Crowded Palaces, Empty Halls: A Reflection on the Tourism of Formerly Private Spaces in Spain

By Matthew Majsak

After travelling from city to city over the course of 8 days moving between ornate palaces and mosques with Islamic calligraphy in shimmering mosaic or carved into walls; seeing awe inspiring chapels with rich oil paintings and religious artifacts made from precious metals; and winding through neighborhoods steeped in rich history, I left Spain thinking a lot about the importance of space. In the history of Al-Andalus, space is an important representative of the religious and cultural interaction that defined the region for centuries. This is reflected in maps showing the constant shifting of dominance between Christian and Muslim kingdoms to the distinct culture of the Jewish quarters of Cordoba or Sevilla or the Moroccan quarter in Granada, space tells the story of Andalusia. And nowhere is this more prevalent then in the palaces of Spain. Ines mentions the overlap of Christian and Muslim architecture in her blog post and how this is can tell the story of the region’s politics and this is indeed an extremely important aspect. However, I want to focus in on the Muslim architecture, specifically in the Real Alcazar de Sevilla and Alhambra in Granada.

We spoke in class a lot about the architecture of the Muslim palaces in Spain and how both the Umayyads and the Zirtians built in a tradition tied very closely with Islam. The architecture of the palaces are constructed around big open spaces, either with fountains or reflecting pools, meant to evoke peace and tranquility. The ever-present noise of running water is an important staple of Muslim architecture, used to create this peaceful environment. The intricate calligraphy carvings repeat a mantra of sorts, praising Allah and Muhammad and referencing the royal family. The constant presence of Allah is literally built into the palace. The elaborate gardens throughout the complexes call to mind Quranic images of beauty and perfection. Thalia told me while wandering through them “it makes you realize why Muslims believe that paradise is like a garden.” The beauty of every inch of these palaces is breathtaking.

Yet as I wandered through these palaces, I could not help but feel as if something was missing. These palaces were supposed to be places of dwelling. Although impressive, there was a sense that these palaces felt almost empty. Much of that is no one’s fault but rather a product of a changing society and time. The furniture that would have been here originally has long since rotted away, was raided, or taken away through regime change. The colors that adorned most of the walls of Alhambra have faded over time as has the stained glass resulting in a loss of  a palace that was the center of life for the royal family, leaving behind a still gorgeous, but monochromatic space. I tried to recreate the life of the palace in my imagination as I stood in the midst of this majestic space but was struck  by how the presence of hundreds of tourists impacted this experience.

The hundreds of tourists move through these palaces day in and day out depersonalizes the space. What was in its peak an intimate space with its own community and living population has now become a series of rooms and ceilings and tiles for people to take pictures of. The sound of the fountains is drowned out by the hum of tourists groups. Unlike the mosques or cathedrals which were built with large crowds and movement in mind, these palaces were made to be lived in, and it felt to me as I was moving through them with hundreds of others that I was maybe missing something.  It was worth the effort to put down the camera and feel the space in all its grandeur recognizing the history these walls hold and the centuries of cultural influence that began in this place.

That is not to say that I think that things should change. For one I think that what is there now, if a different experience, is still stunning and worth every minute of the visit. Alcazar and Alhambra were my two favorite sites we visited in Spain. I think that is wonderful that so many people have the opportunity to see these important historical spaces and I pleased  that there is great care, and necessary precaution to protect these sites. Ultimately my reflection is more so a big “what if” than anything else. It was fun to imagine as I walked through those palaces what it must have been like when it was lived in. The dinners, the entertaining performances, the conferences of Muslim leaders from across Spain. I wish I could have a rare opportunity to go through the palaces alone and experienced the sounds and the silences and the balance of the spaces as they were intended.


This entry was posted on Monday, April 1st, 2019 at 3:37 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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