Published in Medieval and Early Modern Iberian Peninsula Cultural History

Keywords: Keywords: Alhambra of Granada, Great Mosque of Cordoba, Islamic Spain, Ornament in Islam.

This article analyses two of the most significant monuments in Islamic Spain: the Great Mosque in Cordoba and the Alhambra in Granada. Both are treated with regard to the political history of the region. The article stresses the role of Byzantine Christian artists in the decoration of the Mosque, as well as the relevance of decorative arts in both monuments, particularly the occurrence of Quranic mentions of luxury and ornament. It shows the importance, in the Alhambra, of the ensemble as an affirmation of the Nasrid Dynasty, by means of opulent decoration and the epigraphic poetry of Ibn Zamrak in the Fountain of Lions, declaring the genealogical roots of Muhammad V.