By: Ines Jordan-Zoob
Some of the most beautiful moments we had on our trip were within the magnificent Islamic gardens of the Alcázar in Córdoba, the Alcázar in Sevilla, and the Alhambra in Granada. Gardens are mention in the Qur’an as a means of representing paradise. The abundant presence of water and shade was very important to this paradise. Beyond faith, these gardens also conveyed the affluence and authority of the rulers they were built by. Finally, these gardens existed as feats of science and engineering, demonstrating irrigation capabilities and early hydraulic engineering, as well as botanical and agricultural variety and research.
Stepping into these gardens provided a sense of what life was like in Muslim Spain, functioning as a didactic tool to better understand the values and pleasures of Muslim society on the peninsula. The gardens are sprawling, containing a plethora of flora and fauna, and of course. many orange trees. Fountains are omnipresent, often with perfectly geometrical layouts. There are lots of courtyards and small pavilions that one could sit in.
The Gardens of the Alcázar in Córdoba are over 50,000 square meters, and they contain palm, cypress, orange, and lemon trees. The garden is organized on three levels: the upper garden, the middle garden, and the lower gardens. The so-called King’s walk is a central avenue through the gardens lined by perfectly trimmed cylindrical cypress trees. The water features are the focal point of the gardens, and there are circular, rectangular, and square fountains. Highly-organized and geometric, these gardens were a pleasure to walk through. We spent just under an hour taking the beauty in.
In the Gardens of the Alcázar in Sevilla, one can bear witness to the multitude of changes and extensions that took place as a result of changing political leadership. One of these changes were the transformation of the old Muslim palace wall into a loggia from which one can admire the view of the palace gardens. This change was undertaken by Italian landscaper Vermont Resta during the 16th century, under the reign of Philip II.
