Designs from the Alahambra, Granada, Andalusia, Spain

Designs from the Alahambra, Granada, Andalusia, Spain

The windows in this photo are a mashrabiya lattice found in Alahambra in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. Here is a definition of this architectural element from Wikipedia: Mashrabiya. 

A mashrabiya (Arabic: مشربية‎), also either shanshūl (شنشول) or rūshān (روشان), is an architectural element which is characteristic of traditional architecture in the Islamic world. It is a type of projecting oriel window enclosed with carved wood latticework located on the upper floors of a building, sometimes enhanced with stained glass. It was traditionally used to catch and passively cool the wind; jars and basins of water were placed in it to cause evaporative cooling.

Here is a list of some of the other architectural elements in the Alahambra including the mashrabiya from Thoughtco.com's "The Amazing Architecture of Spain's Alhambra."

• alfiz — the horseshoe arch, sometimes called a Moorish arch
• alicatado — geometric tile mosaics
• Arabesque — an English-language word used to describe the intricate and delicate designs found in Moorish architecture — what Professor Hamlin calls a "love of surface richness." So breathtaking is the exquisite craftsmanship that the word is also used to explain a delicate ballet position and a fanciful form of musical composition.
• mashrabiya — an Islamic window screen
• mihrab — prayer niche, usually in a Mosque, in a wall facing the direction of Mecca
• muqarnas — honeycomb stalactite-like arching similar to pendentives for vaulted ceilings and domes