Tiles of the Alhambra

I won’t attempt a fully researched post here as I’m on the road, digesting as much as I can after a full day walking around the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. I will just attach a few images of the ceramic tile work that I’ve seen. Just gorgeous.

The tile work is amazing, of course. But really what stands out is how well the builders integrated all elements of this place: tile, carvings, woodwork, bricks, colored stones, etc. On a bigger scale, the disparate buildings and architectural elements are intertwined with gardens. Individual elements are united into a whole.

One might even say the garden setting is the dominant theme, incorporating space, plants, water and light in ever-changing variations. Buildings wind within that overall garden environment, and components of the buildings (stone, brick, tile, wood, etc) wind across the building structures. Reflections of architecture in pools of water also add to the unifying effects. It is engrossing.