THE ALHAMBRA 59 



of Mohammed III. (1302-1309). " And among 

 his great actions, the greatest and most remarkable 

 was the construction of the great Mosque or 

 Aljama of the Alhambra, with all that it con- 

 tained of elegance and decoration, mosaics, and 

 cements ; as well as lamps of pure silver and other 

 great marvels. In front of the Mosque were the 

 baths, erected with the money levied from the 

 Christians in his dominions. With the receipts 

 from these baths the Mosque and its ministers 

 were maintained." The modern church is of 

 brick, and contains nothing of note, except a 

 Visigothic inscription, referring to the construc- 

 tion of three temples, dedicated to St. Stephen, St. 

 John, and St. Vincent, in the years 594 and 607. 



THE PALACE OF CHARLES V. 



The forlorn, roofless palace in the classical style, 

 which seems so out of place amid these Oriental 

 buildings, was begun by order of the Emperor 

 Charles V. in 1538. It was never completed. 

 The Flemish Caesar's intention seems to have been 

 to establish a permanent residence here, whence 

 he could contemplate the beauties of the Moorish 

 palace. The building is a quadrangle of four 

 facades, each seventeen metres high. The lower 

 storey is of the Tuscan order, the upper, Ionic. 

 Some of the marble portals are very fine. In the 

 decoration appear allusions to the campaigns, 



