Gezicht op binnenplaats (El Patio de los Leones) van Alhambra, Granada, Spanje c. 1850 - 1900

This photograph by Juan Laurent captures the Court of the Lions in Granada's Alhambra, a space brimming with symbolic intent. Dominating the view, the slender columns and ornate arches, adorned with intricate geometric patterns and inscriptions, speak to the mathematical and intellectual prowess valued in Islamic art. Consider the repetition of arches, a motif echoed in Roman aqueducts and Byzantine basilicas; a testament to structural ingenuity, but here transformed, infused with spiritual significance. The play of light and shadow animates the space. It’s a visual echo, a "memory image" of the sacred groves of antiquity. The fountain at the courtyard's center, reminiscent of paradise gardens, evokes not just aesthetic pleasure but also a profound sense of longing. This echoes in the Renaissance use of fountains, each a revival and reinterpretation, shaped by a new cultural lens. In these patterns, we witness the cyclical nature of symbols, perpetually re-emerging, transformed yet timeless.