The Umayyads and their successors ruled over a multi-religious and multicultural society with great success. They introduced art, religion, food, astronomy, philosophy, and other parts of their culture to Europe during their 750+ year reign. Even with this diversity, there were still tensions between the native Spaniards and the Muslim royals. However, Spanish-Arabic relations (and by extension, Catholic-Islamic relations) during this time were generally positive, and they led to growth for both cultures.
These models of a wall from the Alhambra were made by Rafael Contreras, a Spanish architect who was hired to restore the Alhambra after centuries of vandalism and natural decay. Contreras worked on the Alhambra from 1847 to 1889, and while construction crews worked on the actual building, he ran a side business selling models and casts of the palace. Many of these models were sold to tourists to Granada. Contreras hoped that when people brought them home, they would remember the Alhambra and all Islamic art as detailed, exotic, and beautiful.
Virtual Tour: Alhambra de Granada
Here is a collection of photos from an Alhambra tourist site (one image shown here). The designs and geometric patterns throughout the palace have traditional meaning for the Islamic culture. For example, the carving along the top of the columns is a form of Islamic calligraphy, reading, “There is no victor but God.” This phrase was a motto for the Nasrid dynasty, and it appears as decoration in many buildings throughout the complex.
(Pro Tip: you can access the other photo collections at the bottom of the page.)
Lama Bada Yatathana (لمّا بدا يتثنّى) Cover
Ballet Flamenco Andalucia - Flamenco Festival at New York City Center
"Lamma Bada Yatathanna" is a famous Arabic song, written around the same time that the Alhambra was built. It’s in a genre called Andalusian classical music, which covers all the music that was popular in Arabic-controlled Spain and Northern Africa. Notice that the woman in this video is playing a Spanish (classical) guitar! Lamma Bada Yatathanna comes from a genre of secular Arabic music and poetry called muwashshah. Spanish musicians and poets took inspiration from muwashshah in the years during and after the Nasrid control.
Andalusia is also known for being the origin of flamenco dancing. Here is a video of the Andalusian Flamenco Ballet company performing several different routines at the New York Flamenco Festival. You can hear a similar style of music to the first link, but now the words are in Spanish.
Nasrid Helmet (Sallet)- Met Museum
This is a steel-with-gold-leaf helmet, said to belong to the last Nasrid king in Granada. The exterior is ornately decorated with Islamic designs, but the actual helmet style is a Spanish sallet. The inset enamels match the jewelry produced during the same time. Very little Nasrid armor has survived to the modern day, but this helmet is strong evidence that the Nasrids adapted Spanish military practices to further their own success in the Iberian Peninsula. If you scroll to below the pictures on the Met website, you can browse other, similar armor worn by Spanish and Italian forces at the same time.
