El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-05

more widely famed than they were
when the city of Santa Fe was builded
in the Vega by Ferdinand and Isa-
bella as their permanent headquarters
while laying siege to the Moorish for
treSs.
The oldest part Of Granada, the AL
bacin, hill hard by the Alhambra,
which was once the seat Of the Moorish
aristocracy. is now bare Of all traces
of its former beauty and is occupied by
Gypsies who live in caves But the
Alhambra has lost none of its charm in
decay. and the viaducts by which the
Moslem kings brought a plentiful sup
ply Of crystal mountain water to their
palace still fill its fountains Many
of the arabesques have been restored
from time to time, and little of the in
terror decoration Of the ancient palace
is original construction but the work
of preservation has been well and
wisely done The verdure Of the courts
is kept at the standard of perfection
which made the palace so delightful in
summer during the days of It's first
tenancy and the music of running and
falling water is heard throughout the
stately halls and courts about which
cluster a thousand romantic traditions.
The XeniI and the Darrow, true Alpine
torrents, fed from SHOWS OF the Sierra
Nevada, towering above the Alhambra,
flow through gorges upon either side
of the palace, and the situation Is one
of unrivaled picturesqueness and
unique charm
JeweIer Built IT.
The A1hambra. although the best ex-
ample of Saracenic architecture in Eu-
rope Is not to be compared with the
Saracenic palaces builded In India by
the mogul emperors Akbar and shah
queror Tamerlane. The mogu1 palaces
at Delhi and Agra are marvels Of costly
and handsome construction, and the
Tai Mahal. the tomb built by shah
Jehan to his favorite wife is conceded
TO be the most marvelously beautiful
building in the world The costliest
materials were used by the Indian en-
perors, and the finest workmanship was
employed. 1t was said Of shah Jehan
that he built like titan and finished
like jeweler.
The Alhambra is Of simple red stone
and its interior decoration is of plas-
ter. There is nothing within the walls
Of the fortress to compare with the
Pearl Mosque" in Akbar's palace at
Delhi. and nothing to approach the Tai
Mahal with its perfect symmetry of
design and its flowers of precious
stones inlaid in white marble The
solid silver ceiling in the Hall OF Pub
lie Audience in the palace at Delhi
which is said to have cost $40, 00e, 0O0
would have paid for the construction
of the Alhambra seven times, and the
famous peacock throne would probably
have done the same 1t is not hand
some construction or richness of ma
terial that makes the Alhambra a more
interesting sight for the traveller,
and a more absorbing study for the his
torian, but the fact that it is the great
surviving landmark of the Mosleu en-
pire in western Europe. and the for
mer scene OF a court famed throughout
the then known world for its bril-
liancy and luxury.
Exterior L. Simple.
The Alhambra exterior IS as simple
and severe as any fortress of the
period IN which it was erected. The
interior IS conspicuous for light
graceful columns and the Saracenic
arches, which constitute the charac-
teristfc feature Of the ornamental
architecture OF the Mohammedans
from India. to Spain The building is
a series OF small palaces constructed
at various times and conforming to a
model. Each Of the courts is sur
rounded by rooms that open into II.
The courts, some of them ornamented
by orange trees and others by ever