IF YOU'RE in the Comunidad Valenciana any time between now and the early hours of March 20, you may notice an awful lot of noise and colour on the streets. It's the season for the region's biggest festival,...
The Alhambra's royal bath restored to its former glory
01/12/2017
The Royal Bath of the Alhambra, the only Islamic medieval bath that has been preserved almost intact in the Western world, has new vaulted roofs after being subjected to a complex restoration that has allowed restorers to delve into the uses of this unique space, considered one of the jewels of the monument.
It was a problem with leaks and humidity that led the Board of the Alhambra and Generalife to undertake this process of restoration in the vaults and interior walls of the baths. The first phase has lasted two years and was presented today by the counsellor of Culture, Miguel Ángel Vázquez.
Located between the emblematic palaces of Comares and Los Leones, the Bath of Comares or Royal Bath, as it was later known due to the private use made of them by the Catholic Monarchs after the Reconquest of Granada, was built by Sultan Ismail I (1314 -1325) and then continued by Yusuf I (1333-1354).
An heir, from the point of view of its construction, of the Roman baths, it boasts among its rooms a unique area, which will be opened to the public, exceptionally, throughout the month of December.
This area is the Sala de las Camas, which as explained by Pedro Salmerón, architect of the Alhambra, was meant for "maximum relaxation" and where the sultan and his guests took off their clothes and reclined while, possibly, they listened to musicians playing.
The baths, whose roofs have been intervened on numerous occasions, the last at the end of the 20th century, was accessed through the Patio de Arrayanes through a door that is still preserved, while the entrance to the boiler was made independently.
Light, dominant in all corners of the 'hammam', provides a versatility in the setting of this bathroom that gives it a magical appearance, explains the architect referring to a space that was also characterized by its colourful decorative detailing.
This first phase of the restoration project, budgeted at 1.16 million euros, has also allowed the discovery of medieval artisanal techniques in the vaulted roofs after exposing the original lime coatings that covered this area, a fact unknown to date.
New traces found also indicate the existence of doors that isolated some rooms from others, discoveries that will be investigated in the near future, according to the director of the Board, Reynaldo Fernández.
The restoration has primarily focused on solving the conservation problems motivated, fundamentally, by the infiltration of rainwater, for which action has been taken on the roofing system and the interior lining.
The natural ventilation of this space has also been recovered through the skylights and other tasks have been undertaken such as the elimination of inadequate mortars or the reinstallation of the external environmental lighting systems, together with a new provision of channels and downpipes in the immediate surroundings of the bath’s roof.
To complete the work, a thorough documentation process has been carried out on the ‘hammam’ that has included the analysis of materials and products that were used in previous times, as well as a chromatic study of the Royal Bath, taking into account the lighting factors throughout the day.
This first intervention will be followed by a second phase that will focus on the hypocaust, the boiler and the wood storage area within the baths, as well as the treatment of the walls, tiles and plasterwork. All of which is expected to last at least two more years, according to the director of the Patronage.
The Andalusian Minister of Culture has highlighted the balance between research, conservation and sustainability that prevails in the management of the Alhambra, and has been considered for some time the "flagship heritage of Andalusia."
Related Topics
You may also be interested in ...
The Royal Bath of the Alhambra, the only Islamic medieval bath that has been preserved almost intact in the Western world, has new vaulted roofs after being subjected to a complex restoration that has allowed restorers to delve into the uses of this unique space, considered one of the jewels of the monument.
It was a problem with leaks and humidity that led the Board of the Alhambra and Generalife to undertake this process of restoration in the vaults and interior walls of the baths. The first phase has lasted two years and was presented today by the counsellor of Culture, Miguel Ángel Vázquez.
Located between the emblematic palaces of Comares and Los Leones, the Bath of Comares or Royal Bath, as it was later known due to the private use made of them by the Catholic Monarchs after the Reconquest of Granada, was built by Sultan Ismail I (1314 -1325) and then continued by Yusuf I (1333-1354).
An heir, from the point of view of its construction, of the Roman baths, it boasts among its rooms a unique area, which will be opened to the public, exceptionally, throughout the month of December.
This area is the Sala de las Camas, which as explained by Pedro Salmerón, architect of the Alhambra, was meant for "maximum relaxation" and where the sultan and his guests took off their clothes and reclined while, possibly, they listened to musicians playing.
The baths, whose roofs have been intervened on numerous occasions, the last at the end of the 20th century, was accessed through the Patio de Arrayanes through a door that is still preserved, while the entrance to the boiler was made independently.
Light, dominant in all corners of the 'hammam', provides a versatility in the setting of this bathroom that gives it a magical appearance, explains the architect referring to a space that was also characterized by its colourful decorative detailing.
This first phase of the restoration project, budgeted at 1.16 million euros, has also allowed the discovery of medieval artisanal techniques in the vaulted roofs after exposing the original lime coatings that covered this area, a fact unknown to date.
New traces found also indicate the existence of doors that isolated some rooms from others, discoveries that will be investigated in the near future, according to the director of the Board, Reynaldo Fernández.
The restoration has primarily focused on solving the conservation problems motivated, fundamentally, by the infiltration of rainwater, for which action has been taken on the roofing system and the interior lining.
The natural ventilation of this space has also been recovered through the skylights and other tasks have been undertaken such as the elimination of inadequate mortars or the reinstallation of the external environmental lighting systems, together with a new provision of channels and downpipes in the immediate surroundings of the bath’s roof.
To complete the work, a thorough documentation process has been carried out on the ‘hammam’ that has included the analysis of materials and products that were used in previous times, as well as a chromatic study of the Royal Bath, taking into account the lighting factors throughout the day.
This first intervention will be followed by a second phase that will focus on the hypocaust, the boiler and the wood storage area within the baths, as well as the treatment of the walls, tiles and plasterwork. All of which is expected to last at least two more years, according to the director of the Patronage.
The Andalusian Minister of Culture has highlighted the balance between research, conservation and sustainability that prevails in the management of the Alhambra, and has been considered for some time the "flagship heritage of Andalusia."
Related Topics
You may also be interested in ...
More News & Information
OUTER space and the Bronze Age do not sit well in the same sentence – they may both have existed at the same time, but anyone based on Earth back then would not have known much, or anything, about what lies beyond.
SIGOURNEY Weaver and survivors of a South American plane crash took centre stage at Spain's answer to the Oscars this week, the Goya Awards – and one film netted 12 prizes out of its 13 nominations.
BRUCE'The Boss' Springsteen and The E-Street Band are heading to Spain next spring, and tickets have gone on sale today (Tuesday).