Generalife

Generalife
Native name Arabic: جَنَّة الْعَرِيف‎
The Generalife viewed from the Alhambra
Location	Granada, Andalusia, Spain
Built	14th century
Governing body	Ministry of Culture

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name: Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, iii, iv
Designated	1984 (8th session) 1994 (18th session – Extension)
Reference no.	314
Region	Europe

The Palacio de Generalife (Spanish pronunciation: [xe.ne.ɾa.ˈli.fe]; Arabic: جَنَّة الْعَرِيف‎ Jannat al-‘Arīf, literally, "Architect's Garden") was the summer palace and country estate of the Nasrid Emirs (Kings) of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus, now beside the city of Granada in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain.

History

The palace and gardens were built during the reign of Muhammad III (1302–1309) and redecorated shortly after by Abu I-Walid Isma'il (1313–1324).

The Court of la Acequia.

View of the Court del ciprés de la sultana.

Design

The complex consists of the Patio de la Acequia (Court of the Water Channel or Water-Garden Courtyard), which has a long pool framed by flowerbeds, fountains, colonnades and pavilions, and the Jardím de la Sultana (Sultana's Garden or Courtyard of the Cypress). The former is thought to best preserve the style of the medieval Persian garden in Al-Andalus.

Originally the palace was linked to the Alhambra by a covered walkway across the ravine that now divides them. The Generalife is one of the oldest surviving Moorish gardens.^[1]

20th century

The present-day gardens were started in 1931 and completed by Francisco Prieto Moreno in 1951. The walkways are paved in traditional Granadian style with a mosaic of pebbles: white ones from the River Darro and black ones from the River Genil.^[2]

The Generalife is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Granada, along with the Alhambra palace and gardens, and the Albayzín district.

References

↑ Burton, Rosemary and Cavendish, Richard (2003). Wonders of the World: 100 Great Man-Made Treasures of Civilization. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., ISBN 1-58663-751-7, p.27.
↑ Núñez, J. Agustín (Ed.). (2002). Muslim and Christian Granada. Edilux. ISBN 84-95856-07-7.

A window of the Generalife
Splash from fountains evaporating off stone cools the air

There is an imitation of part of the Generalife at Roundhay Park in Leeds, UK.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Generalife.

Alhambra and Generalife Official Site
Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada
Museum With No Frontiers
BBC Picture Gallery
Generalife plan

World Heritage Sites in Spain

For official site names, see each article or the List of World Heritage Sites in Spain.

North West	Caves of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain¹ Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias Roman walls of Lugo Route of Santiago de Compostela¹ Santiago de Compostela Tower of Hercules

North East	Caves of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain¹ Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon Pirineos - Monte Perdido² Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin¹ Route of Santiago de Compostela¹ San Millán Yuso and Suso Monasteries Vizcaya Bridge

Community of Madrid	Aranjuez Cultural Landscape El Escorial University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares

Centre	Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida Archaeological Site of Atapuerca Ávila with its Extra-mural Churches Burgos Cathedral Cáceres Cuenca Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija³ Las Médulas Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin¹ Route of Santiago de Compostela¹ Salamanca Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe Segovia and its Aqueduct Toledo Prehistoric Rock-Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde⁴

East	Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco, Tarragona Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí Ibiza (Biodiversity and Culture) Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona Palmeral of Elche Poblet Monastery Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin¹ Serra de Tramuntana Silk Exchange in Valencia Works of Antoni Gaudí

South	Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada Cathedral, Alcázar and General Archive of the Indies, Seville Historic Centre of Córdoba Doñana Renaissance Monuments of Úbeda and Baeza Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin¹

Canary Islands	Garajonay San Cristóbal de La Laguna Teide National Park

¹ Shared with other region/s ² Shared with France ³ Shared with Slovenia ⁴ Shared with Portugal

Coordinates: 37°10′37″N 3°35′07″W / 37.17694°N 3.58528°W / 37.17694; -3.58528

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 139023420 LCCN: sh94000004 GND: 4196241-2

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