Between 711 and 1492, much of the Iberian Peninsula, including modern-day Spain, was under Muslim control. After the fall of Toledo in 1085, it was not easy to maintain the location for that long. Al Andalusthe territory continued to lose cities for centuries afterward. Cordoba and Seville were reconquered almost in quick succession in 1236 and 1248, respectively. The initial invasion of the city can be seen animated in the opening scene of the film. Primal Space video above. “Muslim cities all over the country were being conquered and taken over by Christians,” he said. Related articles about Primal Nebula. “But in these circumstances, there was one city that was not conquered: Granada.”
“Thanks to its strategic location and huge facilities, alhambra palacethe city was protected,” and the Alhambra remains there today. “A 13th-century palace complex that is one of the world’s most iconic examples of Moorish architecture.” Esme Fox of BBC.com writes:it’s also a groundbreaking feat of engineering, boasting “one of the most sophisticated hydropower networks in the world, able to defy gravity and pump water from rivers almost a kilometer below.”
The jewel in the crown of these elaborate aqueducts is a white marble fountain “consisting of a large saucer supported by twelve white mythical lions, each beast spouting water from its mouth. , which feeds the four channels in the marble floor of the patio, representing the four rivers of paradise, which flow throughout the palace and cool the rooms.”
of Fuente de los Leones You can also tell the time. Now the number of lions indicates the time. This works thanks to an ingenious design that is explained both verbally and visually in the video. Anyone who visits the Alhambra today can admire this and other examples of medieval luxury, but any traveler with an engineer’s temperament will wonder how the palace’s builders got there in the first place. You will further understand what supplied the water. “The hill was about 200 meters above Granada’s main river,” says the narrator. This involved an ambitious project of damming and diversion, not to mention a pool above the palace designed to keep the entire hydraulic system pressurized. The Alhambra’s hot baths and well-irrigated gardens represent the height of Moorish civilization’s luxury, but beneath all the extravagance, then and now, lies an astonishing feat of technology. It also reminds me.
Related content:
How did Roman aqueducts work?: Explaining the most impressive achievements of ancient Roman infrastructure
The amazing engineering that made Venice: How the city was built on water
How toilets worked in ancient Rome and medieval England
The amazing engineering of the Roman baths
13th century cookbook with 475 Moorish Spanish recipes published in new translation
Historic Spain seen in a time-lapse film
Based in Seoul, Colin Mbemust write and broadcastIt’s about cities, languages and cultures. His projects include the Substack newsletter books about cities and a book Stateless City: A Stroll Through Los Angeles in the 21st Century. Follow him on the social network formerly known as Twitter. @Colinbemust.
Source: Open Culture – www.openculture.com
