Entrance To Mosque, In The Alhambra.

Bearing these facts in mind, we entered the charming Mosque of the Alhambra, intended as a place of worship for the inmates of the palace. This was an essential part of such a structure; for the Moors were a profoundly religious race, as all Mohammedans are to-day. Emerging from the Orient, - that cradle of the world's religions, - it was their wonderful religious zeal which enabled them to overrun the borders of the Mediterranean, wresting from Christian hands the cities of the Cross. Nor has their fervor vanished yet. No portion of the human race is so invariably devout as are Mohammedan believers. No matter where he is or in what he is engaged, five times a day, on the arrival of the hours for prayer, the Moslem will excuse himself and kneel in reverence - if not within a mosque, then on the deck of a steamer or on the desert sand - without a particle of ostentation, or, on the other hand, of shame, at thus confessing the preeminence of God.

What an ideal life of luxury and beauty this Moorish palace, even in its ruin, brings before us! Here, when the town below lay panting in the tropic heat, within this cool and silent palace, finished like a jewel, and glittering with all the colors of the Orient, the Moorish monarchs and their friends would pass the hours of summer enjoying the cool air from the adjacent mountains, and lulled by the murmur of numerous fountains into that dreamy languor so loved by all inhabitants of the East. For every room in the Al-hambra had its marble fountain; and almost every corridor its rivulet of crystal water,con-n e c t i n g one fountain with another and filling the air with freshness and the perpetual cadence of a song. It is said, too, that the Moorish ladies, whose beauty lent to this incomparable edifice an added charm, were finely formed, graceful in their manners, and fascinating in their conversation. The Arab poets say of them that when they smiled they displayed teeth of dazzling whiteness, while their breath was like the perfume of flowers. Yet it was not altogether a life of idle pleasure that was here maintained.

The Mosque Of The Alhambra.

The Alhambra Towers.

The Moorish sovereigns were valiant warriors, and some were noted for their love of intellectual pursuits. Thus, King Al-hamar, founder of this palace, was an illustrious proof of what these cultivated Moors could be and do. His was an age of poetry, art, and music. The language spoken at his court was the most elegant Arabic. He founded schools and hospitals; he offered premiums to the best artisans; fostered the manufacture of silk, until the tissues of Granada surpassed even those of Syria in beauty; and, best of all, he began this splendid palace, inspiring all the workmen, as they labored, with his own enthusiasm.

Standing at one of the windows here, one looks across a deep ravine, upon a hill directly opposite the Alhambra. It is thickly covered with trees and shrubs, among which are innumerable caverns cut in the solid rock. These are the homes of the famous Spanish gypsies, chiefly found in Andalusia. It would seem that the sun of southern Spain, which has an almost Oriental splendor, allures these gypsies hither from their native land; for undoubtedly they are of Eastern origin. Until within a few years, they have been unruly members of society, setting at defiance both laws and police; but now they are held to a strict account for their deeds and are also liable for military service. On approaching one of their hillside caverns, a gypsy woman will bring forth to you from a squalid room a cup of coffee, for which you must pay liberally or else be exposed to great annoyance. The men among these gypsies are for the most part horse-traders and blacksmiths; the women make their fortunes by pretending to tell those of others and by selling fancy articles; and I hardly need add that men, women, and children are experts in the art of thieving.

The Wine Gate Of The Alhambra.

The Court Of The Lions.