Granada and the Alhambra
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What
a delight! We stepped into our hotel room in Granada, found a
little balcony, and stepped out to see this view of the Alhambra.
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| One
of Queen Isabella's best decisions was to fund Christopher
Columbus. She made that commitment just outside of Granada, not
long after the last moors were displaced from Spain. And their
last stronghold was the Alhambra.
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| Granada is a city of fountains. Besides the beauty of this fountain, note the snow covered mountains in the distance.
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| Of course some of these fountains become grotesque.
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| The
Albaicín is an old Moorish neighborhood. It is high on a
hill across the river from the Alhambra. The streets are narrow
and cobble stoned. They also have sort of a depression or gutter
down the middle. I very cleverly managed to slip and fall on one
of those shallow gutters. Loss of dignity, and a pair of Dockers
joined my grunge wardrobe.
The Moors and the Jews were largely driven out over the centuries, with
the help of the Grand Inquisitor, so many of these places are inhabited
by gypsies. I also have a sense that there may be some
gentrification going on here.
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| The
river Darro passes through the heart of Granada. When we were
there, it looked like a creek. All along the way, the view (to
the left in this picture) is dominated by the Alhambra high above.
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| The
Alhambra consists of fortifications, the Alcazaba pictured here,
Moorish palaces and a renaissance palace built by Carlos V. This
is the Torre Vera
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| Lest someone forget. This was a serious fortress for several centuries.
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| The Mexuar is one of the oldest of the three palaces that make up the Casa Real. This part probably dates to the 13th century. This was probably a reception room for visiting emirs.
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| Patio de los Arrayanes (Court of the Myrtles) was probably built during the reign of Yussef I in the middle of the 14th century.
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| The
Patio de los Leones is a courtyard surrounded by elegant rooms.
One of the most striking is the Sala de los Reyes. This is
another 14th century construction.
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| Still
in the Court of the Lions, the Sala de los Abencerrajes is notable for
its domed ceiling. The room is named for a noble family that was
murdered here in the 15th century, not too long before the Moors vacated
the Alhambra.
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| The
Alhambra has a magnificent, strategic view of the surrounding
countryside and the city of Granada. Here we see an old city wall.
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| This is the colonnade that forms the entry to Torre de los Damas.
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| The Generalife Gardens adjoin the Alhambra, and here the evergreens have been carved to resemble the battlements behind them.
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