Carmen Lícia PALAZZO
The Cordoba Mosque and the Alhambra of Granada: Founding Monument and Final Testimony of al-Andalus
A mesquita de Córdoba e a Alhambra de Granada: o monumento fundador e o derradeiro testemunho de al-Andalus
Published in Medieval and Early Modern Iberian Peninsula Cultural History
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This article analyses two of the most significant monuments in Islamic Spain: the Great Mosque in Cordoba and the Alhambra in Granada. Both are treated with regard to the political history of the region. The article stresses the role of Byzantine Christian artists in the decoration of the Mosque, as well as the relevance of decorative arts in both monuments, particularly the occurrence of Quranic mentions of luxury and ornament. It shows the importance, in the Alhambra, of the ensemble as an affirmation of the Nasrid Dynasty, by means of opulent decoration and the epigraphic poetry of Ibn Zamrak in the Fountain of Lions, declaring the genealogical roots of Muhammad V.
