The Pavilions at the Alhambra’s Court of the Lions: Graphic Analysis of Muqarnas

Abstract

This research documents and graphically analyzes the pavilions muqarnas at the Court of the Lions in the Alhambra in Granada, a World Heritage Site. In order to cast some light on the understanding and preservation of these 14th century architectural elements, after a brief report of historical data on catastrophes and restorations, a novel methodology for the case study based on three complementary graphic analyses is presented here: First, there is a review of outstanding images ranging from the 17th to the 20th centuries; subsequently, new CAD (computer-aided design) drawings from pavilions muqarnas testing the theoretic principles from their geometric grouping are accomplished for the first time; and finally, a 3D laser scanner is used to understand the precise present-day state from the point cloud obtained. Comparing drawings allows us to assess the muqarnas relevance while proving, for the first time, that the muqarnas of both pavilions have distinct configurations and different amounts of pieces. Besides, this process reveals geometric deformations existing in the original Nasrid muqarnas compositions, identifying small pieces hitherto unknown, plus additional deformations resulting from adjustments after important threats that both pavilions and their muqarnas overcame for centuries, despite their fragile construction.

Photogrammetric state of degradation assessment of decorative claddings: the plasterwork of the Maidens' Courtyard (The Royal Alcazar of Seville)

“…1c). In recent decades, the use of 3D modelling in plasterworks for the study of muqarnas (Agirbas & Yildiz, 2020;Garofalo, 2010;Maarouf & Zeid, 2019;Schuldes & Winckler, 2005) and the pavilions of the Courtyard of the Lions in the Alhambra has been addressed in order to analyse the levelling of their plasterwork (Ferrer Pérez Blanco, Gámiz Gordo, & Reinoso Gordo, 2019;Gámiz Gordo, Ferrer Pérez Blanco, & Reinoso Gordo, 2020) and get photogrammetric reconstruction (Karabörk, Karasaka, & Yaldız, 2015). As far as the RAS is concerned the new heritage digitization techniques have made it possible to carry out a virtual visit of the complex, based on data obtained from a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) (360º Virtual Tour, 2022), and from the reconstruction hypotheses of the different buildings (Almagro Gorbea, 2007), as well as the models of small decorative elements in plaster obtained by photogrammetry (Torres-González et al, 2022).…”

A Deformed Muqarnas Dome at the Sala de los Reyes in the Alhambra: Graphic Analysis of Architectural Heritage

“…The aforementioned two earthquakes, explosions, and many roofs restorations affected the south dome of the Sala de los Reyes. Today, it shows important deformations, as well as the muqarnas in the Sala de la Barca [64] or in the Patio de los Leones pavilions [65].…”

Graphic Engineering in the Sustainable Preservation of the Municipal Heritage of Montilla (Cordoba, Spain) from the 18th Century: Master Builder Vicente López Cardera in Montilla

“…Andalusia is a Spanish region with a wide cultural heritage, which is being additionally valued through its analysis, using a combination of history, architecture, and the application of new technologies. In this context, important works should be highlighted, such as the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba [30,31], the Alhambra palace of Granada [32,33], and other monuments that are part of an environment of great wealth. Their enhancement through these research works is an incentive for their conservation for tourism as one of the current important sources of economic development [23,[34][35][36][37][38][39][40].…”