Now, read the text and look at the table each time you hear a word in green. A modern agricultural system became central to economic life. The introduction of new crops (sugar cane, rice, citrus fruit, apricots, cotton, aubergines and saffron) and extensive irrigation, transformed private farming into a new global industry exported everywhere. During the ninth and tenth centuries new Persian agricultural techniques were introduced, old irrigation systems restored, and new ones developed. Industrial water mills (see picture) were built in Al Andalus between the 11th and 13th centuries. East Mediterranean fruits, as well as grain, olives, and rice, were important crops. Productivity, at least in the irrigated valleys and huertas of parts of the south and east, was apparently higher than in western Europe. The real strength of Al Andalus lay in its cities, with their productive economies, skilled labor, technological development, and learning. They excelled in the production of silk and other textiles, ceramics, leather work, armaments, and some types of fine steelwork. Al Andalus had proportionately more artisans in its cities than any other part of western Europe at that time. Commerce flourished. 5. Think What were the main characteristics of the economy of Al Andalus? 24
A WALK THROUGH QURTABA 5 put in modified quartz important example The Great Mosque of Cordova today is a Roman Catholic Cathedral. Originally it was built as a mosque on the location (and partly using materials) of a Christian Visigothic Church, but it was turned into a church, with a Gothic cathedral inserted in the center of the large Moorish building after 1236. The building was begun in approximately AD 600 as the Christian Visigothic church of St. Vincent. Later the Emir Abd ar-rahman I bought the church, and it was reworked over two centuries. The building is notable for its giant arches, with columns of jasper, marble and granite. These were made from pieces of the Roman temple which had occupied the site previously, as well as other destroyed Roman buildings. The double arches, were a new introduction to architecture, and supported the high ceiling. The double arches consist of a lower horseshoe arch and an upper semi-circular arch. The mihrab is a masterpiece of architectural art, with geometric, calligraphic and flowing designs of plants. In Cordova, the capital of Al- Andalus, the Great Mosque was the heart of the capital. 5 Arabic name for Cordova 27
The main hall of the mosque was used for several purposes: as a central hall for teaching and to manage law and order. The prayer hall was large and flat with timber ceilings. The walls of the mosque had Quranic inscriptions written on them. Its main characteristics are : an open court (Orange tree courtyard), colourful mosaics, and windows of coloured glass. The mosque itself was built in four stages, because each Caliph contributed to it. It is seen as a landmark of Islamic architecture. 2. Check if you understood the above, answer these questions: 28 Was the Mosque built with recycled materials? What was the Mosque s main architectural innovation? Why was the Mosque so important? What are its main characteristics? Was it built at once? Why? Is it true that over the years people from different religions have prayed in the same site but at different times?
A WALK THROUGH GHARNATA6 a fortified defensive structure The Alhambra (Arabic: Al-amra, literally the red fortress ), a palatine city: palaces, fortress and citadel (alcazaba), constructed during the mid 14th century by the Moorish rulers of the Kingdom of Granada in Al-Andalus, occupying the top of the hill of Sabika on the southeastern border of the city of Granada. The literal translation of Alhambra, reflects the color of the red clay of the surroundings of which the fort is made. The buildings of the Alhambra were originally whitewashed; however, the buildings seen today are reddish. The Alhambra did not have a master plan for the total site as it is a result of many construction phases. The Alhambra s alcazaba is a strongly fortified position, enclosed by a wall, with thirteen towers, some defensive and some providing vistas for the inhabitants. The Alcazaba housed the guards and their families. 6 Arabic name for Granada. 29
The palatial zone consisted of several palaces. The palaces had the same structure as normal houses did, only they were bigger and more richly decorated. The palaces had balconies, courts, gardens and alleys in a setting in which vegetation and water played an essential role. The palace buildings are quadrangular, with all the rooms opening on to a central court. Each palace included its own baths and small oratories, which the residents used for their daily mandatory prays. Columns, muqarnas and stalactite-like ceiling decorations a peared in the interiors of palaces. Calligraphy, vegetal and geometrical patterns in arabesques and painted tiles are largely used as panelling for the walls. The Alhambra is made up of gardens, fountains, streams, and a mosque. It was designed to reflect the very beauty of Paradise itself, even though the exterior was left plain and austere. 30
4. Read - TRUE or FALSE? Use a link from the list below. a. The Alhambra was the Great Mosque in Granada. b. The Alhambra has an irrigation system composed of acequias for the gardens. c. Water was consider a luxury item then. d. The Alhambra was built using rich materials. e. The Alhambra is paved with coloured tiles. f. The Alhambra was discovered in the 19th century by European scholars and travelers. g. The Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. h. The Alhambra was surrounded by olive trees in the past. i. Courtyards are shaded by a variety of trees and cooled by fountains and channels. j. Tesellation inspired Escher s work. k. The Alhambra inspired Washington Irving s Tales. Escher s work Look at the list of resources and pick ONE which you think will help you to answer the questions. You must be able to justify your decision: www.alhambra-patronato.es www.alhambra.org www.cervezasalhambra.es www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/alhambra www.alhambrasl.com: www.alhambraint.com: 5. In turns, describe the following pictures to your partner. He/she must guess from the list which one you are talking about. Don t show your partner the picture they must guess. The following vocabulary and structures might be useful. Try www.diccionariovisual.net, if you need it. 31
VOCABULARY stalactite vaulting marble fortress-like stone tower whitewashed floor plan timber richness symmetry facade depiction carved interlacing massive worship ceiling vault horse-shoe arch STRUCTURES It is a building mosque... palace...which detail in a... It is made of stone wood It was built in...(where?) It was built in...(when?) in the X th century It s small big massive It is a sculpture painting an architecture It depicted... It has X parts, that are... It was used for... used as... It has a rich austere decoration Take notes, when your partner is describing each picture: Picture 1: Picture 2: Picture 3: Picture 4: 32
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STUDENT A: VOCABULARY stalactite vaulting marble fortress-like stone tower whitewashed floor plan timber richness symmetry facade depiction carved interlacing massive worship ceiling vault horse-shoe arch STRUCTURES It is a building mosque... palace...which detail in a... It is made of stone wood It was built in...(where?) It was built in...(when?) in the X th century It s small big massive It is a sculpture painting an architecture It depicted... It has X parts, that are... It was used for... used as... It has a rich austere decoration 34
STUDENT B: VOCABULARY stalactite vaulting marble fortress-like stone tower whitewashed floor plan timber richness symmetry facade depiction carved interlacing massive worship ceiling vault horse-shoe arch STRUCTURES It is a building mosque... palace...which detail in a... It is made of stone wood It was built in...(where?) It was built in...(when?) in the X th century It s small big massive It is a sculpture painting an architecture It depicted... It has X parts, that are... It was used for... used as... It has a rich austere decoration 35
6. Finally, using the pattern we studied in the previous unit, analyze one or two pictures that you have chosen from the list. I. Description If it is architecture you should focus on: 1. Type of building: Is it a palace, a mosque...? Is it the whole building or just a detail, some part of it? 2. Function: Why was it built? What was it for? 3. Materials: What was it made of? Stone, plaster, wood? 4. What supporting (walls, pillars, columns) and supported elements (arches, vaults, domes) can you see? What are they like? 5. What type of roof sustains the building? Is there any vault, dome, flat roof? 6. What is the decoration like? Can you tell anything about type, theme, location...is the ornamention simple or not? If it is a sculpture you should focus on: 1. Type: round, relief... 2. Theme: What is represented? 3. Material: stone, wood, clay, bronze... 4. Technique: carving, modelling... 5. Meaning: 6. Location: Where is the sculpture? If it is a painting you should focus on: 1. Theme: 2. Medium: fresco, tempera, watercolors, pastels, oils, pastel, wax, collage, engraving... 3. Support: wall, table linen... 4. Perspective 5. Line, light, color 36
II. Data (if known): Style School or period Author Title III. Discuss Relationship with the cultural context Importance in the total production of the artist. Significance in the history of art. You don t need to answer all these questions. Art is not to fulfill long questionaries and label works of art. Art is to enjoy and get to know the intentions behind an artist s creation. This pattern can help you to focus on important details. Session 5: PAST STILL RESOUNDS. LEGACIES OF AL ANDALUS Caliph Abd-ar-Rahman III had collected libraries of books and granted patronage to scholars of medicine and other sciences. Later, Al-Hakam II built a university and libraries in Cordova, which became one of the world s leading centres of medicine and philosophical debate. However, when Al-Hakam s son Hisham II took over, real power was ceded to Al-Mansur, a distinctly religious man whose disapproval of the sciences of astronomy and logic, meant that many books which had been preserved and collected at great expense were burned publicly. However, their legacy didn t go with them... Nowadays there are still several words in our language with an Arabic root. For example: Guadalquivir, derived from al-wadi al-kabir or Great River, in Arabic You can click on: www.juntadeandalucia.es/averroes/ies_boabdil/departamentos/vocab-arabe.htm There are some other Muslim legacies that we are going to focus on. 37
In groups of six, complete this table individually: Influence 1: Influence 2: Influence 3: Influence 4: Influence 5: Influence 6: Each member of the group has a clue, and the rest should guess the influence/ heritage/legacy from Al Andalus. In turns, ask your partners questions. You cannot say the word/s in red as it is forbidden! If you say the forbidden word/s in red, you will be fined and out of the game. PROJECT GOING FOR A WALK In groups of four or five, you are going to go for a walk in your city. You should bring your camera, but taking pictures is not allowed everywhere. You should ask for permission in advance. You can visit the City Museum in order to see the most important remains of our Muslim past in your town. Afterwards you will have to show the pictures to the whole class and talk about them. The pattern we use for analyzing artworks can be also useful for you this time. Give your visual catalogue a title. Your classmates will be divided in groups of four. Each one has to focus on one of the following aspects of the presentation and take notes, to suggest areas for improvement: 38
OVERVIEW 1. After studying this unit, complete: a is the Arabic name for the Iberian Peninsula under Muslim occupation. The history of Al Andalus dates from b, when Tariq s troops landed in the peninsula, to c, when the Catholic Monarchs defeated the Kingdom of Granada. The history of Al Andalus can be divided in four main periods: the dependent Emirate (from d to ): the Emirate of Cordova (from e to ): the Caliphate of Cordova (from f to ): the Taifa kingdoms (from g to ): Over the next centuries, Al Andalus became a province of the northern African h (Almoravids, Almohads and Marinids) fragmented into a number of minor states, most notably the i of. The maximum political and religious authority was the j. Abd-al-Rahman III, proclaimed himself independent Caliph, competing with Baghdad. The society of Al Andalus was made up of k main groups: Christians, Muslims and Jews. Each group inhabited a different l in the cities. The economy was rich and flourishing, focused on m, where craftmanship was specially developed. New techniques, irrigation and new n were introduced in the countryside. Historians consider the period from early 8th century to late 12th century, as the o. Al Andalus was the center of islamic civilization, while the rest of Europe was in the Dark Ages. p was the capital of the empire, and one of the most populated and important cities in the West. It was also an important q centre. Philisophers, scientist, musicians and poets lived in the city. Several beautiful buildings remain in Andalusia as good samples of Islamic art in the peninsula. There are some r from Al Andalus still alive in our culture: Vocabulary Arabic numerals Music Chess Gazpacho Anyone who goes for a walk in Andalusian cities can still find Islamic s. 40