El-Partal

By the Editors of the Madain Project

El-Partal, also known as the Palace of the Portico (Palacio del Pórtico) is the oldest surviving palatial structure from the Nasrid Period inside the Alhambra fortress complex, al-Andalus. Only surviving structure from the so-called Palacio del Partal (Partal Palace) it is known to have been built by the Nasrid ruler Muhammad III who ruled from 1302 to 1309 CE.

Overview

Today only the north portico and the Tower of the Ladies (Torre de las Damas) are partly preserved. These structures originally formed part of an enclosed rectangular courtyard rather than the open garden as it appears today. The Portico Palace (Palacio del Pórtico) is one of the original two porticoes which once were situated at either end of a large reflective pool. The north portico, today known as the Palacio del Pórtico, included a mirador (lookout) tower at one end which overlooked the city from the edge of the palace walls.

Both the arched façade of the external portico and the interior walls are carved or covered with intricate stucco decoration from the time of Muhammad III. Much of this decoration was originally painted with colours, though much of this has faded over time.

Architecture

circa 1305 CE

Palacio del Pórtico
The Palacio del Pórtico (literally meaning the Palace of the Portico), part of the partially preserved Partal Palace, consists mainly of the arched façade of the external portico and the interior walls, both adorned with intricate stucco decoration from the time of Muhammad III. Much of this decoration was originally painted, though much of the color has faded over time. The calligraphic inscriptions in the decoration include poems by Ibn al-Jayyab (d. 1349) dedicated to Muhammad III. Originally supported on brick pillars, these were replaced in the 20th century by slender marble columns. The palace retains its large reflecting pool in front of the portico. Behind the portico, a chamber projects northward, acting as a mirador with windows offering views of the city below. With its open portico and numerous windows, the palace is often considered the most "transparent" building in the Islamic architecture of al-Andalus.

circa 1305 CE

Torre de las Damas
Adjacent to the main Palacio del Pórtico is the Torre de las Damas (Tower of the Ladies), located to the left (or west) of the main portico and mirador. The Tower of the Ladies (Torre De Las Damas) is one of the two architectural elements that remains from the medieval era Nasrid residential-palace, structurally built as part of the main wall. The tower is built to the left of the main portico and mirador. The tower's top floor contains two chambers. One chamber originally featured a wooden cupola ceiling. The original wooden cupola ceiling inside the tower was dismantled and moved by its last private owner, Arthur von Gwinner, around the beginning of the 20th century CE. It is now preserved at the Museum für Islamische Kunst, the Islamic art section of the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany. The other chamber is topped by a small dome with muqarnas (mocárabes), the oldest muqarnas vault in the Alhambra.

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References

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