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The ALHAMBRA - Granada: A perpespective of the COURT AND FOUNTAIN OF LIONS

AFTER passing through the Court of the Baths, which appears to be the grand exterior vestibule of the palace, we enter another court, by the Spaniards tenned Quarto de Los Leones,
or the Lions' Court, than which, nothing more elegant call be conceived: it is, indeed, the most perfect model of Moorish architecture.
The Lions' Court is an oblong square, one hundred feet ill length, and fifty in breadth; and is surrounded with a corridor of one hundred and twenty-eight columns that support the arches, on which rest the upper apartments of this enchanting palace. A beautiful portico, not unlike the portals of some Gothic churches, projects into this court at each extremity; the stuccoed ceiling of which is executed with equal perfection and elegance. The colonnade is paved with white marble; and the slender pillars themselves, are of the same material. They are disposed very irregularly, being sometimes single, and at other times in pairs, or clusters of three; but the magnificent coup-d'reil of the whole is peculiarly pleasing to the eye of the astonished visitor. The columns are about nine feet high, including the base and capital, and eight inches and a half in diameter: the larger crescent arches above them, are four feet two inches in width; and the smaller arches are three feet wide. To the height of five feet from the ground, the walls are ornamented with a beautiful yellow and blue mosaic tiling, with a border containing the often repeated sentence, " THERE IS NO CONQUEROR BUT GOD," in blue and gold. The capitals of the pillars vary in their designs, each of which is very frequently repeated in the circumference of the Court; but not the least attention has been paid to placing them regularly or opposite to each other. The arches are further ornamented with a great variety of tastefully designed and exquisitely finished arabesques, in which no trace of animal or vegetable life is to be found, and which are surmounted with the usual inscriptions: and above these arches, an elegantly finished cornice runs round the whole court. From some remaining fragments of tiles, which are varnished and painted of various colours, and with which the building was originally covered, it should seem, that the roof was anciently more lofty than it now is. In the centre of the court stands the celebrated fountain, whence it derives its name, and which is more clearly delineated in the following engravings. The only thing that disfigures the harmony of this noble Court, is the projecting roof of red tiles, which, according to Mr. Swinburne, was put on by order of M. Wall, formerly prime minister of Spain, under whose administration the Alhamra received a complete repair. In a garden fronting the Gourt above described, four stones were found some years since, containing the epitaphs of four sovereigns of Granada. That of Abu-l-Hajjaj Yusuf is given at length, accompanied by an English translation, in the " History of the Mahometan Empire in Spain".

	More information about the Alhambra
The Alhambra at Granada The Royal Palace The Alhambra fortress Plan of the Royal Palace Main entrance The Judgment Gate Elevation of the ancient Gate of the Judgment The Judgment Gate Porch Section of the Gate of the Judgment, Puerta del Vino and the Great Cistern The Baths Small Portico and Pateo del Agua A pateo del Agua alcove Elevation of the Fountain of Lions Plan of the bason of the Fountain of Lions - Side Elevation - Entablature of the Court of the Lions Two Sisters hall The Abencerrages hall Golden Saloon Section and Elevation of the interior of the Golden Saloon Moorish battle-piece Paintings in the Alhambra Arabian vases and niches Mosaics Arabian Ornaments Cufic Inscriptions Columns, capitals and cornices Royal Villa of Generalife view The Generalife Portico of the Generalife front view A Generalife Garden perspective view The Casa de Carbon

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