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The onter walls inclose a large area, surround-
ing the inner walls; and a number of tanks or
cisterns occupy the space between these and the
Moorish palace,xe2x80x94a congeries of buildings chief-
ly remarkable for their interior decorations. The
chambers are all paved with marble, and orna-
mented with marble pillars, sustaining arches of
pure Arabic form : they are adorned with stucco,
and with a species of porcelain which freshly re-
tains its gilding after a lapse of 5 centuries. The
Court of the Lions, so called from the sculptures
which adorn its fountain, has no fewer than 158
marble pillars.
The hall of the Abencerrages is so called from
the massacre of that illustrious tribe, said to have
been here perpetrated by Boabdil the last king of
Granada. They were the objects of envy to the
Zegris and the Gomeles, by whom they were
falsely accused of treason to the king; and one
of them was charged with illicit intercourse with
the queen. In consequence of this charge, the
monarch beheaded 86 of the Abencerrages (or,
according to some statements. 35) in one day.
The sultana committed her defence to 4 Christian
knights, her champions, who each overcame the
accuser with whom he fought, and vindicated both
her character and that of the noble family which
had been slaughtered. The common people fancy
that in the alabaster bason, which is in the centre
of the apartment, they can discern traces of fhe
blood of those brave men ; but the unanimous
opinion of enlightened travellers is, that these
ensanguined stains are nothing more than the
effects of time and exposure to he air.
This hall appears to have been a central saloon,
communicating with the other apartments of the
palace. Every possible variety of combination
which could be devised by ingenuity, was employ-
ed to decorate the wall and ceiling, and the style
of execution is the most exquisite that can be
conceived. The lines regularly cross each other
in a thousand forms,and after manifold windings
return to the spot whence they begin.
The ceiling is equally extraordinary and worthy
of admiration ; it represents a series of grottoes
from which depend stalactites, painted of various
colours.
The Golden Saloon, so termed by the Arabs
from the profusion of gold ornaments which it
contained, was appropriated to the reception of
ambassadors, from which circumstance the Span-
iards have designated it La Sala de los embaxado-
res. It is situated in the lofty tower called the
Comaresli; is 36 feet square, and 64 feet 4 inches
high, from the floor to the highest part ofthe ceil-
ino1. The walls are, on three sides, fifteen inches
thick, and on the fourth side nine. The lower
range of windows is thirteen feet in height. The
grand entrance to this noble ball is through an
arched doorway, admirably finished, and embel-
lished with flowers and arabesques in stucco :
they were blue and gold, but the gilding is now
almost entirely effaced. Over the principal door
is an Arabic inscription, which appears to have
een executed in a style corresponding to the rest
f the edifice : it is taken, with the exception of
ts concluding sentence, from the Koran. On en-
tering the Hall of Ambassadors, the beholder is
lost in astonishment at the exquisite taste and ele-
gance of execution which characterise every
part of it; and if thus superb, even in its pre-
sent deserted state, observes Mr. Murphy, how
resplendent must this golden saloon have been,
when the sovereign, arrayed in all the pomp of
oriental magnificence, assembled his brilliant court
to give audience to the representatives of neigh-
bouring monarchs !
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The whole floor is inlaid with mosaic. The
same kind of ornament, but of different^patterns,
covers every part of the walls, interspersed with
flowers and Arabic inscriptions executed in por-
celain, with exquisite taste, so as to unite and
harmonise exactly with the stucco ornaments
that every where abound.
The most remarkable part of the Alhambra,
for exterior beauty, is the palace begun by the
emperor Charles V. in 1537, when he had hoped
to fix his court at Granada : it is a square build-
ing, each front being 220 feet in length ; and
though it is roofless, so mild is the climaie, that
the marble staircases appear as fresh as if they
were just completed. Fine as the prospect is
from the Alhambra, a still finer is enjoyed from
the Generalife on the opposite hill, which was the
residence of the court during the heats of sum-
mer. The rooms are all floored with marble,
and have streams of pure water running through
them ; a luxury which the Spaniards of Granada,
in imitation of their Moorish ancestors, are fond of
introducing into their houses. Most of these
have fountains in the inner courts, with awnings
around them, where the inhabitants in hot weath-
er take their repasts and receive visits. Granada
is an archiepiscopal see : it has an university, now
dwindled into insignificance ; forty-one convents,
various churches, thirteen hospitals, many re-
mains of Moorish magnificence, and a bazar
called Alcanteria. Its rich territory bears, in
perfection, all the products peculiar to the south
of Europe. In the stately cathedral are the
tombs of Ferdinand the Catholic and his queen
Isabella; also that of the renowned warrior
Gonsalvo de Cordova. Granada is in lat. 37. 15
N., long. 3. 35. AV.
Granada, New, an extensive territory of South
America, whic . comprised all tbe western part
of the new republic of Colombia from the great
river Maranon, or Amazons, to the Caribbean
Sea; this part of the western hemisphere was
first explored by' Ojeda and Amerigo Vespucci,
in 1508, and became completely subdued to Span-
ish rule under a captain general, in 1547. In
1718 it was formed into a viceroyalty; restored
to a captain generalship in 1724; but in 1740, the
viceroyalty was re-established and continued un-
til 1816. In December 1819, an union was ef-
fected with Venezulea into one republic, under the
name of Colombia, (which see).
Granard, a neat town of Ireland, in the county
of Longford, 16 m. E. N. E. of Longford. Pop
in 1820, 2,534.
Granby, a township of Essex Co. Vt. Pop. 97
Also a p.t. Hampshire Co. Mass. Pop. 1,064.
Also a p.t. Hartford Co. Conn. Pop. 2,730. Also
a p.t. Oswego Co. N. Y. Pop. 1,423. Also a vil-
lage in Lexington District South Carolina, seat-
ed on the Congaree, on the contrary side to Co-
lumbia, about a m. below that city. It is noted
for a curious bridge, whose centre arch is 100
feet wide, to give passage for large trees which
are brought down by the floods.
Grand Island, in Niagara River, N. Y. is about
6 m. long and 3 broad. It has a good soil and is
generally covered with trees.
Grand Isle, a county of Vermont consisting
mostly of the islands in Lake Champlain, Pop
3,698. North Hero is the capital. There is a vU
lage of the same name in this county. | |
