albaicin_the Muslim quaters

'to situate a house within a garden, you should select a rise in the ground to make it easier to guard. The building should be at the entrance to the property and orientated towards midday, and the well or irrigation tank should be sited at the highest point of all. Better still than a well is a channel, which should run in the shade of plants and trees, Plants clumps of all sorts of evergreens close to the channel to delight the eye, and a little farther away, as wide a variety of flowers and evergreen trees as possible. let a vineyard surround a garden and in the middle climbing vines provide shade for the path between the flower beds. At the very center, erect an open pavilion for the hours of rest, surrounded by climbing roses, myrtles and other varieties of flowers to beautify the view. The garden should be longer than it is wide so as not to tire the eyes in contemplation. A room should be built at the lower end for guests. Make a pool hidden between the trees so that it might not be seen from a distance. It is also useful to build a dovecote and habitable tower. the house itself should have two doors so as to be more easily protected and the owner feel secure.....'

Ibn Luyun_Treatise on agriculture and gardening....