Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-03-09
Special Correspondence,

Special Correspondence
February 5.-surely you would not
dream Of spending less than a month
in Grenada, "a year would be better,
and of passing some hours Of every day
in the palace of its former kings. 1t
requires many visits to understand the
Alhambra. At first you are dazed with
It's wonders and possessed with a
strange feeling Of living a fairy tale, or
walking In dream Familiarity dulls
this impression, but II never quite fades
from the mind and no lhatter now
long one fingers here, one can never
trutbfnuy saw that he has had enough
M the Aihambra. Monotony Is impos-
sible amid such scenes OF beauty, 70
,vblch every hour Of day and night
lends It's own especial charm III pe9ullar
effects Of light and shade IN oruef 10
avoid nccssant persecution from toops
Of greedy guides that lnfest lhe en-.
trance. It Is well TO arm yonrseil az
the beginning with an order from the
governor per estudlare. What lheIe
Is about this bit Of paper when pro-
duces such magic effect, ! 30 not KNOW
but you have only to silently eNhlDlt II,
and the repaCous swarm meits u"uy
without a protest. Above an tnlnss'
do not fail to visit the Court OF LIONS
the eliminating point Of the beauties OF
the Alhambra moonlight Ihen
that most perfect Moorish work IN ex-
istence, renowned in ballad ana chronl-
Gle for centurIes-seems TO expand III
size, and looks as If wrought IN pur-
nlshed silver disnguring modern
changes are yelled In merclful shadow.
and the faultless ideal of the
ARABIAN PALACE
comes forth In all It's original splendor
No other room in the world has been
30 many times drawn and painted ana
photographed. from every point Of view
so often MISUNDERSTANDING,
artlstically, rhetorically and hysterleal-
ly: and yet no adequate idea mas ever
been given Of It's exquisite elegance ana
perfect harmony Again and again you
read that the court Is oblong In shape,
i2s feet long by 1S wide, surrounded
by galleries supported upon hundreds
OF slender white marble columns, WIN
two square, projecting pavilions, ela-
borately ornamented and rooted WIN
domes All this does not sound so very
remarkable, and 1t gives no remotest
hint OF the lndescrlbable elegance
and fantastic beauty OF the ARABIAN
architecture; the wonderful lightness Oh
tho arcades OF lace-work all agree, that
seem 20 float In the air, the stalacule
pendants OF the domes, blazing with
scarlet and gold; the strange eufic let.
ters and pious texts from the Koran az
every turn; the long colonnades,
through whiah slant the rays OF the
moon, or the southern sun, the jalous-
les carved In q maze OF caprlclous
forms the checkered floors, the gor-
geous tiles encrusting walls and pilas-
tiers all dazzling the eye with their
splendors: the unglassed windows, into
which birds and breezes, the fragrance
OF flowers and orange groves, have free
access. And II even now, after huna-
reds Of years. with ornaments cracked
and faded, stained with damp and de-
faced by
vANDAL TRAVELLERS,
these scenes can 30 enthrall the mind,
what were they In their days OF glory
when the gilded arcades were filled with
hours OF the harem? In spite Of black
eunuchs In sllken robes, jealousy guard
ing their charges with Jewel -hilted
scimeters, we read that the mischevious
bow who laughs at locksmiths was a:
his old tricks even there, and many a
light OF the harem stole forth to meet
her loyer--and to swift death for both
The celebrated fountain In the CEN
ter OF the court, supported by the
twelve lions from which the place de-
rives its name, still sheds It's crystal
streams. as in the days OF Boabdll. The
so-cnlled 'Uons." by the way-unlike
any beasts that ever walked the earth,
and looking like pre-Assyrian sculp-
turer-are not TO be regarded as WORKS
of art but merely az symbols or F,
strength and power, The Moslems, you
remember, were forbidden by the Koran
10 represent any living creature, and |
hey ala not violate the law In these.
The enormous basin Of purest alabaster |
by a smaller but equally |
beautiful basin. Is engraved all over
with a poem In honor OF the founder,
which runs I'm this complimentary FASH
ion: "Oh son " grandeur. prudence, !
wisdom, courage and generosity. who |
surpassest the height Of the stars in !,
the region OF the ARMAMENT Thou art |
raised 10 the horizon OF the empire, ike |
the sun, 70 Obstinate the shadows cre-
nted by oppression and injustice. Thou !
hast protected even the tenderest !
branches from the breath OF the hot T,
summer wind. and made the very stars |
10 tremble In the vault OF heaven
In a rectss near this fountain stands !
the much PHOTOGRAPHED Alhambra vase /
an immense affair. higher than n
mans head. cnamellcd in blue. white |
and gold-about which so many tradi- !
tlons cling. The peasantry regard II |
with
MYSTERIOUS REVERENCE,
and even the guides stand in awe Of II |
and hush their annoying chatter in It's |
Like many things in the Al
hambra IL IL supposed TO have lnu- |
mate connection with magic. one Of the
mildest legends Is 10 the effect that two |
~ these vases were filed to the brlm |
with gold dust to dcfTay the cost of |
building the palace. and sent here from /
in care Of GENT Somehow |
the magic "ave out In the long Journey !
ana one vase with its precious con- |
tents was lost in the sea. For this re-
the eeni were Imprisoned In |
the remaining vase for a certain num- |
Der OF centuries. Nobody knows the |
length OF their sentence, and 90 ~ Is not |
that any day they may |
come forth.
II you care 10 experience creepy |
Of superstitious terror 20 by
night from the court OF lions into the
adjoining Hall Of Abencerrages-so
named from the thirty OF forty gallant
cavaliers Of that illustrious line who
were per1diously murdered here Be
cause they were friends OF his father.
Boahdl celebrated his accession to the