Granada - the Alhambra and much more

When most people think of Granada, they think of the Alhambra - the most visited monument in Spain - and turn a blind eye to the rest of the city. Granada is a beautiful, modern city nestled in valley of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The city has a rich history, and was the stronghold of the Moors on the Iberian peninsula until finally surrendering to the Christians in 1492. When Mohammed XII, known as Boabdil to the Spaniards, surrendered the city of Granada, his mother responded to his tears with these words: "you cry like a woman over something you failed to defend as a man." Pretty harsh. The legacy of the Moors in Granada is reflected in the architecture, and especially of the Alhambra.

Above: me in front of the Moorish outer walls of the Alhambra, this photo was taken from the top of the hill near the cave dwellings. These cave dwellings were bored out of the hillside by the Moors to house their slaves and workers who built the Alhambra. The caves sometimes also hit upon fresh water springs, which then became sources for wells in the nearby whitewash casbah-like neighbourhood of the Albaicín which is in the bottom-right of the above of the photo. Gold has also been found in the caves as well, although metal-detectors and gold speculating is now illegal in Granada. The hills were occupied by gypsies for many years, but in modern day Andalusia, it's now a place of squatters and life-long cave dwelling families. If you can prove that you've lived in a cave for 20 years, it belongs to you. However, there is a rumour that the local government wants to destroy the caves (partly because they are unstable due to earthquakes and landslides from heavy rainfall). My local walking tour guide thought that the rumours reflect a possible desire to develop the hillside with hotels to capitalize on the view. I hope not because Granada will lose a part of its history and charm. A side note - Garcia Lorca used to write poetry from the top of this hill as he found the view to be most inspiring.

If you note the five windows more or less directly above my left shoulder in the dead-centre of the above photo, that was the room where Isabella and Ferdinand issued the Decree of 1492 which outlawed Judaism in Spain. Jews had three choices: 1) stay and convert to Christianity; 2) stay and die; or 3) leave Spain. Given the relative peace and freedom that Jews experienced under the Moors, this decree created a shockwave of intolerance and panic throughout the country. Many Jews left Spain, many were killed, and many stayed and "converted" only to be persecuted later by the relentless Spanish Inquisition.

Granada is actually named after the pomegranate trees that are native here. I saw some with fruit that were splitting open, a sight that made me gape as I usually have to use many muscles to cut and pull the hulls open to access the deliciously tart seeds inside.

Granada has many advantages that account for the long-standing presence of the Moors here: high ground, plenty of fresh water, and good climate for growing foodstuffs. The view from both the Alhambra and the hill behind affords a clear vista for miles in many different directions, making it easy to defend. 

The Alhambra is difficult to get into, tickets sell out weeks in advance. I thought booking my ticket 10 days in advance would be enough time, but I was wrong. Then I recalled a tip that a fellow Vancouverite that I met in Seville told me (hi Erin!): that I should buy the Bono Turistico Granada Card which gives one access to the Alhambra, the cathedral, and other sites around town, including five trips on the local bus. The basic card costs around €33 (to visit the Alhambra on its own is €14) but I definitely am glad I got it, especially because I wasn't willing to queue at 7am to try and get tickets for the Alhambra. You have to choose the time of day you're planning on visiting the Nasrid Palaces though (morning vs. the afternoon) as it's a form of crowd-control through some delicate and stunning plasterworks. 

The Alhambra was built between 1237 - 1391 by different sultans of the Nasrid dynasty in Granada. This palace of light, water, gardens and space was their attempt to create a type of heaven on earth. After visiting Morocco, I was used to seeing the archways, carved plaster reliefs, and fountains, but the scale in the Alhambra is much more expansive. I still recall looking at some of the rooms and being utterly gobsmacked by the detail. 

Below: My hostel friend Sophie and I spent about five hours wandering around the grounds, gardens, walls, and of course the Nasrid Palaces. We went in the morning, and got to enjoy a chilly sunrise over Granada from the watch tower. You can see the cathedral in the centre middle-distance.

Above: the Patio of the Lions. I was hard-pressed to snap a photo without a million people milling about but managed to get lucky with a bit of patience.

Below: the Patio of Myrtles, probably my favourite outdoor space in the Alhumbra. I love the reflection of the palace mirrored in the pool.

My favourite room inside the Nasrid Palace was the Salón de Embajadores (embassadors). It took twenty years to build and carve the paster in place. I sat in one of the chairs and spent a good ten minutes just looking around and upwards. 

Above: a sample of the ornate plasterwork from inside the Salón de Embajadores. Islamic art forbids the use of figure drawings, and so plant motifs are woven together with Arabic script to form a truly unique and beautiful illustration. Now imagine an entire room covered in this stuff!

Below: the ceiling of Salón de los Abencerrajes. This geometrical ceiling was inspired by Pythagoras' theorem. I adore the eight-pointed star. It's hard to capture the depth in photos, but these ceilings are astonishing to behold, it's like looking into infinity.

The gardens around the palace, and the Generalife are really beautiful. While the buildings' interiors capture most peoples attention, the gardens are worth viewing as well. So many different types of plants, sculpted hedges, rose gardens, and of course the ever-present orange trees are found throughout the palace grounds. Fountains play an important role as well, as they help keep the spaces cool on hot Spanish days. The sound of the gurgling water calms the mind as well.

The site is mostly accessible, with ramps and alternative routes for those with mobility impairments. There were really neat "touch points" with Braille and a portion of either carved plaster or mosaics that you could feel with your fingertips. Really great way to get up close and personal without negatively impacting the stuff on the walls. 

I did also visit the Palace of Carlos V in the Alhambra, but after viewing the Nasrid Palaces, it really wasn't much to look at. It does hold the museum of the Alhambra and some small art galleries. I saw these copies of the Koran in the museum (14th and 15th centuries CE):

Next two photos: I also got to watch local craftsmen making beautiful wood inlay tables and boxes within the grounds of the Alhambra. This type of wood inlay craft is specific to Granada and impressive in its level of detail.

The next day I decided to go to the Cathedral. The cathedral was the most important monument that the Catholic monarchs built after they took the city back from the Moors. It was to rival the beauty of the Alhambra. It's hard to compare the two monuments however, it's like apples and oranges. But the cathedral is impressive in its size and how bright it is inside (owing to its whitewashed pillars and ceiling). Like other churches/cathedrals, it was built where a mosque was formerly located. I especially liked the semi-circular alter that drew my gaze upwards to the beautiful powder-blue and gold ceiling. There are many stained glass works within the cathedral as well, bringing in ever more light to the space.

Next few photos: the view of the semi-circular alter and the ceiling of the cathedral. The different levels of the alter contain images of the twelve apostles, and the second level was designed to be the tombs of the Spanish kings. The cathedral was originally designed to be gothic in style, but a new architect was hired after five years of work and convinced Carlos V to have the cathedral built in the Renaissance style.nthe result is a bright, artistically rendered place of worship.

That night I took in a flamenco show at Le Chien Andalou (the Andalusia Dog) for a mere €8. The Spanish guitarist was probably one of the most passionate and talented players I've heard to date. The show starts at 10pm and with a short intermission, ends at midnight. There is a singer/caller, one guitarist, and one dancer. The space is intimate with low-ceiling. Order a sangria, and get ready to clap. The experience was a bit detracted by people taking endless video and photographs. Flamenco is to be experienced, taking photos and videos means that one isn't really taking in the show. And I'm sure it's distracting to the dancer. Nonetheless, the show was great value for money, and my hands were sore from clapping afterwards.

On my last day in Granada, my friends from the hostel encouraged (read: cajoled) me into joining them for a day hike in the Sierra Nevada mountains. I had plans to do laundry, relax, and take in a science exhibition, but was lured out by friends and good weather. It's funny, but both the name of the mountain range and it's topography reminded me of Nevada (as the mountain range that runs through Nevada and California is also called the Sierra Nevada). We took a local bus from across the river for €1.50 for about 40 minutes and we deposited in a small town that I don't recall the name of. Our goal was to reach a waterfall, but really, it was just good to be in nature rather than the city. A total of thirteen of us from the hostel went, ages ranging from early 20's to mid-50's. The way was sometimes a bit treacherous as we had to grip rock faces, crawl, step across river beds, and over rickety rope and wire bridges. 

Above: a view of the narrow path right before entering a cave where we had to crawl/cling to the rock face.

Below: a stunning view on the way back into the town. So pretty.

I'm glad I got persuaded to go on the hike. It was rewarding to get out and see something other than man-made artifice. The countryside is really gorgeous. We even were blessed by a herd of goats scampering along the cliffs opposite us. Definitely worth the five and a half hour hike!

I left Granada that night on an over-night train bound for Barcelona. That was an adventure in itself! Waking up in a totally different city was a bit shocking but I'll save that adventure for my next post.