Plaza de los Aljibes and Alcazaba Entrance
The structure shown in the image is the east-facing facade of the wall on the eastern part of the Alcazaba, a part of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. This wall has a small door in the middle used by visitors to enter the fortress. Above the entrance is the Torre Quebrada, also known as the Broken Tower, and to its right is the Torre del Homenaje, also known as the Keep. These are two of the three original towers constructed as part of the first fortress built in the 1200s by Mohammed I, the founder of the Nasrid dynasty. Note: The third tower is Torre de la Vela.
The open space in front of the eastern wall is known as the Plaza de los Aljibes (Plaza of the Cisterns) because of the cisterns that existed in this space. They were built by the Christian kings soon after they took over the Alhambra. When they were no longer useful, public space was created by filling them up and planting trees and bushes around it. As you can see from the image, the open space in front of the Alcazaba wall is full of people who are sitting and relaxing.
The Plaza de los Aljibes has also been a venue for numerous cultural events. A plaque written in Spanish embedded on the exterior of the eastern rampart lists the important events that took place in the Plaza de los Aljibes.
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 – Nasrid City
— Alhambra – Christian-Era Monuments
— Alhambra – Outer Monuments
– Generalife – Heavenly Gardens of the Nasrids
Copyright © 2020 by Lawrence Rodrigues. All rights reserved.