Generalife facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Generalife |
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The Patio de la Acequia
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| Location | Granada, Andalucía, Spain |
| Built | 14th century |
| Governing body | Ministry of Culture |
| Official name: Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada | |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, iii, iv |
| Designated | 1984 (8th session) 1994 (18th session – Extension) |
| Reference no. | 314 |
| Region | Europe |
The Generalife is a beautiful summer palace and country home. It was built for the Nasrid rulers of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus, which was a Muslim kingdom in what is now Spain.
This amazing place is located on a hill right next to the famous Alhambra palace complex in Granada, Spain. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized for its history and beauty.
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What's in a Name?
The name "Generalife" comes from the Arabic words jannat al-‘Arīf. This can mean a few things, like "Garden of the Architect" or "Garden of the Artist." It's a fitting name for such a wonderfully designed place!
Some experts think the real meaning of the name might be a bit different, but "Garden of the Architect" is the most popular idea.
A Look Back in Time
The Nasrid Rulers' Era
During the time of the Nasrid rulers, the Generalife was an almunia. This was a special kind of country villa or farm. Rulers and important people used these places as private getaways. They were also working farms that grew food.
Building these country estates with gardens was a tradition in Al-Andalus for a long time, starting in the 8th century. You can still see similar gardens in places like Marrakesh in North Africa.
The Generalife was probably built by Muhammad II in the late 1200s, or perhaps by Muhammad III in the early 1300s. Muhammad III added the mirador (a special lookout room) to the palace. Later rulers, like Isma'il I and Muhammad V, also made changes and added decorations. Yusuf III worked on the southern parts of the palace in the 1400s.
After the Christian Conquest
After the Christian rulers took over Granada, the Generalife changed quite a bit. This happened from the 1500s all the way to the 1900s. For example, the Catholic Monarchs added an upper floor to the northern part of the Patio de la Acequia in 1494. The Patio de la Sultana was completely redesigned in the 1500s.
In the 1900s, people like Leopoldo Torres Balbás and Francisco Prieto Moreno worked to redesign many of the gardens, especially the Jardines Nuevos (New Gardens). They added some Italian style to the design.
In 1958, a big fire damaged parts of the Generalife. But this also gave experts a chance to dig and learn more about how the gardens originally looked. They found old paths and even the original soil from the Moorish gardens! Even though new gardens were planted, the overall design of the space still follows the original plan.
Since 1984, the Generalife has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, just like the Alhambra.
What You See Today
The Generalife today is a mix of its original Nasrid-era parts and newer additions, especially in the gardens. The paths are made in a traditional style using small white pebbles from the Darro River and black pebbles from the Genil River.
The Outer Gardens
The Generalife gardens are built on three big terraces on the hillside. Each terrace is about 35 meters (115 feet) wide and 250 meters (820 feet) long. The two lower terraces have market gardens and orchards, known as Las Huertas. These have been used for growing food since the 1300s.
The highest terrace has the Jardines Nuevos (New Gardens). These gardens were created in the 20th century and are now the main way to enter the historic palaces. Part of this garden has walls made of trimmed cypress trees and a large cross-shaped pool. An open-air theater was also added here in 1952. The northern part of the gardens has a rose bush maze.
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The 20th-century Jardines Nuevos (New Gardens)
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Las Huertas, the market gardens on the terraced hillside below the Generalife
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The Main Palace
The Generalife Palace itself sits on a fourth terrace, above the outer gardens. The most important part of the palace is the Patio de la Acequia (Courtyard of the Water Canal). This is the largest structure. You enter it through smaller courtyards. The word acequia comes from an Arabic word for a water canal.
The courtyard has a long garden divided into four equal sections. A water channel or pool runs down the middle, with water jets spraying water across it. This type of garden, with its four-part division, comes from ancient Persian chahar bagh gardens.
At the middle of the courtyard's side is a small lookout room called a mirador. This room has beautiful carved stucco decorations. It's one of the earliest known mirador rooms in Nasrid buildings.
The Patio de la Acequia has pavilion-like buildings at its north and south ends. The southern one, the Pabellón Sur (South Pavilion), has two floors. The northern pavilion, called Majlis al-Akbari (Main Hall) in Arabic, has a beautiful porch with five arches. These arches are covered in rich stucco decorations and Arabic writing. Behind the arches is a covered area with a wooden ceiling. This leads to another room called the Salón Regio (Royal Chamber), which also has amazing stucco and wooden ceilings. A tower on the north side of this room has another mirador with great views of the Albaicín neighborhood.
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Entrance to the Generalife Palace through the Patio de Polo
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The Patio de la Acequia (Courtyard of the Canal), looking north
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Patio de la Acequia, looking south to the Pabellón Sur
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Inside the mirador (lookout) on the western side of the courtyard
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The northern porch of the Patio de la Acequia, leading to the Salón Regio
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The entrance gallery to the Salón Regio (Royal Chamber)
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Inside the Salón Regio (Royal Chamber)
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Inside the mirador (lookout) on the north side of the Salón Regio
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The Patio de la Sultana (Courtyard of the Sultana), looking north
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Right above the Patio de la Acequia is the Patio de la Sultana (Courtyard of the Sultana). This courtyard has pools, gardens, and paths. Its current look is from after the Nasrid period.
The Water Stairway and Upper Gardens
Above the Patio de la Sultana is the famous Water Stairway (Escalera del Agua). This staircase has four sections, and on each side, water flows down channels carved into the railings! Small circular areas with fountains break up the stairs. At the very top is a small building from the 1800s called the Romantic Pavilion.
Next to the stairway are the High Gardens (Jardines Altos), which are spread across several terraces up the hillside. The Paseo de las Adelfas (Walk of the Oleanders) is a path that visitors use to leave the Generalife today.
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The Water Stairway or Escalera del Agua
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The water channels running on top of the railings of the Water Stairway
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The Romantic Pavilion (Pabellón Romántico), built in 1836
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The Jardines Altos (High Gardens)
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The Paseo de las Adelfas (Walk of the Oleanders)
How it Looked Long Ago
Original Layout
The Generalife palace and gardens were a private summer home for the Nasrid rulers and their families. It was a quiet escape from the busy Alhambra. The whole area was once surrounded by a long wall, which is mostly gone now.
The Generalife was also a working farm, growing fruits and vegetables. There was a main entrance for visitors, but the Nasrid rulers could get to the Generalife directly from the Alhambra through a secret, covered path. This path still exists today! It started at a tower in the Alhambra and went through orchards until it reached the Generalife palace.
The Palace Complex Then
The Patio de la Acequia, the Patio de la Sultana, and the Water Stairway were all part of the Generalife in the Nasrid period. However, the Patio de la Sultana has been completely rebuilt since then.
The Patio de la Acequia still has many original parts, even though its gardens are new. The original gardens had flower beds that were lower than the paths around them. They likely had short plants like myrtle bushes, but also some orange trees. The famous lines of water jets in the Patio de la Acequia were added in the 1800s, not by the Nasrids. However, there were likely other jet fountains in the palace, as the water system was very advanced.
The Generalife had everything a palace needed, including a bathhouse and a prayer room. The bathhouse was probably near the Patio de la Sultana. The prayer room was likely where the Romantic Pavilion stands today.
Water, Water Everywhere!
Water was super important for the Generalife. It came from the Acequia Real (Royal Canal), which also supplied water to the Alhambra. This canal gets its water from the Darro River, high up in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
A smaller branch of the canal, called the Acequia del Tercio, brought water to the upper gardens, the Water Stairway, and the old bathhouse. The main canal supplied water to the Patio de la Acequia. These canals, along with water tanks and water wheels, helped distribute water throughout the gardens.
One important part of this water system is the Albercones. This is a medieval water tank that could hold a huge amount of water (400 cubic meters!). It helped water the higher orchards and gardens. There's also a deep well nearby that used to have an animal-powered water wheel to draw water.
Influence on Others
The Generalife has inspired other places! For example, there's a part of it copied at Roundhay Park in Leeds, UK.
See also
- Buhaira Gardens
- Palacio de Galiana, Toledo
- Spanish gardens
