THE ALHAMBRA 49 



In wealth of detail and ornamentation, this little 

 bower of fifteen by ten feet surpasses all other 

 parts of the Palace. In Moorish days the Sultanas 

 could look from behind the lattices of the three 

 windows across the town and the plain of the 

 Vega. When their eyes wearied of the prospect 

 they could scan the numerous poetical effusions 

 traced upon the walls. 



Returning to the Patio de los Leones, we enter, 

 at its eastern extremity, the Sala del Tribunal, 

 or de la Justicia. This hall consists of seven 

 chambers opening on to a common vestibule. 

 The four small rooms are square, and are separated 

 by three larger oblong apartments. The same 

 gorgeous colouring, the same profusion of geo- 

 metrical ornamentation, here as elsewhere in the 

 Alhambra ! The arch over the central small 

 chamber, or divan, is perhaps the finest in the 

 whole Palace. But what renders this hall the 

 most remarkable in the edifice is that it contains 

 what are probably the only existing specimens 

 of mediaeval Muslim figure painting. The ceiling 

 of the central alcove or alhami is adorned by a 

 painting representing ten personages, who were 

 formerly supposed to be judges, whence the name 

 given to the hall. They were intended, more 

 probably, to represent the first ten sultans of the 

 Nasrite dynasty. The painting, like those in 

 the other alcoves, is done in bright colours (gold, 



D 



