GUEST BEDROOM | AIR | EISH AL KAMAR
THE ROOM OF DREAMS
Room 10.
Alhambra, Grenada, Spain | 1977
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Known by the Arab name, Eish Al Kamar (Arabic; the moon’s nest), this bedchamber is a private guestroom in the Alhambra palace, in Grenada, Spain. It is found on the Court of the Myrtles (Patio de los Arrayanes) in the Old Royal House (Casa Real Vieja). Fully restored in the early twentieth century, this romantically-named salon provides modern accommodation for guests of the palace.
Originally a military fortress, the Alhambra (Arabic; red or crimson castle) is fortress (alcazaba), palace (alcázar) and small city (medina), all in one. The founder of the dynasty, Muhammed Al-Ahmar, began restoration in the ninth century, with the construction of the palaces where the bedchamber is situated dating back to the early fourteenth century. During the 18th century, the Alhambra fell into neglect, while in the early nineteenth century Napoleon's troops converted the palaces into barracks. In 1870, the Alhambra was declared a national monument and is now protected and preserved.
The room’s name refers to the seasonal rising of the moon behind the Sierra Nevada Mountains, appearing as an ivory egg in the bowl-shaped nest cradled against the shadows of the peaks.
