I-Alhambra—Igugu LamaSulumane LaseGranada

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ESPAIN

“Yeka ukuthi lesi sakhiwokazi saseMpumalanga sihlangene nemilando eminingi kangakanani, eyiqiniso nemangalisayo; yeka ukuthi sihlangene nezingoma nezinkondlo eziningi kangakanani zama-Arabhu nezabantu baseSpain, ezikhuluma ngothando, ngempi nangamaqhawe!”—UWASHINGTON IRVING, UMLOBI WASEMELIKA WEKHULU LE-19.

INDAWO edumile eyashukumisela umlobi ukuba alobe la mazwi yi-Alhambra, isigodlo esiyingqayizivele esenza idolobha laseGranada eSpain libe lihle kakhulu. I-Alhambra iyisibonelo sobuciko bokwakha base-Arabia noma basePersia eningizimu yeYurophu. Inqaba yakhona enhle ngendlela ekhexisayo yakhiwa amaMoor angamaSulumane, aye aba nethonya elikhulu eSpain emakhulwini ambalwa eminyaka.a

Inkosi yama-Arabhu, uZawí ben Zirí, yamisa umbuso ozimele waseGranada ngekhulu le-11. Lo mbuso waqhubeka ubusa iminyaka engaba ngu-500, futhi kuso sonke leso sikhathi waletha impucuko kanye nentuthuko enkulu kwezobuciko. Ukuwohloka kwawo kwaqala lapho inkosi uFerdinand nendlovukazi u-Isabella, abangamaKatolika, beqeda umbuso wamaSulumane eSpain ngo-1492.

IGranada yamaSulumane yaqala ukuba namandla kakhulu ngemva kokunqotshwa kweCórdoba amabutho eLobukholwa ngo-1236. IGranada yaba inhloko-dolobha yamaSulumane aseSpain futhi ababusi ngokulandelana kwabo bakha uxhaxha lwezakhiwo zesigodlo—i-Alhambra—futhi kwakuqala ngqa ukuba kwakhiwe izakhiwo ezinjalo eYurophu. Omunye umlobi oshisekayo wazichaza ngokuthi “ziyizakhiwo ezinhle kunazo zonke emhlabeni wonke.”

Indawo ezungezile kanye nezakhiwo ze-Alhambra ngokwazo kuhle ngendlela emangalisayo. Ngemva kwe-Alhambra kukhona ukhahlamba lwaseSierra Nevada olumbozwe yiqhwa olungamamitha angaphezu kuka-3 400 ukuphakama, futhi lubukeka njengendwangu eyisikhumbuzo elengiswe ngemuva. I-Alhambra yakhiwe phezu kweSabika, igquma elibanzi elizungezwe imithi elingamamitha angu-150 ngaphezu kwedolobha. Emehlweni embongi yangekhulu le-14 u-Ibn Zamrak, leli gquma lalengame iGranada kuhle komyeni obuka umkakhe ngokwazisa.

Idolobha Eliphakathi Kwelinye

Igama elithi Alhambra, elimelela elithi “okubomvu” ngesi-Arabhu, cishe lisho umbala wesitini amaMoor asisebenzisa ekwakheni izindonga zangaphandle. Kodwa abanye abantu bakhetha incazelo yezazi-mlando zama-Arabhu ezithi i-Alhambra yakhiwa ‘kukhanyiswe izimbaqa.’ Lezi zazi-mlando zithi lokhu kukhanya kwasebusuku kwakwenza lezi zindonga zibe nombala obomvu, okuwumbala igama lalesi sakhiwo elibhekisela kuwo.

I-Alhambra ingaphezu kokuba isigodlo. Ingachazwa ngokuthi idolobha elakhiwe phakathi kwedolobha laseGranada. Phakathi kwezindonga zayo ezinkulu kukhona izingadi, izindawo ezinemipheme, uxhaxha lwezigodlo, i-Alcazaba (noma, inqaba), ngisho ne-medina encane, noma idolobhana. Umklamo wamaMoor we-Alhambra kanye nezinye izakhiwo ezanezelwa kamuva kuye kwaphumela ezakhiweni eziyingqayizivele zobuciko nobunyoninco obuyinkimbinkimbi bama-Arabhu kanye nezakhiwo eziqine kakhudlwana zobuciko bokwakha beNkathi Yempucuko yaseYurophu.

Okwenza i-Alhambra ibe yinhle kangaka izindlela zokwakha zamaMoor kanye namaGreki asendulo. Okokuqala, la maMoor namaGreki enza umbala nokubukeka kwezitini ngendlela evumelanayo, elinganayo futhi engeyona inkimbinkimbi. Khona-ke babe sebesihlobisa isakhiwo sabo esihle. Kunjengoba esinye isazi sikubeka, “amaMoor ngaso sonke isikhathi ayekwazisa lokho abanye abaklami bezakhiwo abakubheka njengesimiso sokuqala sokuklama—ukuhlobisa isakhiwo, hhayi ukwakha umhlobiso.”

Ukubona I-Alhambra

E-Alhambra kungenwa ngekhothamo elikhulu elimise okwesicathulo sehhashi, elibizwa ngokuthi yiSango Lobulungisa. Igama lalo libhekisela enkantolo abantu ababevela phambi kwayo lapha ngesikhathi sokubusa kwamaSulumane kuzoqulwa amacala amancane ngokushesha. Ukukhishwa kwalezi zahlulelo zobulungisa emasangweni omuzi kwakuyinto evamile eMpumalanga Ephakathi futhi kuyakhulunywa ngakho eBhayibhelini.b

Imifekethiso, okuvame ukuhlotshiswa ngayo ezigodlweni zama-Arabhu, njengesase-Alhambra, yenziwa ngosimende okuthiwa i-stucco. Izingcweti zenza lo simende ngemiklamo yobuciko ephindaphindwe kaningi ebukeka njengoleyisi ofekethiswe kahle. Amanye amakhothamo ahlotshiswe ngobuciko afana nama-stalactite alinganisene kahle nhlangothi zonke. Esinye isici esithakazelisayo salesi sigodlo yi-zillij—ama-tile acwebezelayo asikiwe, ahlelwe ngamaphethini ayinkimbinkimbi. La ma-tile afakwe ngezansi ezindongeni ezinemibala egqamile, ehambelana kahle kakhulu nemibala engagqamile ye-stucco engenhla.

Igceke elivelele kunawo wonke amagceke ase-Alhambra, yiGceke Lezingonyama, elichazwa ngokuthi “isibonelo sobuciko bama-Arabhu obuyigugu kunabo bonke obukhona eSpain.” Enye incwadi enikeza izivakashi ukwaziswa iyachaza: “Kukhona into engachazeki ngobuciko bangempela obungenakulingiswa noma buphindwe. . . . Yilowo muzwa esiba nawo njengoba sikuleli gceke laseGranada.” Amaphasishi alo alingana ngokuphelele kanye nezinsika ezincane kuzungeze umthombo osekelwe ngezingonyama zemabula ezingu-12. Lena ngenye yezindawo ezithwetshulwa kakhulu eSpain.

Izingadi Eziqabula Umoya

I-Alhambra ibuye ibe nezingadi, imithombo namachibi amahle kakhulu.c Ngokuka-Enrique Sordo encwadini yakhe ethi Moorish Spain, “ingadi eklanywe ngendlela yama-Arabhu iyisandulela sepharadesi.” Ithonya leNkolo YamaSulumane libonakala kuyo yonke indawo. Umlobi waseSpain uGarcía Gómez waphawula: “IKoran ichaza ipharadesi lamaSulumane ngokuningiliziwe njengengadi enhle kakhulu . . . eniselwa imifudlana ejabulisayo.” Lapha e-Alhambra, amanzi asetshenziswa kakhulu—okusho ukunethezeka kubantu abajwayelene nempilo enzima yasogwadule. Abaklami bezingadi baqaphela ukuthi amanzi angapholisa umoya, enze nomuntu ajabule kakhulu lapho ezwa umsindo wokugeleza kwawo okuqabulayo. Amachibi awunxande abonakalisa isibhakabhaka esicwathile saseSpain enza indawo ibukeke inkulu futhi ikhazimula.

Eduze ne-Alhambra kukhona iGeneralife, umuzi omkhulu ozimele wodwa onengadi elungiswe ngendlela yamaMoor ophezu kweCerro del Sol, igquma eliseduze kweSabika. IGeneralife, iyisibonelo esihle sobuciko bama-Arabhu sokulungisa indawo ezungezile, futhi iye yachazwa ngokuthi “ingenye yezingadi ezinhle kunazo zonke emhlabeni.”d Ngaphambili yayixhunywe esigodlweni sase-Alhambra ngebhuloho, futhi cishe yayisetshenziswa njengomuzi wokuphumula wababusi baseGranada. Igceke liholela Ezitebhisini Ezigeleza Amanzi. Lapha, izivakashi zingavumela ukukhanya, imibala namaphunga ahlukahlukene kuvuselele izinzwa zazo.

Indawo YamaMoor Yokulila

Lapho inkosi yokugcina yaseGranada, uBoabdil (Muḥammad XI), inikela idolobha kuFerdinand no-Isabella, yona nomkhaya wayo kwadingeka babalekele kwelinye izwe. Ngemva kokuba sebephumile edolobheni, kuthiwa bema endaweni ephakeme manje ebizwa ngokuthi i-Suspiro del Moro (Indawo YamaMoor Yokulila). Kuthiwa njengoba bebheka emuva ukuze basibuke okokugcina isigodlo sabo esinombala obomvu okhazimulayo, unina kaBoabdil wathi endodaneni yakhe: “Lila njengowesifazane ulilele lokho oye wahluleka ukukuvikela njengendoda!”

Namuhla, ezinye zezivakashi eziyizigidi ezintathu ezifika unyaka nonyaka e-Alhambra zisaya kule ndawo. Lapha, njengoBoabdil, zingabuka idolobha laseGranada elenganyelwe yisigodlo salo sama-Arabhu—indawo eyigugu kunazo zonke kulelo dolobha. Uma kwenzeka uvakashela eGranada ngolunye usuku, nawe uyoqonda ukuthi kungani le nkosi yokugcina yamaMoor yayidabuke kangaka.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

I-Alcazaba

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

IGceke Lezingonyama

[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

Izingadi zaseGeneralife

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Izitebhisi Ezigeleza Amanzi

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 14]

Line art: EclectiCollections

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 15]

All except top photo: Recinto Monumental de la Alhambra y Generalife

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 16]

All photos: Recinto Monumental de la Alhambra y Generalife

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 17]

Above photos: Recinto Monumental de la Alhambra y Generalife; bottom photo: J. A. Fernández/San Marcos