Exercise Two. Piaras O Bolguidhir

THE ALHAMBRA, GRANADA, SPAIN 1338 – 1390 The Alhambra was the royal abode of the Moorish Kings, where, surrounded by the splendours and refinements of Asiatic luxury, they held dominion over what they vaunted as a terrestrial paradise, and made their last stand for empire in Spain. The royal palace forms but part of a fortress, the walls of which are studded with towers, stretch irregularly round the whole crest of a hill, a spur of the Sierra Nevada, and overlook the city of Granada.

parade. The fortress, in fact, was a little town of itself, having several streets of houses within its walls, together with a Franciscan convent and a parochial church. Today the Alhambra is one of Spain’s top tourist attractions. Attractions include a mesmerising blend of the most intricate tile work, filigree decoration and mosaics within its royal rooms and shaded courtyards. Jewels in the crown of the Alhambra include the legendary Court of the Lions, with its famous fountain, the Hall of the Kings and Hall of the Queens, the royal baths and the magnificent Hall of the Two Sisters.

In the times of the Moors the fortress was capable of containing within its outward precincts an army of forty thousand men, and served occasionally as a strong-hold of the sovereigns against their rebellious subjects. After the kingdom had passed into the hands of the Christians, the Alhambra continued to be a royal demesne, and was occasionally inhabited by the Castilian monarchs. The last royal residents were Philip V and his beautiful queen, Elizabetta of Parma, early in the eighteenth century. Following the departure of the sovereigns the palace was maintained with some military state. The governor held it immediately from the crown; its jurisdiction extended down into the suburbs of the city, and was independent of the captain-general of Granada. A considerable garrison was kept up; the governor had his apartments in the front of the old Moorish palace, and never descended into Granada without some military

During the summer season, during the months of July and August, the Alhambra Palace is the main venue for the annual International Festival of Music and Dance which attracts some of the world’s top orchestras, flamenco performers and ballet companies.

View of the Alhambra, which stretches irregularly round the crest of the the Sierra Nevada, overlooking Granada.

View into the Alhambra showing the outer fortress walls studded with towers, and the palaces and courtyards within.

Piaras O Bolguidhir