Les bâtisseurs de l'Alhambra

An unique documentary that reconstructs for the first time the Nazari Society of Granada of 14th century Andalusia. The Builders of the Alhambra tells the story of the historic construction of the Alhambra in Granada from the point of view of Ibn al-Khatib, recreating the social, cultural and economic context of Granada in the 14th century. The film interweaves the current vision of the Alhambra in Granada with scenes recreated in space and time (1340) to discover the characters responsible for the construction of the palaces of the Alhambra, their history and the reasons that led them to build it.

Knowing that his besieged Kingdom of Granada is doomed to disappear due to the advance of the neighboring Christian kingdoms, Yusf I, the Sultan of Granada, embarks on the construction of a building that reflects the splendor of his civilization and defies oblivion: The Alhambra of Granada. His vizier, Ibn al-Khatib (Amr Waked), a poet and genius ahead of his time, who was even compared to Machiavelli and he participated in this colossal challenge. When the sultan's son, Mohammed V, inherits the throne and involves him in the new policies of his reign, the vizier is torn between the ideas of his old world and the new one that is emerging. His chronicles tell us the story of 14th century Granada, the swan song of Muslim Europe.

The documentary provides a broad biographical reference of Ibn al-Kathib. After his father and older brother were killed in the Battle of Río Salado (Christian troops commanded by king Alfonso XI) in 1340 , Ibn al-Khatib was hired to work as a secretary for his former teacher Ibn al-Jayyab, vizier to Emir Yusuf I. Following Ibn al-Jayyab's early death from the plague, Ibn al-Khatib became vizier and head of the emiri chancery, serving also in diplomatic roles in the courts of Andalusi and Maghrebi rulers. He was poet, builder and essay writer and while savouring the wisdom of Sufism, in which repeated prayers bring one closer to God. His poetry was influenced by court poets from the Mashreq, or Islamic east. In his treatise about the plague he explores the idea of transmission of disease through contagion, centuries before Louis Pasteur conducted his experiments in Europe. The original Arabic text is preserved in the Zaydani Collection at the Biblioteca del Real Monasterio de El Escorial. Of the estimated deaths due to the outbreak of bubonic plague, known as the Black Death, that swept through al-Andalus in the 14th century, the numbers range to as high as a third of the Muslim population worldwide. For much of his life he was vizier at the court of the Sultan of Granada, Muhammed V and where he created a hospital. He spent two periods in exile in the Marinid empire; (he resided variously at Ceuta, Tlemcen and Fes). In 1374, he was imprisoned for 'Zandaqa (heresy). He was sentenced to death by suffocation. Earlier and modern historians have speculated that his many private and political feuds with the Emirs of Granada belonging to the Nasrid dynasty were probably the main factors in his treatment and execution. His body was burned before being buried at Bab Mahruq, a city gate in Fes.

There is also a long reference to 'Al Andalus' where all the knowledge of antiquity was gathered and translated, including that of the wise men Euclid, Ptolemy, and Avicenna. There many knowledges were developed, including medicine, Arabic caligraphy, epigraphic decoration, and other knowledge such as astronomy -detailing lunar and Venusian views early on-, astrology and even the zodiac.

And of course, remembering the Alhambra in Granada with its Comares Tower, the wonderful ceilings and the Generalife gardens with their prosperous orchards. In fact, the various fruits that came from Arab orchards that spread throughout the world are praised , creating an authentic Green Revolution.

The cast of mostly unknown actors is led by the actor who plays Ibn al-Khatib, Amr Waked, known for films such as "Syriana," "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" and "Lucy." This Spanish documentary film was professionally directed and produced by Spanish film director Isabel Fernández and released on November 25, 2022.