Alhambra
AA-2026-A963D0
On the image
Four young women pose in front of a very old building. Their outfits, featuring bell sleeves, large collars, and the ubiquitous sunglasses of the era, suggest a certain freedom and modernity, a direct contrast to the ancient stone work they have travelled to see.
They stand before the Courtyard of the Myrtles in Spain's Alhambra, a place built by people who believed their empire would last forever. The women, meanwhile, are focused on creating a photograph that will last at least until the next vacation slide show.
The reflecting pool, designed to mirror the architecture and sky, now reflects only their fleeting presence, a reminder that human history is mostly just people showing up in various outfits, taking pictures of the things that came before them.
The historian's note
This photograph captures four women in the Patio de los Arrayanes (Court of the Myrtles) within the Alhambra complex in Granada, Spain. The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex, originally constructed in the 9th century and largely rebuilt and extensively decorated by the Nasrid emirs during the 13th and 14th centuries.
The Patio de los Arrayanes is one of the most iconic areas, characterised by its large rectangular reflecting pool bordered by myrtle hedges, and surrounded by intricate Nasrid architecture including arcaded porticoes. It served as the central court of the Comares Palace.
The image, dated to the 1970s, reflects the burgeoning international tourism of the period, as more people had access to overseas travel and sought out culturally significant historical sites. The Alhambra remains a UNESCO World Heritage site and a prime example of Moorish architecture and Islamic art in Western Europe.
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Alhambra Courtyard, Granada, 1970s. 1970–1979. Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library, AA-2026-A963D0. https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/alhambra-courtyard-granada-1970s.
@misc{aaAA2026A963D0,
title = {Alhambra Courtyard, Granada, 1970s},
year = {1970–1979},
howpublished = {Archive \& Atlas, Historical Image Library},
note = {Accession AA-2026-A963D0},
url = {https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/alhambra-courtyard-granada-1970s}
}TY - ART TI - Alhambra Courtyard, Granada, 1970s PY - 1970–1979 PB - Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library AN - AA-2026-A963D0 UR - https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/alhambra-courtyard-granada-1970s ER -
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