The Fountain of The Lions
The latest research suggest that the Lions come from the house of the Jewish vizier "Yusuf Ibn Nagrela" (1066). It is not known if they were constructed before his death, and at the time, he was accused of wanting to build a much bigger palace than the king's. An almost exact description of the original fountain is still kept, written by the poet "Ibn Gabirol" (11th-c): they represent the 12 tribes of Israel, two of them have a triangle on the forehead, indicating the two chosen tribes:" Judá" and "Leví". They are from the 11th century. The Lions have recently been removed from the fountain for restoration, but will soon be back where they belong.
The poet and minister Ibn Zamrak wrote a poem to describe the beauty of the courtyard. It is carved around the border of the basin:
Read more about this topic: Court Of The Lions
Famous quotes containing the words fountain and/or lions:
“Don’t say, don’t say there is no water
to solace the dryness at our hearts.
I have seen
the fountain springing out of the rock wall
and you drinking there.”
—Denise Levertov (b. 1923)
“When lions paint pictures men will not always be represented as conquerors. When women translate laws, constitutions, bibles and philosophies, man will not always be the declared heard of the church, the state, and the home.”
—Elizabeth Cady Stanton 1815–1902, U.S. women’s rights activist, author, editor. The Revolution (August 13, 1868)