In Focus - Discover Spain: Experience the Best of Spain - page 602

Mudéjar Architecture
After the Christian Reconquista, the term Mudéjar (from Arabic mudayan, meaning do-
mesticated) was given to Muslims who stayed on in areas conquered by the Christians
and it came into use as an architectural label. Hallmarks of Mudéjar style include geomet-
ric decorative designs, often embellished with tiles, and elaborately carved timber ceilings.
Artesonado is the word used to describe ceilings with interlaced beams leaving regular
spaces for decorative insertions. Another unmistakable Mudéjar feature is the preponder-
ance of brick: castles, churches and mansions all over the country were built of this ma-
terial. Teruel has an especially rich concentration of Mudéjar architecture.
Islamic Spain
Islamic Al-Andalus was, for much of its nearly 800-year history, one of the most civ-
ilised places on earth and its architects were worthy contributors to this ideal. In
756, a mere 45 years after Islamic armies first swept across the Strait of Gibraltar
and at a time when Islamic rulers controlled three-quarters of Spain, Abd ar-Rah-
man I founded Córdoba's Mezquita. One of the largest mosques in the world, it was
a powerful statement that Islam was in Spain to stay. More than Spain's oldest sur-
viving Islamic building of significance, the Mezquita was (and is) the epitome of
Islamic architecture's grace and pleasing unity of form.
Hundreds of years later, with Islamic sovereignty restricted to Granada's Nasrid
emirate, the Alhambra (from the Arabic al-qala'at al-hamra, meaning 'red castle'),
came to symbolise the last-days decadence of Islam's ruler. The only surviving
large medieval Islamic palace complex in the world, the Alhambra is at once a
palace city and a fortress, with 2km of walls and 23 towers. Within the Alhambra's
walls were seven separate palaces, along with mosques, garrisons, houses, offices,
baths, a summer residence (the Generalife) and exquisite gardens, but scale is only
one element of the Alhambra's charm: the Nasrid architects also refined existing
decorative techniques to new peaks of delicacy, elegance and harmony.
Between these two landmarks lie centuries of compelling history, but together the
Mezquita and Alhambra give expression to the enduring characteristics of Al-An-
dalus: enlightened Islam, the opulence of Islamic rule, the imperative to defend
against enemies at the gates, and the importance of gardens as a manifestation of
earthly paradise. Other significant places where these elements remain include the