50 MAHOMEDAN ARCHlTEtmJRE. 



Waliabeeisiii, in its earlier days, spread to and 

 gradually extended over a great part of India, 

 establishing its headquarters along the valley of the 

 Ganges. I shall have something more to say about 

 these fanatics when we reach Patna. In the mean- 

 time let us return to the old town of Lucknow. 



Amongst buildings, the royal palace, which abuts 

 on the river Goomty, has a very imposing exterior ; 

 it encloses two large quadrangles, displaying foun 

 tains and flower beds. Its architecture is essentially 

 Mahomedan, by some called Saracenic, by others 

 Arabian or Moorish. I prefer the first named term, 

 for it was really the new religion which found ex- 

 pression in this novel form, which, however, in India, 

 never reached anything like the beautiful outline and 

 proportion of what we now term the Moorish style, 

 the finest specimen of which still existing is the 

 Alhambra at Granada. The principal characteristics 

 of this royal edifice are the lofty entrance gate, some 

 forty or fifty feet high, adorned by the Moorish arch 

 and the gilded dome, with a number of smaller ones 

 isurmounting the entire structure ; the outer walls 

 are coloured pale yellow, richly ornamented with 

 panels, pilasters, and friezes in stucco. 



Jmambara is another magnificent palace, or rather 

 a group of edifices ; there is an immense hall, one 



