, which had a rectangular platform in the center. In the front of this platform there were elaborate decorations, which were belived to have fallen from the façade of the temple which had stood on the platform. Besides these oval temples there were also plans of temples with a number of single or double roomed shrines, one noteworthy temple is from Tell Chuera in North Syria. This design plan yields a closer resemblance to the west and megaron buildings.
Introduction  In the developing world, specifically Muslim nations, women are viewed as lesser and unequal to men, resulting in the mistreatment and objectification of women within the society.  Known for underage prostitution, drug abuse and sex trafficking of abducted and abused women and children is the town Daulatida in the Rajbari District, Bangladesh. Daulatida is the largest brothel in the world with 1,3001 known sex workers including the underage girls who are working illegally in prostitution, that service 30002 customers who pass through its streets every day. Daulatida was opened and founded by the British during their colonial rule decades ago and has been perpetrated by the third-generation sex workers that descend from the
Taj Mahal. ( Mahal is the word in urdu language used for Palace) How can I describe The Taj Mahal? You can’t its impossible. You just have to experience it. To gaze in wonder at that magnificent dome and elegant gardens will be a moment that you remember for the rest of your life. It is one of the greatest sights in the world, some say the greatest, and like Victoria Falls, The Grand Canyon, and Macchu Picchu, it simply is one of those things you have to see in your life. The architectural grace and symmetry of the Taj Mahal just takes your breath away. We had chosen our visit carefully--the sun was setting and the light that washed over the Taj was golden in color. The minarets were now stark against the setting sun . The actual dome was a surprise, it is not yellow-white but blue-white and covered in inscriptions and detail. From below it looked like something out of "Arabian Nights." But inside were the tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan. The central tomb is a lofty chamber with light streaming through fine latticework, and hanging above was an elaborate lamp. Words cannot describe its beauty when you stand on that marble platform overlooking the Yamuna, with the setting sun turning it into a golden ribbon. You may a...
There was lots of interesting stuff to see both outside and the inside. The build was very much like the house. I guess it makes sense, since it is here in US, and the weather is pretty cold. Usually in a mosque there towers rising form the mosque. They were round and long and covered with the pointed room. It is where adhan is called; adhan is a islamic call to prayer. And the building has the dome rooftop. The mosque I went to was very plain looking. From the front it looked like a house. It was kind of long, and it had lawn around it, with beautiful trees and flowers planted. From the inside, the building is very plan. As soon as you enter the building there was a shoe rack, where everyone took of their shoes. And then there was a prayer hall, where the warship takes place five times a day. The prayer hall is also called musalla. The prayer hall was pretty plain; there was literally no furniture in the room. There were some chairs for the elderly people, and a book shelf filled with Quran and other islamic religious books. The prayer hall walls were plain as well, except some part where the walls ware decorated with the writings from Quran in Arabic. Other than that, there was no paintings, statues, or altar that caches your attention except one little part of the wall. That one little part of the wall was Mihrab. Mihrab is a semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque, which indicates the direction of the