Further on is the Court of the Sultana, full of ponds, fountains, growth and color. A fable has it that here one of the kings discovered the Sultana, his wife, with a nobleman. The king then massacred that entire clan in revenge. Beyond this court are the Upper Gardens, again replete with waterworks, which in turn leads back to the Long Pond. The use of pools, ponds, fountains and waterspouts in these gardens was repeated at the alcazar, the palace.
The Casa Real Vieja, the old Royal House, was built in the 14th century. This incredible group of delicately carved and tiled buildings and arches is really breathtaking. Courtyards abound with small gardens and the ever-present water, including a pride of spouting lions. The Chamber of the Lions was the Harem.
On reflection, the way water was used, both still and in motion, helped set these gardens apart from the more ordinary. While we are not able to duplicate the totality and full magnificence (and let it mature for some hundreds of years) of the Generalife, it may be possible to let water play a more significant element in our gardens. Two long slender ponds with a fountain between them can lead ones eyes, in two steps, toward a more distant focal point. We are all drawn to flowing water from some long forgotten atavism. A small pool with water jets could be the center of some private part of the garden. Place a bench there, big enough for two.
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