It is probably deeply ingrained in human hearts to return from time to time to the past through our memories. Of course, we want to reactivate mostly those exceptional, joyful moments, to relive them again and feel the warmth they once provided us. Those trips are like a shelter, like thick walls that separate the ordinary from the treasures that do not fade. They are our palaces of joy.
And just look at this imposing building. The reason for constructing such a mighty structure was certainly not insignificant; not all buildings in the 11th century looked like this. Those with significance were built to last so that time, wars, disagreements, and difficult times would not break them down so easily. This building, the Palace of Joy as it was called at that time, was built by Ahmad al-Muqtadir as the recreational palace of the Muslim kings who ruled the Taifa of Sarakusta (Taifa de Zaragoza).
I have always liked to imagine and wonder what happened between the walls that have witnessed history for decades or centuries. Not just the history you can find in books but the life of those who lived there with their thoughts, emotions, and actions. Were they the same in essence as we are nowadays? Could be. But look at these huge walls and entrances; one must have felt small in front of such a giant.
Once you enter, you find yourself in another world. Walking through the halls and under the arabesque-filled vaults, one is forced to return in imagination to that time and see oneself as a family member of the Banu Hud dynasty. What would be my role there? How I would be spending my days in such a place?
But back to reality and the not-so-distant past. We visited this wonderful place with @palomap3, the very first time we went to Zaragoza. It was in November of 2023 - don't ask me why I am so late with sharing this place with you. I probably saw how beautiful Paloma's photos were and how much she knew about this place so I stepped back. 😅
Then a few times I remembered about it and again got lost among the photos I took, so the preparation of the post went to another little rest. I know @ninaeatshere also wanted to see the upper floor as when she visited it that part was closed (if I understood well, correct me if I didn't). Anyway, today I am finally here with the Palace of Joy. 😊
You can notice that the doors and windows are beautifully shaped and decorated, so typical for Islamic architecture (although many of the ornaments are lost by the ravages of time). This place, the Aljafería Palace, along with the Alhambra in Granada and the Mosque of Cordoba, is one of the artistic jewels of the Muslim presence in this peninsula.
Oh, so much darkness in this room... let's get to the light, to the patio.
They were masters in decoration and irrigation systems, providing these plants and trees with the necessary fresh water.
It was getting late little by little, so we had to quicken our pace and look at other parts of this palace. We climbed the stairs and realized how many changes had occurred after this fortification became the residence of the Christian kings of Aragon.
Entering a different world.
The Catholic Monarchs ordered the construction of their palace, making a second floor on the existing construction. It is a completely different type of architecture; if we were not in the same place.
This is the entrance to a very important hall, the Throne Room.
Our hostess in Zaragoza, Paloma was explaining to us many historical facts about the dynasties, the Christian kings, and architecture... bad me, I forgot almost everything, even though you can see we had our "classroom" for that. 😂
Maybe some important business plans were made here in the past, or some secret confessions. For us, it was fun to try out the little benches and pretend to be one of those important characters who walked through these halls centuries ago.
I do remember that she pointed out the importance and the beauty of the ceilings. I tried to take some photos, though it was not an easy task. You can see here how @ph1102 caught me in action:
This was the moment when the following photo was taken.
I hope your neck is not hurting... as we almost left the building with a neckache after observing for so long time all the details in the ceilings... The only solution would be to lie on the floor of each of these rooms in the palace and look at the ceilings from that position. For the most beautiful one, in the Throne Room, we could stay there for hours, hypnotised.
There were so many rooms and ceilings; we spent quite a time there but then left that area and as the last part we headed toward the Courts of Aragon.
This is the hall where the members of the autonomous parliament of Aragon have their meetings. Locating the Cortes of Aragon in this building certainly influenced in a good way the restoration of this important historical monument in Zaragoza. I am glad that I had the opportunity to visit it, and also that I had this Hiver as a guide.
I also hope that you enjoyed this walk through the Palace of Joy. 😊
