Reframing the Alhambra : architecture, poetry, textiles and court ceremonial

"The Nasrid builders of the Alhambra - the best-preserved medieval Muslim palatial city - were so exacting that some of their work could not be fully explained until the invention of fractal geometry. Their design principles have been obscured, however, by the loss of all archival material. This book resolves that impasse by investigating the neglected, interdisciplinary contexts of medieval poetics and optics and through comparative study of Islamic court ceremonials. This reframing enables the reconstruction of the underlying, integrated aesthetic, focusing on the harmonious interrelationship between diverse artistic media - architecture, poetry and textiles - in the experience of the beholder, resulting in a new understanding of the Alhambra."--Publisher's description REFRAMING THE ALHAMBRA 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Figures 7 Series Editor’s Foreword 13 Acknowledgements 14 Dedication 16 Introduction 18 1 Colour, Design and Medieval Optics 34 2 Addressing the Beholder: The Work of Poetic Inscriptions 89 3 Qalahurra of Yu−suf I: A Case Study of a Tower-palace 127 4 ‘Textile Architecture’ in the Cuarto Dorado 183 5 Integrating Aesthetic and Politics: The Mawlid Celebration in the Alhambra 245 Appendix 302 Bibliography 308 Illustration Acknowledgements 331 Index 333 This book investigates the neglected, interdisciplinary contexts of medieval poetics and optics and through comparative study of Islamic court ceremonials.