Al-Andalus
Ambitious Rulers That Made Rivers Flow Up
How Alhambra rulers created a paradise on earth with an ancient water system that still astonishes engineers today
The water predicament that ruled in the late Moorish rule in al Andalus was not distinctive to Alhambra alone but was a more common, larger-scale complication stretching throughout the country.
As a general rule during the development of fortified structures and defensive architecture the choice of location brought with it a water dilemma.
The defensive positioning of a fortress favoured an elevated position, like in Alhambra, but the location brought with it one major problem, the challenge of access to fresh water. A key element is both in the construction of such a monument and in assuring the future survival of the ones inside it.
The Alhambra
Nestling in the impressive Andalusian mountain chain of Sierra Nevada sits a magnificent fortress, the Alhambra, or “the red palace”. It dominates the Granadian grasslands. This enormous monument, with its 37 gigantic…
