Friday, May 9, 2025

The Sultan's Summer Palace

It's weird to me, but understandable, that the sultan's summer palace is just a short uphill walk from the rest of the Alhambra.  Apparently the difference between the city (down in the valley) and the Generalife Palace and Gardens was six degrees, which, in summers long before air conditioning, is not insubstantial.

The other advantage of the location is, if they came under attack, it wasn't far from the Alcazaba for the sultan to get back the safety location and to be back in charge of his troops.

It's also where the fresh fruits and vegetables were grown for all the residents of the Alhambra.

The garden in the Patio de la Acequira was planted more than 600 years ago -- which is a long time for a European garden.  The flowers, herbs, water jets, and fountains are staggering in their beauty.  

The water -- flying through the air, flowing through channels, burbling along -- comes from an aqueduct from the Darro River.  

The "palace" is just a three-room summer retreat, but it leads to the most beautiful gardens.

No comments: