Andalucía - Discover Spain: Experience the Best of Spain - page 468

Need to Know
ADMISSION €12 TOP TIP Of the 6600 daily tickets issued, just 2000 are
available at the gate, so book ahead or get there by 7am See the author's
review on Click here
La Alhambra Don't Miss List
BY MARÍA DEL MAR VILLAFRANCA, DIRECTOR OF PATRONATO DE LA ALAMBRA Y GENERALIFE
1 FACADE OF THE PALACIO DE COMARES
Unlike many visitors, take the time to contemplate this iconic and perfectly pro-
portioned facade. So many of the Alhambra's signature decorative forms are on
display here, including epigrafía (inscriptions and calligraphy), lacerías (interlock-
ing wooden lengths to form geometric patterns), atauriques (stylised plant motifs)
in plaster and ceramics, and a magnificent wooden dosel (canopy) to round it all
off.
2 PATIO DE ARRAYANES
Visit here for the overall majesty, but what's special is the use of water, which is
at once decorative and functional. It has the effect of making the porticos seem
longer, adding a symbolic dimension and amplifying the sense of light, even as it
gives the visitor the feeling that this is not just a garden but an oasis.
3 PATIO DE LOS LEONES
My favourite place from which to view this famous patio is from the Sala de Dos
Hermanas (Hall of the Two Sisters) on the patio's northern side. This perspective
reveals the glorious pinnacle of Nasrid architecture, blending the careful designs
of Al-Andalus' most skilled artisans with the wider heritage of oriental art.
4 PEINADOR DE LA REINA