Spain: The Andalusian Patio
Small history of a large invention.
Like all property and beautiful one, then has also the Andalusian Patio its origin in the Near East. The architecture historians argue only therefore whether today developed the inner court in Persia or on the Arab peninsula, so typical for the houses Andalusiens. Surely however developed the architectural and decorative characteristics Andalusian Patio in the course of Arabic (711-1095 Córdoba/Sevilla, dynasties of the Omaijaden and Abbadiden) and the maurisch berberischen rule (1095-1248 Sevilla, dynasties of the Almoraviden and Almohaden, to 1492 Granada, Nasriden).
Already the house Mohammeds in Medina had a large inner court, which was limited on two sides of residential buildings and on the two other sides of open resounding from Palmstämmen. This resounding were provisional with Palmwedeln or straw mats covered and originally served as stable for camels and horses. After Mohammeds Bekehrung (622 n. Chr.) the large yard re-designed to the prayer area in the open air, because in the house enough place was not for so many believer.
Thus the inner court could do of Mohammeds house with the adjacent summerhouse-resounds from slim Palmstämmen the model to have become for the early buildings of mosques with their to widen, apparently endless Säulenhallen (like particularly pronouncedly in Córdoba) and the Sahn (mosque yard), in which the Friday prayer is held. Mohammeds there were similar inner courts as in the house in Arabia however already in before-Islamic and pre-Christian time, e.g. in the temple of Hukka (2nd century v. Chr.), in whose center a well yard with column courses was. ” sakralen Patios” of temples or in the form of mosque yards or cross courses of Christian monasteries always already a special role took, since they had an important function in the context of the faith demonstration: Cleaning before the prayer, ritual washing at the well in the center of the yard, religious lectures, meditations. I would like to concentrate here on ” secular Patios” of houses, which had a combination of functional and decorative-representative importance for the respective house gentleman: the more highly social rank, the more importantly the representative function. First us admitted inner courts from pre-Christian times were up to the first centuries of Islamic time calculation of simple architectural order.
Often it acted around yards, which were surrounded by smooth, one-story walls only and in some cases small gardens and accommodated an underground water reservoir (well) in the center. If there were Patio at one or more sides arcades, then these were usually provisionally from trunks and manufactured without bricked Gewölbe. With country houses the flat building method prevailed forwards (in at most up to two-story and with far inner courts), during in the high Middle Ages (approximately for the 10th century) the city halls often amazing height reached (four six floors) and the inner courts accordingly highly and close was (e.g. in Sanaa). After the modest beginnings decorative elements gained more during the arrangement of the inner court in the entire Islamic rule area ever significance.
This showed up also in the Andalusien of the 10th century, where the splendour development of the Omaijaden in Córdoba conquered also the inner courts, it often even to the crowning center of a palace plant made. One thinks only of the Patios of Medina Azahara, where instead of splendidly verzierte marble columns the inner courts limit for wood trunks and the walls were not simply white limewashed, but verziert with Azulejos (ceramic tile carpets) or mosaics. Only Kalifen and noble one, also the many rich buyers in the Arab Andalusien did not determine increasingly also the fashion of the Patio decoration and affected with it also the taste of the fewer rich social classes, which such ” Splendour Patios” imitated, as far as their financial means permitted it.
Beside arcades and double arcades there were ever art-fuller window lattices from wood or stucco, by which the Haremsdamen could observe unnoticed the happening on the inner courts. Also the surface Patio was ever more aufwändiger decorated: instead of the purely functional underground water reservoir one built magnificent wells with star shaped basins from shining Azulejos and marble tiles covered the ground, which had consisted before often only of rammed loam or bricks. In many cases in addition, in place of the marble parquet a garden was. In poorer households this was often a vegetable garden or a yard with fruit trees, which contributed to the supply of the family.
In rich houses it nearly always acted around an ornamental garden with decorative function, whereby one particularly respected on planting of strongly smelling flowers, which should particularly have aphrodisierende effect on the inhabitants and on the Haremsdamen: Jasmine, orange trees, roses, Narden. An interesting phenomenon of the Andalusian garden architecture in Patios is ” the so-called; Crucero”: the cross-shaped plant of two hydrodynamic tanks, which proceed from the central well and which in four equal large garden squares divide garden of the inner court. This type of garden dominating in Sevilla, Córdoba and Granada is Persian origin.
The principle is appropriate for it ” Tschahar Bagh” (Four gardens) to reason, which was brought of Persia over the Arabs after Andalusien and of the Muslim building masters as a terrestrial vision of the jenseitigen Paradiesgartens was understood, its plant on mathematical exactness was based. Exactly in the center the life-donating well – in rich houses or mosques often under a splendid column pavilion – stands outgoing of it run into the four directions the channels, with which the four gardens are watered. The Patio was the heart Islamic andalusichen house and the heart impact was ” Allahs” pours; – the gushing well in the center.
Also after the Christian Reconquista (Sevilla 1248, Granada 1492) nothing changed in the central meaning of the Patios for the Andalusian house. The straight Christian upper class let build further in the maurischen style, into which it in-mixed only few elements of the gothic or the Renaissance (Mudéjarstil). The architects and decorators were further Muslim Sevillaner or Granadiner or even from Marrakesch were called. And they built Arkadenpatios with ornate stellar vaults or Muqarnas Gewölben, which work like Tropfsteinhöhlen.
To the few fashionable pieces of news, in 15. and 16. , Belonged figürliche representations, which had been forbidden in the Islamic art, held century under the influence of the Italian Renaissance also in the Andalusian Patio introduction: mythologische Fresken decorated the walls, statues, reliefs and Medaillons with Porträtbüsten, preferably from Genueser marble, decorated the portals – not only in the Patio, but also at the main entrance of the house. This is a further difference to Islamic and mudejaren architecture. Arab houses were always ” according to the principle; conciliation modesty outward – undreamt-of splendour development inward ” built. The Straßenfronten of Arab palaces – not only in Andalusien – were plain, almost rejecting, because wealth publicly to the exhibition to place, was scorned. Guests, who enjoyed the confidence the house gentleman, should against it sharings at the hidden splendor, with which particularly wastefully the Patio – which was equipped heart of the house. Despite the Italian elements the maurischen characteristics remained clay-indicating in Andalusien; and in Patio architecture they are it until today.
This is not amazing, because compared with the grazilen columns of the Mudéjarstils and elegant perfection endlessly into one another intertwined Arab star samples works a Florentiner Renaissance inner court almost awkwardly. An interesting detail of Arab origin maintained ground until today in Andalusien: the window lattices and Türgitter, to often ornate carved, those still the shedding ms principle keep upright: (female) the house inhabitants can observe everything by these close lattices, what happens outside in the Patio or on the road, without to be seen.
In the tourist cities such as Sevilla, Córdoba or Granada one drove this principle on the point. Here to the increase of tourist attractiveness the most old houses and private palaces opened their doors (with closed Türgitter) and to grant as in a cultural Peep show a small view of their intimate Paradies – the flower-decorated Patios. It is the question for whom the maintenance factor is higher: for the tourists, those by the lattice unexpected impressions into the privacy of the inhabitants received and over some particularly kitschige Deko lästern or however the erlesenen taste to admire know or the house inhabitants, that throw Patio amused of views hidden behind the window lattices on enviously whom are astonished tourists.
Probably each tourist would wish himself to be allowed to call at home even a Patio its own. Even if in the tenement houses 20. Century the Patio was degradiert on a close halation, which serves the laundry maximally to drying, it never from the mode came. Who can afford it, today again a house in the traditional style, whose heart in the Patio strikes, builds. Although the Patio of Andalusian type is old over 1000 years, it remains cult and became successful of Andalusien.
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