A Sensorial Glimpse at the Islamic Aljafería: Through the Lenses of Architecture and Culture

Abstract

This research study delves into the captivating correlation between the architectural design of palaces and courtyards of Islamic Iberia and the cultural ceremonial activities of their royal court life. The Aljafería palace of the Taifa of Banu Hud, which stands as the best preserved among the small group of Taifa palaces that survived, was chosen as the center of the study. The Aljafería offers an exceptional opportunity to investigate the role of architectural space in a Taifa state. Drawing on a fundamental realization starts from the initial idea of viewing architecture as a reflection of the Andalusian historical and cultural reality. The dissertation aims to explore the relationship between the palatial architecture of the Islamic Aljafería and the court life practices assumed by its rulers, the Banu Hud Taifa kings, and how this relationship shaped the perceptual experience of the palace. To achieve this aim, a comprehensive analysis of the Islamic Aljafería was conducted through three approaches, architectural, cultural, and sensorial, with each approach uncovering an exciting layer of the complex rich history of the palace. Arabic literature was utilized as a core instrument to comprehend the cultural and religious ideologies imbued in the palace. By analyzing the architecture of the Taifa Palace in relation to the cultural beliefs and practices of the time, the dissertation has assumed a multisensorial journey of the perceptual experience of the eleventh-century beholder throughout the Taifa Palace of the Aljafería.