La Alhambra

The next morning we woke up really early to start the ascent to the Alhambra, Granada’s majestic palace-fortress which serves as a constant reminder of Spain’s Islamic heritage. It is a palace-city in the same tradition as the Medina Azahara, but the Granada also served as a fortress, comprising of 2km of walls, 23 towers and a fort-within-a-fort, the Alcazaba. Significantly, the Alhambra is the only surviving large medieval Islamic palace complex in the world. Within the walls of the Alhambra, there were seven separate palaces, mosques, garrisons, houses, offices, baths, a summer residence (the Generalife), as well as exquisite gardens.

The original designers of the Alhambra were extremely talented landscape architects, integrating nature and buildings with pools, running water, trimmed trees and bushes, beautiful vistas, strategically positioned lookout points, juxtaposition of light and dark, and the contrast between heat and cool. In fact, the use of water is an art form in the Alhambra, with the sound of running water a constant throughout the palace. In fact, the general ambience created by the Alhambra is of such perfection that it is suggestive of the paradise described in the Quran.

There are a number of ornate arches scattered throughout the Alhambra; the Nasrid architects refined the decorative techniques of their day to new levels of elegance and harmony via sculptured stucco, marble panels, carved and inlaid wood, colorful tile work, in addition to epigraphic inscriptions (one in particular that is endlessly repeated states “There is no conqueror but Allah”).

The height of Granada’s splendor was under emirs Yusuf I (r 1333-54) and Mohammad V (r 1354-59 and 1362-91). Each was responsible for the addition of one of the Alhambra’s two primary palaces; Yusuf created the Palacio de Comares while Mohammad V takes credit for the Palacio de los Leones.

This is basically a quick run-down on the Alhambra, but it by no means does it justice. In all honesty, I could have spent hours writing about all of the interesting details of the palace; however, if you would like more information, here are a couple of urls to keep you busy:

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra

www.alhambra.org

Sorry! This last website offers a wealth of invaluable information, but it is only available in Spanish.

And, yes, at the end of the day, the wind had knocked a tree down over the road to get back into town. Luckily, it didn't take them long to clear out a path.

Parque Federico García Lorca

Lorca’s house was once separated from the rest of the city by orchards; today the Parque Federico García Lorca separates the house from the nearby buzz of traffic in order to recreate the tranquil environment that once inspired the author.

Huerta de San Vicente

Last on our agenda for the day was the Huerta de San Vicente, the house where the world-renowned granadino writer Federico García Lorca spend his summers and wrote some of his best known works.

Especias

As we were leaving the cathedral, we stopped to buy some Morrocan spices and tea.

Stained Glass

One of our favorite aspects of all of the cathedrals that we have seen so far in Spain is the stained glass, and the cathedral in Granada was full of a number of beautiful examples.

Pillars

The Corinthian pillars of the cathedral support an impressive nave of 45 meters.

Catedral

Granada’s cathedral is of Gothic and Renaissance design, completed in 1704, and was symbolically erected over the smoldering remains of the city’s largest mosque after the Reconquista.

C./ Caldedería Nueva

In addition to its teterías, Calle Calderería Nueva is also lined with shops stocked with slippers, hookahs, jewelry, and other North African delights.

Tetería

It was one of the rainiest weeks Andalucía had seen for weeks, and Granada was by no means able to escape its fair share of torrential downpours. To avoid complete and utter saturation, we dashed into a tetería in the Albaizín to have a pot of Morrocan tea.

Mezquita Mayor de Granada

The primary mezquita in the Albaizín and opened in 2003, the Mezquita Mayor de Granada has an open-door policy and is open to the public. It includes an Islamic center and gardens with a direct view of the Alhambra.

Mirador de San Nicolás III

Before going to the main mezquita which serves the Muslim population of the Albaizín, we took a little break at the Mirador de San Nicolás.

Patio

The mosque’s patio, whose three sides are carved into the shape of horseshoes, is located at the church’s western end.

Colegiata del Salvador

The Colegiata del Salvador is a 16^th-century church built on the site of the Albaizín’s primary mosque just after the Catholic King and Queen, Ferdinand and Isabel reconquered the territory from the Moors in 1492.

Jardines del Albaizín

The steep winding callecitas del Albaizín are lined with the beautiful carmen houses (from the Arabic karm , for garden), which are large mansions with gardens surrounded by protective walls.

Mirador de San Nicolás II

To really do it justice, we decided to come back to the Mirador de San Nicolás to see the view of the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada during the day.

The only thing separating the Albaizín from the Alhambra is the Darro Valley, and it has been said that it is as if the two “fancy” one another. The Albaizín looks the most stunning from the Alhambra, which has the most commanding presence from the miradores of the Albaizín. Undoubtedly, the two complement one another quite well.