Still haven’t known the charms of Alhambra?
Definitely it is a must, if you live in Granada or you are passing through the city. Walking through the rooms, towers and corridors is a captivating experience and a delight for your senses. So, this time we bring you a legend sleeping in the walls of Alhambra, that you can remember when you visit the famous Hall of Abencerrajes.
According to the legend, this place was the scene of the murder of thirty gentlemen of the North African family Abencerrajes, a very important clan in the political life of the period (XV century). The beheading, ordered by Sultan Moulay Hacén (father of Boabdil), was motivated by jealousy. During a banquet in the palace to which were “kindly” invited, the sultan took the opportunity to encircle and kill them. A rival family,the Zenetes, have invented a false and conspired love story between one of the knights of the Abencerrajes and sultana. The outcome was the fierce wrath of Muley Hacén and the death of all the noble warriors, which were present.
If you currently visited this place of the Alhambra, dominated by a huge stalactite dome forming an eight-pointed star, you can observe a reddish color in the twelve-sided marble fountain in the middle of the room and in the channels that connect with the Court of Lions. They say that this color is preserved there for centuries to remain the tragic event of bloodshed. Legend or history, this episode has been immortalized by writers, playwrights and painters over the time. For example, Fortuny painted in 1870 the painting named “The Massacre of the Abencerrajes”, that we can see nowadays in the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya.
If you enjoyed this legend, do not hesitate to come to Granada and fall in love with legends, landscapes and charming corners.
Take summer course in Granada, the Moorish city, and discover all places of the legends you can find here. Go ahead!