Al Hambra - As I saw it

Sometimes is it is hype and at times it is hoopla. But we the lesser mortals always end up having a preconceived image of everything that we are about to read or see or visit much before the event actually takes place.

The Taj Mahal visit is one such event of my life which had happened while I was still studying in college. We went up with lot of enthusiasm and were extremely excited to take the final turn and face the Taj (one actually enters the premises and continue to move forward and then comes a point where we turn and face the Taj), the famous symbol of Love! I won’t say that I was disappointed but it definitely did not provide the ecstatic experience that I had expected... Well not at the first sight! But as we walked into the mausoleum it was definitely a great and incomparable experience.

On the same tour we got the opportunity to visit the Lotus Temple (Baha’i) in New Delhi for the very first time. I went there with little or no prior knowledge or study done. It did not have associated hype but I thought it was a great expression of art and it did sweep me off my foot.

Many a years after visiting those two places I happened to visit Al Hambra. I was excited to be able to stand in front of one of the greatest symbols of Andalusian Architecture and devour it through my eyes. My expectation was moderate though the excitement was immeasurable. Once inside I was totally "WOW-ed” by the intricacies, details and the ambience of this place. Though I won't compare this with any other monument or try and judge which is better but this is definitely one of the finest structures and inspired art around the globe.

The start was not very smooth. The entry ticket, which I found quite expensive, to begin with, had a time printed on it. We did not realize that one was permitted to enter the palace only within that window of time. We strolled leisurely enjoying the view of the other structures around and finally when we reached the entrance, we were denied entry. No amount of pleading from us as well as our native compatriot could change their mind. We had to return all the way back to the ticket counter and buy new tickets. After all we had re-routed our trip through Granada only to be able to see Al Hambra. I wish they had explained to us this verbally as not everyone is used to read all the details printed in a ticket.

But once inside the palace it was worth every bit of the trouble.

The literal meaning of Al Hambra in Arabic is "the Red one". It was part of the fortress complex of the Muslims rulers of Granada and also housed their courts. The palace has a series of courts and halls in a spatial order as the one move through public to more private spaces. The most famous court is the court of the lions. Today this is one of Spain's major tourist attractions. This is the confluence of Islamic and Christian Architecture and Culture in the European main lands.

This is a monument to experienced! I know this will continue to inspire Architects, Designers and Artist from around the world and influnece their works.

The Wikipedia is a good source for information on Al Hambra. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra

Souq Madinat Jumeirah - A mall with a difference

As friends of ours let us know that they are planning to visit Dubai. The question that first comes to my mind is what are the places we shall take them for sightseeing and going around. The answer invariably are the shopping malls! We ourselves have admired the shopping malls and the experience more than anything else.

Dubai by the virtue of being so well placed in the tourism map of the world is a hot favorite of tourists from all around the globe. It caters to both budget & luxury sectors with plenty of variety for each category and also providing enough choices for the Ultra Luxury sectors. Be a Nouveau riche or a classy one you will never run out of options when it comes to shopping. To live up to the reputation there are shopping malls dotting the entire cityscape. The architecture and construction is already the buzzword here and to exceed the tourist’s expectation Dubai have created the biggest, the largest, the highest, tallest and the classiest and best in every category.
I shall attempt to do a series on the malls of Dubai. The first one has to be the Souq Madinat Jumeirah.

The big question that crosses one’s mind is who created this ambience. The answer is probably the Architects with inputs from both the Landscape designer and the Interior designer.
There are two very distinct environments that encompass this mall. Once you are inside the mall you are transported into a world of Arabian delight. It is like shopping in a traditional souq (market place). The lighting is dim but adequate which adds up to the overall experience. Even most of the shops seem to be handpicked to go with the theme.

The interior mingles with the architecture very well and steps out to seduce the outside world in a particularly impressive way in at least 3 locations. Once at the ceremonial entrance and once in a courtyard, while the imposing one is the amphitheatre. The giant steps serve as the overflow of the F&B outlets when no concert is in progress. There is quite an interesting feature in the Basement. A tromp o el and a decorative bench in the shape of a deck chair has been used to convert a negative space into a positive space.

Once outside the building structure one cannot help being overtaken by the free form of the smooth flow of the water body. The dhows (traditional boats), rocks, plantation and fish and the intricately manicured landscape takes you to a land far away from the sandy Arabian desert and gives a sense of tranquility and peace with seats placed thoughtfully where you can sit and reflect. But you can never miss the ever impressing figure of the famous Burj Al Arab, the very building that symbolizes Dubai.

(Please click on the picture for a larger image)