Reading the Alhambra Chapter 3 Based on a transcript from the documentary: Reading the Alhambra. In the posting, we witness the importance of poetry and how it forms the core to this architectural structure. "From me, both by day and night, mouths salutes youwith wishes of good fortune, happiness and friendship. She is the Highest Cupola and we are her daughters, though my favour and glory make me stand out. My Lord Yusuf, sustained by God, clothed mein dignity with robes of undeniable distinction, making me the throne of the kingdom, the grandeur of which is borned up thanks to the Light, the Seat and the Throne." This poem in the Hall of Comares forms the hub of the poetic access of the Royal Palace of Comares. The building of which was completed by Mohammad V when he added the Hall of the Boat and the Courtyard of the Myrtles, a somatic axis composed of eleven courtly poems, eight of which still remain just as they were orginally inscribed. Mohammad´s court poet Ibn Zamrak composed the 9 mural qasidas which together with their courtly paradisiacal references turned out particularly for their nuptial metaphors such as those in the niches in the doorway between the Hall of the Boat and the Courtyard of the Myrtles. "I, beautiful and perfect, am the chair in which the bride is presented. Look at the vase and you will know how true my words are." And once again, in following arch, forming the entrance to the Hall of Comares. "The fingers of my maker wove my fabric, after setting the jewels in my crown. I resemble a nuptial throne, or even excel it, and I assure happiness to the bride and groom." The adjoining Palace of the Lions also built by Mohammad V is arranged
Reading the Alhambra Chapter 3 Based on a transcript from the documentary: Reading the Alhambra. In the posting, we witness the importance of poetry and how it forms the core to this architectural structure. Palace of Comares "From me, both by day and night, mouths salutes youwith wishes of good fortune, happiness and friendship. She
Reading the Alhambra Chapter 2 Based on a transcript from the documentary: Reading the Alhambra The inscriptions of verses from the Qur´an provide the buildings with sacred evocations of both the earthy and heavenly paradise, such as those in the oldest of the niches for jars of water in the Alhambra at the entrance of the hall of the Partal Palace. Their thirst will be slaked with pure wine sealed to others. The seal, therefore, will be musk and, for this, let those who aspire, who has aspirations, with it will be given a mixture water of Tasnim. Or inscribed upon the wooden cornice of the North Portico of the Generalife. "That He may admit the men and women who believe, to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein for aye..." But it is in the Hall of Comares built in honour of Yusuf I were a passage from the Quranic Surah on divine sovereignty painted in white upon the wooden cornice beneath the ceiling acquires its greatest architectural dimension. "Blessed be He in Whose hands is Dominion; and He over all things hath Power; He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving; He Who created the seven heavens one above another: No want of proportion wilt thou see the Creation of the Most Gracious, So turn thy vision again, seest thou any flaw? Again turn thy vision a second time: thy vision will come back to thee dull and discomfited." Thus, we were told the ceiling reproduces the seven heavens of the celestial Islamic paradise. The light of which emanates form the divine throne at its center. The symbolic meaning of the hall is a royal seat is completed by the poem
Reading the Alhambra Chapter 2 Based on a transcript from the documentary: Reading the Alhambra The inscriptions of verses from the Qur´an provide the buildings with sacred evocations of both the earthy and heavenly paradise, such as those in the oldest of the niches for jars of water in the Alhambra at the entrance of
Reading the Alhambra Chapter 1 Based on a transcript from the documentary: Reading the Alhambra When you visit the Alhambra, you will enter into the most original and beautiful architectural world of words. The visual of the semantic prominence of its devout, regal voltive and Quranic phrases and sentences, inscribed in a subtle variety of Kufic and cursive lettering, combined with the images of its mural verse and calligrams, turn it into a magnificent tri-dimentional manuscript which converses with the water, the garden and the landscapes. In viewing the very buildings themselves with a sonorous, vital rhythm of the Arabic language and its poetry. The walls of the Alhambra are the pages of a book. The similarity between the tiles in many of the rooms and the covers of the books of that time with their artistic tracer in colouring is not mere chance. The tiles protect and act as a foil to the mural texts in the same way that the covers do to the pages of the Koran and other courtly works. The stucco work itself shares the same decorative motifs and calligraphic forms as contemporary manuscripts. Including the small arches contained within some of the Kufic calligrams. The incorporation of words into the architecture leads to a symbolic transfiguration of the spaces it encloses. Look where you will, and you will find metaphors idealising the figure of the sultan who built them and of the virtues of the palaces themselves. Other metaphors like in parts of the Alhambra to the stars in the firmament, or to gardens, or to heaven, in a similar way to the descriptions of the paradise found in the Qur´an. Yet others in nuptial vein personify its rooms as brides prepared to welcome their Lord. The whole intent is to identify these royals
Reading the Alhambra Chapter 1 Based on a transcript from the documentary: Reading the Alhambra When you visit the Alhambra, you will enter into the most original and beautiful architectural world of words. The visual of the semantic prominence of its devout, regal voltive and Quranic phrases and sentences, inscribed in a subtle variety of
Looking for a country that takes your needs into account and makes you feel comfortable during your holidays? Spain is highly recommended. It is afterall one of the top most visited countries in the world. And why should it be your next Halal travel destination? Here are some key reasons. 1. Halal Certified products and services In Spain, certain products and services have the Halal Certification awarded by the Halal Institute, which guarantees that they meet the requirements demanded under Islamic law. This certification is particularly associated with food products but is increasingly being awarded to hotels, restaurants, cosmetic companies, Arab baths, etc. 2. Gastronomy With regards to food, you’ll be pleased to know that Spain is famous for its healthy Mediterranean diet, with loads of recipes based around vegetables and fish, and many based on Arab cuisine such as gazpacho, paella, ajoblanco, pil pil cod and many other ideas that are sure to suit your tastes. There are already restaurants with Halal Certification, such as El Faro (in Marbella) and Los Almendros (in Cordoba); and in certain establishments, if you request them in advance they can prepare dishes using ingredients governed by Sharia or Islamic law. You can also use the most popular online restaurant search engines (yelp.com, thefork.com, etc.) or mobile apps (MuslimpPro, Halaltrip) to search for halal establishments in Spanish destinations. You can also refer to our earlier postings of the list of halal restaurants of each travel destinations. 3. Muslim friendly hotelsSpain is a country that accommodates all religions and during your stay you’ll notice that a large number of hotels are able to adapt to meet the needs of Muslim clients. 4. Religious services in airports In the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport, there are two mosques situated in the public area of the exits to
Looking for a country that takes your needs into account and makes you feel comfortable during your holidays? Spain is highly recommended. It is afterall one of the top most visited countries in the world. And why should it be your next Halal travel destination? Here are some key reasons. 1. Halal Certified products and
What to see in Rome? Italy Muslim friendly destination Rome its a spectacle, may not be the capital of the world these days, but it is still one of the most amazing historical cities in the world. The Muslim presence in Italy dates back to the 8th century when the island of Pantelleria (Sicily) was conquered by the Arabs. They were strong in this lands until the 12th century; even though, a small Muslim community survived at least until 1300 in a place called Lucera. In times of Muslims, agriculture in Sicily prospered and became export oriented and the Arts and crafts flourished as well. Palermo, the Muslim capital of the island, had 300,000 inhabitants an exhorbitant number by that date. Nowadays there are 1.400.000 Muslims in Italy, the majority are Sunni, with a Shi'ite minority. Mosque of Rome The Mosque of Rome is located at the foot of Mount Antenne, in the Parioli neighbourhood, inaugurated in 1995 this is the only Islamic temple in Rome and the largest Mosque in Europe too. The Mosque is equally beautiful both in its interiors and exteriors. It has been designed by the Iraqi architect Sami Mousawi and the Italian architect Paolo Portoghesi. The outcome is a fascinating architecture made of repetitious designs and amazing geometric patterns, where an important role is played by the light aimed to create a meditative atmosphere and several tricks of light as well, such as the different temperature of light between the two main sections of the Mosque: the warmer and the colder. Beautiful mosaics creating more optical effects and the floor is covered by an extremely soft Persian carpet with geometrical patterns as well. There is a curious feature regarding the height of the minaret, the only one in the world lacking loudspeakers for calling the faithful to prayer, since during construction a limitation on the height was
What to see in Rome? Italy Muslim friendly destination Rome its a spectacle, may not be the capital of the world these days, but it is still one of the most amazing historical cities in the world. The Muslim presence in Italy dates back to the 8th century when the island of Pantelleria (Sicily) was conquered by the
Services for Muslim Travelers Discover in this article what services a muslim traveler requires during the trip. In Europe, the tourist industry is improving their services and amenities for the muslim customers; But at the moment no other country reach Switzerland in standars of comfort, as most 5 star hotels were able to respond to the majority of the muslim traveler needs. The suggestions from muslim travelers includes facilities that contribute to customer’s opportunity to observe religious practices, including the availability of the Quran, prayer mats, prayer times in the local time zone and the marking of the Qibla, the direction of prayer towards Mecca. Other common suggestions included the availability of halal food or guarantees of a pork-free kitchen and an alcohol-free minibar in hotel rooms. Respect for Culture Survey participants also suggest further amenities that are not required for strict adherence to Islamic religious requirements but were appreciated for cultural reasons. These included everything from the availability of bidets in hotel bathrooms to having Middle Eastern menus and Arabic TV channels, something that one survey participant noted could sway his choice of hotel. Muslim Women Female travellers noted the importance for strict Muslim travellers of female-only areas in hotel spas and the availability of female spa therapists, female-only swimming times and female room staff. Extra amenities suggested included having Muslim swimwear available for purchase. Source: Premium Europe AG Consultants
Services for Muslim Travelers Discover in this article what services a muslim traveler requires during the trip. In Europe, the tourist industry is improving their services and amenities for the muslim customers; But at the moment no other country reach Switzerland in standars of comfort, as most 5 star hotels were able to respond to
