The Partal Palace And Gardens

Ay habibi… I have to be honest with you, I don’t recognize this place. I am disorientated. Now it is known as the “Partal”, but it has changed so much. All these gardens are from a far later period than my own. Let’s walk on towards the left.

Ah, yes, now I know where I am! Look at those little houses on the left. They date from my time! They are humble Nazrid houses. Families lived in them until fairly recently. And the tall tower next to them is known as the Ladies’ Tower. But the tower and the portico with the ancient arches, even that bare area on the right where the calm surface of the water is, all that was a palace. Shall we take a look at the portico?

You will see a belvedere looking out towards Granada. It has a cupola with relief carvings on it known as mocarabes. And it is the oldest one in the Alhambra, because the portico of the palace dates from the time of Mohammed II, in the early 13th century.

If you would like to go for a walk by the walls later, see if you can find the house that belonged to one Astasio de Bracamonte. He was the squire of the Count of Tendilla, who built the water cisterns inside the Alcazaba moat. I will give you a clue: Squire Astasio’s house is right next to the wall.



(c) (R) 2013, MUSMon com S.L.
Text (a) Carlos Madrid (2012)

Picture:
Source: Own work
Author: Julián Hernández Martínez (2013)