El Mexuar - The Nasrid Palaces I

02-03-2018 Events Alhambra

The palace of Mexuar is the most primitive of the complex

The Nasrid Palaces, the Dar al-Mamlaka, are the set of different palaces or royal houses built in the Nasrid period by the most important sultans of fourteenth century. Although they are together they were built at different times and today they are the result of the evolution of time itself.

There are three: the Mexuar, Comares and Leones.

Our guided visit to the Alhambra includes the most outstanding part of the monumental complex: the PALACIOS NAZARÍES (NASRID PALACES)

For conservation reasons, they are very limited in terms of visitors who are lucky enough to visit them. With the help of LCT Europe, with our guided visit to the Alhambra and the Generalife, you will be able to get to know them in detail.

The palace of Mexuar is the most primitive of the complex, ordered to be built by Ismail I (1315-1325). The palace consists of two large courtyards, the one of the mosque and the one of Machuca (both in ruins), the Sala del Mexuar adapted by the grandson of Ismail I, Muhammad V and integrated into his palatine project has reached our days very modified after its conversion into a Christian chapel in the 16th century. Also, part of the Mexuar is a prayer room and the patio and porch of the Cuarto Dorado. (Golden room)

The Mexuar room was very renovated after the Christian conquest and was modified not only in its structure but also in its decoration. The tiling and plasterwork coexist with a balustrade of the choir of the XVI, ceramic plates with imperial symbols or a small pile of holy water. In this room, a beautiful oratory is kept, with windows open towards the Albaicín, where the mihrab stands out with a very delicate decoration with plasterwork.

GOLDEN ROOM

In the courtyard of the Mexuar, behind a portico with three arches, we find the golden room. Just like the previous room it presents decorations after the reconquest. In fact, the name by which the room is known comes from the painted wooden ceiling and gold leaf that is due to the Christian era. We can even easily find the symbols and coat of the Catholic Monarchs.

THE COURTYARD

As in each one of the Nasrid palaces and repeating the model of the typically Hispanic-Muslim house, the patio is the heart of the enclosure. In the patio of the Mexuar the water flows from a beautiful central fountain, where the water becomes a decorative element more than the whole, together with the tiling and plasterwork. Presiding over the patio we find the imposing presence of the Comares Palace Façade, where the plaster decorations and the tiling lead our gaze to the sky to discover one of the most beautiful carpentry works of the Alhambra: the wooden eaves on the entrance doors to the palace of Comares.

Do not miss the chance to enjoy a guided tour of the Alhambra and make sure your visit includes the entrance to the Nasrid palaces so you can see all these places of interest.