The Alhambra (NA) - Hardcover

Irwin, R

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0674015681 ISBN 13: 9780674015685

Publisher: Harvard University Press, 2008

Synopsis

Read the Bldg Blog interview with Mary Beard about the Wonders of the World series(Part I and Part II)

The Alhambra has long been a byword for exotic and melancholy beauty. In his absorbing new book, Robert Irwin, Arabist and novelist, examines its history and allure.

The Alhambra is the only Muslim palace to have survived since the Middle Ages. Built by a threatened dynasty of Muslim Spain, it was preserved as a monument to the triumph of Christianity. Every day thousands of tourists enter this magnificent site to be awestruck by its towers and courts, its fountained gardens, its honeycombed ceilings and intricate tile work. It is a complex full of mysteries--even its purpose is unclear. Its sophisticated ornamentation is not indiscriminate but full of hidden meaning. Its most impressive buildings were designed not by architects, but by philosophers and poets. The Alhambra, which resembles a fairy-tale palace, was constructed by slave labor in an era of economic decline, plague, and political violence. Its sumptuously appointed halls have lain witness to murder and mayhem. Yet its influence on art and on literature--including Orientalist painting and the architecture of cinemas, Washington Irving and Jorge Luis Borges--has been lasting and significant. As our guide to this architectural masterpiece, Robert Irwin allows us to fully understand the impact of the Alhambra.

About this title

Review

This highly readable study provides both a welcome demystification and a fascinating reinterpretation (The Scotsman)

For those who know his work, it will confirm his genius and to others it will act as an excellent introduction (Observer)

Fascinating (Malise Ruthven Sunday Times)

A lively, yet clear-headed introduction encouraging a more thoughtful and critical approach to the monument (Literary Review)

Irwin's book is both a perfect introduction to the place and a first-rate account of its history (Guardian)

He brings the majestic ruins to life' (Newsweek)

This book captures and conveys the mysterious attractions of the Alhambra (Doris Lessing)

It is ... greatly to Robert Irwin's credit that he has written a book on the subject that is sensible, scholarly, astringent and witty. It is a fine addition to what promises to be an outstanding series on the world's great monuments. (Sunday Telegraph)

Entrancing ... an excellent guide, full of fascinating characters and juicy anecdotes ... Having been to the Alhambra many times, after reading this wonderful book I wished to go back - and see it for the first time. (Susha Guppy Independent)

About the Author

Robert Irwin lives in London. His fiction includes The Arabian Nightmare (1983) and Exquisite Corpse (1995). His many books and articles on Islamic subjects include The Arabian Nights: A Companion (1994) and Islamic Art (1997).

Edition details

• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0674015681
• ISBN 13: 9780674015685
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224