It's an early Sunday morning in November in Granada, Spain. Most everything is closed up tight, but coffee shops in the tourist area around the Plaza Nueva are already open, as they prepare for the latest onslaught of visitors. I stop for a "cafe con leche" and a croissante, and plan my day.
My task is to find out what makes Spain tick. You can't begin to understand Spain, its culture, and its people, unless you understand the influence that 750 years of rule by Arab Muslims has had on virtually every facet of life. And it is here in Granada that you can most easily peel back the centuries to find the soul of Moorish Spain.
Granada is not a large city, around 300,000 people, but it occupies a signal place in Spanish history. Standing at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, it has been settled since prehistoric times. It was built up by the Romans and became an important center under Moorish rule. It was here on January 2nd, 1492 that Ferdinand and Isabella accepted the surrender of the last Muslim ruler in Spain. Because the surrender was largely peaceful, most of the old city survived intact. And perched on a steep hill overlooking the city was the jewel that crowns Granada to this day, the Alhambra.
Built by the Nasrid dynasty in the 14th century, the Alhambra is a massive walled complex of palaces, residences, and strongpoints that dominate the city. The stones used to construct it glow with a red sheen, especially in the light from the setting sun. Its name comes from a corruption of the Arabic for "Red Castle."
It's a long hike up the hill from Plaza Nueva, so I catch the Number 30 bus there to make the run up to the complex entrance.
To limit the damaging effects of millions of people parading through, the Spanish government severely limits the number of people per day who can visit the Alhambra. They also restrict your entrance to the Moorish palaces to a half-hour window; miss it, and you've lost your chance to see the jewel of the Alhambra. My half-hour starts in the next ten minutes, so I mustn't dawdle. I pick up one of the audio guides at the entrance and sweep past the foundations of the old townsite, the homes and workplaces of the artisans, craftsmen, and merchants who lived in the shadow of the palaces. Past the lovely rose garden (I'll circle back and sit here at the end of my tour, when my legs get weary). I continue on, around the 16th century palace of Charles the Fifth and, behind it, almost hidden from sight, I find the entrance to the real treasure of the Alhambra, the palaces and living quarters of its Moorish rulers.
Inside I find exquisite architecture; finely-fluted columns supporting delicate arches, everything covered with fine mosaics and tiles done in the Islamic fashion. Complex geometric designs seemingly without beginning or end, are interwoven at times with delicate vines or roses; the arabesque. Ceilings in the various rooms of the royal residences show the stars and circles central to Islam, with the center circle at the very top representing Paradise itself.
The buildings are constructed in the traditional Arab way, with few outside windows. Instead, attention is focussed on the cool interior courtyard, a veritable oasis of peace and tranquillity. As with most homes and palaces in dry countries, there is water everywhere; reflecting pools, arching jets of water, and giant fountains splashing an endless supply of the life-giving substance. You can almost hear the swish of Arab robes passing by.
Most magnificent of all is the Hall of the Ambassadors, the throne room of the emir, where he met with foreign dignitaries. Every part of the room, the walls, arches, and niches, are covered with flowing Arabic script. Poetry pays tribute to various emirs or praises Allah, while various passages from the Koran are on prominent display.
And the gardens outside! No wonder these lords of the desert enjoyed their homes here! Fragrant roses bloom under giant shade trees, and hedges gently divide the gardens into discrete havens of tranquillity. The smell of oranges is in the air, the tangy scent of the fruit in evidence even in November. Despite the crowds, you could find a moment of peace by stepping off the main path and into one of these small areas.
Now it's off to the second major jewel in the Alhambra's crown, the Generalife palace. Not, it's not named after an insurance company. This is the summer palace of the Nasrid rulers, their place of relaxation. The name is thought to come from the Arabic title, "Yanat- al- Arif," or "Garden of the Architect," an apparent reference to Allah as the architect of all.
As I follow the fortress walls along a narrow but deep gorge, I see the Generalife perched on the neighbouring hilltop. As I cross a bridge to the entrance, the first thing I see is rather jarring; a newly-built ampitheatre used for music festivals. I shudder at the thought, but locals tell me later it's just a setting for the annual Music and Dance Festival, which is traditional in nature. Thank goodness, no rock bands!
Then come the magnificent gardens, just like the ones in the palaces below, but writ larger. Oranges and pomegranates hang heavy from their branches, still around this late in the year. More roses, and many types of delicate flowers I can't identify. And water everywhere, nowhere more celebrated than the three-storey Water Staircase, where an endless supply of cool, refreshing liquid rushes down through channels carved in the banisters. The buildings themselves are much more subdued, in line with the idea that this was a family retreat, not a display of power and wealth. But the power and wealth are evident anyway; anyone, even in the 21st century, who could afford such luxury would not be an ordinary joe.
Finally, I head down the long path back to the entrance. I circle back in to take a break in the quiet garden I noticed earlier on my way in. Things have picked up in the three-plus hours since I arrived. The walkways are jammed with people, enjoying the sunny day. But I am still virtually alone in the garden; I could be on another planet.
After I leave the grounds, and the throngs lining up to get in, I sit on a bench in the sunshine to reflect upon what I've seen. It's all clear to me now. The sounds of traditional Spanish songs which, luckily, are still heard on the radio and in bars and clubs, not yet swamped by North American-influenced "popular" culture. The flash of Flamenco and the sultry sensuousness of the Sevillanas. The sparkling eyes and flashing smiles of raven-haired women. The dark good looks of the men. I hear the sounds and see the sights of Arabia and the desert woven through the cultural fabric of the nation. Spain wouldn't be Spain without its Islamic heritage.
This is Spain's most popular attractions with 20-million visitors a year! As such, you really shouldn't visit without a reservation in advance; admission is severely restricted to only a few thousand visitors per day. To purchase tickets,
click here to visit the official site. You will be able to choose between a morning and and afternoon session. And on your ticket will be printed a half-hour time slot. This is the time by which you MUST enter the Nazrid palaces, or lose access to the jewel of the entire Alhambra.
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How to get there:
Granada is located in southern Spain, in the region of Andalucia. It is less than a two hour drive from Malaga, three hours from Sevilla, and about five hours from Madrid. There are no high-speed rail connections, but there are many connections to other parts of Spain via the country's excellent intercity bus services. The closest international airport is Malaga, which is also connected to Madrid and other Spanish cities by the high-speed AVE train network.
In the 80 years since then, the town has become quite popular with Spanish familes during the summer, but for the rest of the year, it lapses back into a rather somnolent existence. The town's architecture is unique, more akin to what you might find in medieval villages in France, and some of the buildings date back to the time of Columbus.
