Disfrutar
in the Alhambra

Ms Matilde Cortés Romera

 

Water as the source of life of the Alhambra. We will be analysing where it came from, its use and its function within the palace city.

We will also be looking at the Royal Water Channel, which runs through the whole of the Alhambra complex and waters the vegetables grown in terraces on the hill. Using a base left behind by the Romans, the residents created different networks of water-channels to transport water around the Palace city. They also built aqueducts and safety valves for when the water level was too high. 

The Palace City watered by the Royal Water-Channel did not have wells and instead used a system of water-tanks for storing water in the event of shortage. These water-tanks had a secondary function as a decorative feature inside the palaces and were also used to filter and decant the water in order to ensure that it was always clean.

Water was distributed all over the Alhambra via a network of clay piping that carried it to houses and public baths in which there were fountains serving hot and cold water. 

As well as fulfilling its prime function, water was used as a decorative feature in palaces and houses. The different vessels that contained it (water-tanks, fountains…) were carved with calligraphic inscriptions about water that combined the arts of poetry and decoration. 

Sunday 13th and 20th September, 12.00h