Moorish Granada: Alhambra and Albayzin

Granada must surely have the most interesting history of any city in Spain. A last bastion of the Moors in Europe, the city succumbed in 1492 to the armies of the Reconquista,  The Spanish-style Crusade had finally won back the entire Iberian peninsula.  It only took 700 years.

Ferdinand and Isabella (yes, that Ferdinand and Isabella) were the lucky monarchs to enjoy the spoils, and they did, indeed.  Recognizing a good thing in Granada's beautiful Moorish fortress. the Alhambra, they moved right in.  They left the Albayzin, the nearby Muslim quarter, untouched but were not quite so tolerant of its non-Catholic residents.. Conquered Muslims and Jews either converted to Catholicism, fled to North Africa, or risked torture. (Today, tourists wander the streets of Granada admiring its Muslim past, and give very little thought to the horrors of the Inquisition. It is so much pleasanter to conjure Scheherazade-like fantasies as one explores the Alhambra in its park-like setting.)

We walked to the Alhambra and passed this lovely old gate.

Our well-situated hotel was within walking distance of the Alhambra, and we also lucked out with entrance tickets, booking the last 4 available at 11:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning. But we didn't really appreciate the benefit of an early visit until we passed the hot and cranky afternoon line-ups as we were leaving.  Arriving at 10:00 to explore the grounds, we had found this tourist mecca relatively free of tourists!  There is nothing that spoils a world-famous beauty spot (and UNESCO World Heritage Site) like hordes of other admirers.  A morning visit also guarantees cooler temperatures.

That couple at the far end?  They are likely saying "Wow!  There is no one here.  Let's take a picture!"

The Alhambra is not grandiose, but it is very beautiful. Although it was a palace (as well as a fortress) the palatial aspects are best typified not by size or magnificence, but by the elegant, intricate design that incorporates water (in fountains and pools), gardens and opportunities for shade.

Ornament is everything.

A raggy-looking shrub would be so wrong in this space.

Tourists, at last.  They are admiring the Lion Fountain.

Entrance to the Alhambra includes access to the abundant gardens, and one of the prettiest is the Generalife which surrounds a summer palace. It is a beautiful spot and makes one want to rush home to dig water features and plant bougainvillea everywhere. (Though lilacs might be a better choice in southern Ontario.)

The summer palace.  A lone photographer is taking our picture just as we take his.

We took in the Albayzin, another World Heritage Site , on a very warm afternoon and once again we among just a few tourists.  Perhaps they did not relish an uphill slog.  We didn't mind, and we found it interesting to wander through what remained of the old Moorish quarter on our way to the destination lookout, the Plaza of St. Nicolas.

St. Nicolas Church was once a mosque.

A court of mosaic stone in the Albayzin market place. 

The Albayzin may be a "heritage area", but it is also a living neighbourhood.  There are bars, restaurants and shops, and vehicles parked outside homes and apartments. But the Moorish influence is unmistakable, even in Catholic churches that began life as mosques.  Our Rick Steeves' guide mentions 20 mosques in this area that got a Christian makeover, but we only saw two or three.

A busy, un-Medeival market in the Albayzin.

 

St Nicolas Plaza offers a lovely view of the Alhambra.  Everyone else thinks so too.