Gardens of Moorish Spain

» silvan - Moorish gardens

I remember studying these gardens during university and being impressed with their beauty. I'm glad to have access to your descriptions on the Internet. Thank you.

Van Waffle
Contributing Editor
Living With Nature, Suite101
More articles at themestream

-- posted by silvan

Permalink Print Discussion Join the latest discussions

» writejudy - Great Article!

Hi Kirk,
Enjoyed reading about the Gardens of Moorish Spain. Had no idea they were similar to the formal gardens in Japan. Excellent photographs too!
best,
judy

-- posted by writejudy

Permalink Print Discussion Join the latest discussions

» Kirk_Johnson - Re: Great Article!

In response to message posted by writejudy:

Traditional Japanese gardens are only formal in that the designs are restricted by many traditonal rules. It is interesting to compare the paradise gardens of Heian Japan with the Alhambra's Court of the Lions. The court of the lions was intended to be very much of a paradise garden . It was intended to evoke passsages in the Koran which describe paradise as "pavilions beneath which water flows". The east-west axis (the longer axis) features pavilions which face each other. Each pavilion shelters a fountain which drain twords the central fountain along a water channel. Ther are also fountains at the ends of the north-east axis which drain towards the central fountain along a water channel. The two water channels represent the two rivers of paradise.

The paradise gardens of Heian Japan are stylized, but naturalistic. As in Islamic gardens, water plays a central role, but Heian gardens feature irregular ponds. The paradise gardens of Heian Japan were designed to be seen from above; they were designed to be viewed from heaven. I don't think that Islamic gardens were designed to be seen from heaven; they were designed to evoke the pleasues of paradise.

-- posted by Kirk_Johnson

Permalink Print Discussion Join the latest discussions