Exploring España: Granada #2

Like most people, I was visiting Granada for one reason and one reason only – to see the Alhambra. Having accidentally left it too late to buy a ticket online, I ended up shelling out €52 (£42/US$71) for a guided group tour, which meant sacrificing photo-taking time for imparted knowledge. Nonetheless, I still managed to take more than 400 photos in just over two hours!

La Alhambra (Al-Ḥamrā' in Arabic) is a palace and fortress complex built on the site of a ninth century fort. In the 13th century, the ruins of the fort were renovated and the current palace and walls were built by Muḥammad ibn al-’Aḥmar, founder of the Nasrid dynasty (the last Muslim dynasty in Spain) and first Nasrid Sultan of Granada (r. 1238-1273). In 1333, Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada (r. 1333-1354) converted the complex into a royal site and continued to make alterations and additions. The work was completed by his son and successor, Muhammed V, Sultan of Granada (r. 1354-1359 and 1362-1391).

Following the Reconquista (Christian reconquest) in 1492, parts of the site were used by Christian rulers. Thus, in amongst the Moorish buildings, you can find the Renaissance Palace of Carlos V, which was built in 1527. Over time, the complex fell into disrepair and it remained that way until the 19th century when it was rediscovered and restored. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is one of Spain's major tourist attractions with some 7,000 people a day visiting it during the high season!


The Alhambra from the Generalife

My tour started with the Palacio de Generalife (in Arabic Jannat al-‘Arīf, literally, 'Architect's Garden'). Constructed during the reign of Muhammed III, Sultan of Granada (r. 1302-1309), it was designed to be a summer palace for the Nasrid emirs. Today, the gardens are thought to be one of the oldest surviving Moorish gardens in Spain.

Looking across to El Albayzín

One of the many roses in bloom

Late spring roses

Yellow roses in the Generalife



 Trachelospermum jasminoides, commonly known as 'Star Jasmine'

The beautiful Patio de la Acequia (Court of the Water Channel)

Arches offering views across the city

From the gardens we made our way to the Medina. All that remains now are mere foundations of what was once the beating heart of the city, home to government officials, employees and court servants. During the Granada War (1482-1492), the citadel was blown up by the French, who are said to have declared that if they couldn't have it, no-one would.

Realising that he could no longer defend the once impenetrable fortress, the 22nd and last Nasrid Sultan of Granada (r. 1482-1483 and 1487-1492) Abu 'Abdallah Muhammed XII, more commonly known as Boabdil, surrendered the city to the Catholic Monarchs, King Fernando II (r. 1479-1516) and Queen Isabel I (r. 1479-1504) and made his escape through La Puerta de los Siete Suelos. Legend has it that as the Sultan's party moved south, Boabdil turned and looked back at the Alhambra, and burst into tears when he saw what he had lost. His mother approached him and said tartly, "Cry like a woman for what you could not defend as a man".


The remains of the citadel



La Puerta de los Siete Suelos (the Gate of the Seven Floors)

Having seen what little there was of the Medina, our guide took us through La Puerta del Vino (the Wine Gate) and to the Alcazaba (citadel). This is the oldest part of the Alhambra, thought to have been built even before the Muslims arrived. Like the Medina, very little remains – only the outer walls, towers and ramparts.

The views from the Alcazaba are stunning. In fact, I was so taken with the views of the Albayzín district that I almost missed the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains!

The military district showing the remains of the houses of the royal guard



Views from the Alcazaba

El Albayzín



The stunning Sierra Nevada

Some of the remaining towers



Leaving the Alcazaba

The pièce de résistance, and the part most people will recognise from the photos, is of course Los Palacios Nazaríes (Nasrid Palaces), a palatial complex that comprises three main areas – the Mexuar, the Comares (also known as the Palace of Yusuf I), and Patio de los Leones (the Court of the Lions). Of the 400 or so photos I took, over half of them were taken in the Nasrid Palaces.

The tour commenced in El Patio de Machuca, which took us into the Mexuar. This was the place where the Council of Ministers met and where the Sultan dispensed justice. Just off the Mexuar is an oratory where the Muslims prayed. Being non-Muslim, however, we couldn't enter and I had to settle for taking a couple of shots from behind a rope.

Entering the Nasrid Palaces from Patio de la Machuca



Moorish tilework in the Mexuar

The oratory

Close-up of the windows in the oratory

The door leading to La Fachada de Comares (the Façade of Comares)

On leaving the Mexuar, we entered the room containing La Fachada de Comares (the Façade of Comares). This majestic construction was commissioned by Muhammed V in 1370 to commemorate the conquest of Algeciras. The façade separated the administrative and private parts of the palace. Underneath the façade are two doors, with the left one leading to the main part of the palace and the right to the family and servants' quarters.


The archway to my immediate left

Detail of the plasterwork

The façade

Window grilles enabled women to see what was happening without being seen

Doorway leading to Patio de Arrayanes (The Court of the Myrtles)

We went through the left door and found ourselves standing in one of the most beautiful areas of the palace – Patio de Arrayanes (The Court of the Myrtles, so-called because of the bushes that were planted there). If you have ever come across pictures of the inside of the Nasrid Palaces, this is probably what you have seen.


The south portico

In Moorish times, visitors to the palace were taken to Patio de Arrayanes and left to sit in the sun before being granted an audience with the Sultan. This had little to do with allowing the visitors to admire the scenery though. Instead, it was a calculated plan to discomfit the guest. Outside it was bright, and the sun and the white buildings reflecting off the water would dazzle the guest and leave him near-blind. After a while he would be taken into a darkened room (the Chamber of the Ambassadors) to meet the Sultan, whom he now could not see. The temporary blindness would wrong-foot him and he would likely ask the Sultan for far less than he had intended to.

Inside the darkened Chamber of the Ambassadors

The north portico reflected in the water

Detail of the arches

Some of the tilework

Close-up of the carvings

All too soon we left the Court of the Myrtles – I would have liked to take in the views a bit longer – and within minutes were standing in Patio de los Leones (the Court of the Lions). Constructed by Muhammed V between 1362 and 1391, it is said to be the most complete example of Moorish architecture in the world.

The entrance to Patio de los Leones

Close-up of the plasterwork



More intricate carvings and a wooden door

The Fountain of the Lions

Close-up of the lions

A bird above one of the arches

On one side of Patio de los Leones is Sala de Abencerrajes (the Hall of the Abencerrajes), a room with a beautiful eight-pointed star just below the cupola, some 16th century Sevillian tiles... and a gruesome history.

According to a 16th century legend, one of the Sultan's wives was rumoured to be having an affair with a man from the North African Abencerraje family. However, no-one could be sure which one it was. Determined to have his revenge, the Sultan invited all the Abencerraje men (of which there were 36) to a banquet. He then led them into a room, locked the door and had them killed. And thus the room got its name.


The star-shaped cupola design

Sevillian tilework

On the other side of the Court of the Lions is La Sala de dos Hermanas (the Hall of the Two Sisters), which is structurally similar to the Hall of the Abencerrajes.


The ceiling

Plasterwork

We left the Hall of the Two Sisters, walked out into a courtyard – from where, once again, we got lovely views over the city – and through a gate, which deposited us firmly outside the Nasrid Palaces. The tour, it would seem, was over. The guide told us that our tickets were still valid so we could stay in the grounds all day if we chose to. But since you can only enter the Generalife and Nasrid Palaces once, I couldn't see the point. And so I left.

One last view of the city

Normally, I hate guided tours, but in this case I have to concede that I got far more out of the experience than I would have had I tried to see the Alhambra alone. However, the tour was rather too rushed for my liking, so although I got all the pertinent information, I had little time to take it in and enjoy the views. I definitely think a return trip is in order, and this time I'll be sure to book the tickets for a self-guided tour well in advance!