Sala de los Mocárabes, 72 ft. long, but only 13 ft. wide. The handsome barrel-vaulting in the Renaissance style was added after an explosion of gunpowder in 1614, but remains of the old dome and mural decoration have been brought to light.
The *Hall of the Abencerrages, to the S.W. of the Lions’ Court, derives its name from a noble family (p. [75]), whose leading members, as the story goes, were beheaded at the fountain in the centre of this hall on account of an intrigue of Hamet, their chief, with king Boabdil’s wife. We note specially the magnificent door of entrance, and the curious way in which it is fitted to the doorposts. The central part of the hall rises in three stories, upon which open two lower alcoves with beautiful toothed arches and coffered ceilings. Over the gallery of the second story eight stalactite pendentives form the transition to the sixteen-sided third story, whose windows diffuse a subdued light. Lastly, the hall is roofed with massive stalactite vaulting.
Adjoining the Hall of the Abencerrages, on the left and right, are the Patinillo and the Aljibe or cistern.
The *Sala de la Justicia (also called Sala del Tribunal or de los Reyes), on the S.E. side of the Court of the Lions, is a hall in seven sections, with three arched entrances from the court, each divided by two columns. Between these open sections, which are roofed with lofty domes lighted from above, are two lower chambers. Adjoining the ends and the E. side are side-rooms or alcoves, some of them dark. The whole of this hall, with its honeycomb vaulting and stalactite arches, presents the appearance of some fantastic grotto.
The three larger side-rooms have ceiling-paintings of the early 15th century. The central picture, which has given rise to the different names of the hall (‘hall of justice’, ‘hall of the kings’, etc.), probably represents the first ten kings of Granada, beginning with Mohammed I., or, according to others, a meeting of council, or a court of justice. The paintings in the two other alcoves depict hunting and jousting scenes.
In the central alcove is a Moorish Trough (pila) of 1306, with curious reliefs of lions devouring stags, of eagles, etc.—The alabaster Tombstones in the alcove at the S.W. end of the hall are from the Rauda, the dilapidated royal vault of the Alhambra.
Opposite the Hall of the Abencerrages we ascend from the N.E. side of the Court of the Lions by a narrow passage (pasadizo) to the—
**Sala de las Dos Hermanas (Hall of the Two Sisters), which lies in the same axis as the Sala de los Ajimeces and Mirador de Daraxa, two other rooms situated at a higher level. This suite of rooms seems to have formed the winter residence of the ruler’s harem. The chief of these, whose ornamentation is perhaps the most exquisite in the Alhambra, has its name from the two marble slabs in the pavement. In particular we admire the beautiful doors, the mural decoration in stucco, and above all the honeycomb vaulting, the largest of all Arab roofs of the kind.
In a corner of the hall stands the *Alhambra Vase (‘el jarro de la Alhambra’), 4 ft. 5 in. in height, dating from 1320, and adorned with enamel, figures of animals (gazelles?), etc.
We next pass through the Sala de los Ajimeces, with its ajimeces (p. [83]) and fine vaulting (a closed passage on the left leads hence to the Peinador de la Reina and the Patio de la Reja, p. [86]), to the—