The Room of the ship

Antechamber to the most important space of the Palace of Comares, its name may have come from the cylindrical shape of the dome, like an inverted boat hull, or from the Arab term al-baraka, repeatedly inscribed on the stucco of the walls.

By the end of the 16th century it was necessary to repaint the ceiling and thus, until recently, it also became known as the Golden Room. The shape and size of the ceiling give it a very peculiar and unique aspect. The original structure was practically destroyed after a fire on the 15 September 1890; its restoration, finished in June, 1965, was possible thanks to drawings, photographs and unburned fragments.

The lattice frame is made of pine wood. Its ends are spherical sections decorated with 12-lattice patterns. The decorative pattern of the central axis combines 12-point circles and 8-point stars.

The socle, made up of different types of tiles, adorns the walls of the room and of the halls of the corners with access through large half-circular arches. The room’s niches were enlarged in the 17th century with the purpose of opening grated windows leaning to the courtyard, as can be seen in 19th c. paintings and in old photographs.