The Alhambra

Contemporary Review, August, 2004

The Alhambra. Robert Irwin. Profile Books. [pounds sterling]15.99. vii 214 pages. ISBN 1-86197-412-4. The Alhambra, as Mr Irwin reminds readers, is 'the finest example of a mediaeval Muslim palace' in Western Europe and the only such building to survive from the Middle Ages. Built in the fourteenth century, it was one of the outstanding structures erected during the 700 years of Mohammedan rule in what is now Spain.

In this study the author describes the arrangement of the vast collection of buildings which overlook Granada and how they have changed over the centuries. He then discusses the historic background to the Alhambra's construction and the reasons for its erection. His third chapter examines the contributions of workmen, mathematicians and philosophers to the buildings' designs whilst the fourth and last chapter discusses the life and influence of the building, once Granada became part of Christendom. There is an Afterword which advises readers how and when they should visit the Alhambra. The book therefore is something of a cross between an architectural survey and a social history with elements of a guide book thrown in for good measure, and it is all the better for the combination. (R.T.G.)