Puerta del Vino (Wine Gate) – West Facade
Built during the reign of Muhammed III (1302 – 1309), the third ruler of the Nasrid dynasty, the Puerta del Vino (Wine Gate) is a gateway inside the walls of the Alhambra and served as the entrance to the city. Although it is one of the oldest buildings in the Alhambra, it did not undergo a lot of restoration. So, it still retains its original characteristics.
The Wine Gate has two similar facades, east facing, and west-facing. The decorations on these were updated during different periods. The image shows the west-facing facade, i.e., facing the Alcazaba. Check the east facade.
As you can see from the image, the door has a horseshoe shaped point arch. As with the other decorations in the Alhambra, mathematics plays a vital role in creating beautiful art in the decoration of the Wine Gate facade. The design of the facade is symmetrical about the vertical axis. The beam above the arch has several parallelogram-shaped bricks that are placed at regular intervals and slanted outwards.
The middle brick in this beam has the figure of a key engraved in it. It is an Islamic symbol whose meaning is not fully understood. It could mean that the key is a symbol of power that opens and closes the gates of heaven.
The panel above the beam has an inscription in Arabic, and above it is a balcony with twin windows.
Related Pages
– Puerta del Vino (Wine Gate) – East Facade
– Puerta de la Justicia (Gate of Justice)
Related Pages
Alhambra
– Palacios Nazaríes – Nasrid Palaces – A Shining Example of Moorish Art and Architecture
– Los Jardines del Partal – The Gardens of the Partal
– Alcazaba – A Formidable Fortress of the Nasrids
– Medina, the Bustling City
– Alhambra – Christian-Era Monuments
– Alhambra – Outer Monuments
Generalife – Heavenly Gardens of the Nasrids
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