fotos VIII: A visit to Granada and the Alhambra

On Saturday June 2nd we took the final excursion scheduled for our cultural immersion program at Abadat. Our field trip took us to Granada, one of the most historically important cities in all of Spain and perhaps even Europe.

A view of Granada's old city wall from the barrio of Albaicin.


So this one is kind of out of order. Friday I had tickets to see the Czech National Orchestra with another girl from my class, but alas, it was not to be. The concert was canceled and we went out to dinner instead.


A view of the Alhambra from Albaicin.


Some pretty flowers on the walk up to the Alhambra.


One of many towers, as seen from outside the Alhambra wall.


A latern inside the Carmen of the University of Granada. It's hanging from the largest wisteria arbor I've ever seen.


Another view of the Alhambra, this time from the U of Granada's Carmen in the barrio of Albaicin.


Some cool arches in the Generalife, the summer palace alongside the Alhambra. The Generalife was built as a summer palace because although it sits alongside the Alhambra--on a hill overlooking the city of Granada--it is located in the convection zone. As a result, in the summer the average temperature is between 5º-10ºF cooler than that of the Alhambra and there is a constant, pleasant breeze, a definite necessity in the days long before air conditioning.


If there's one thing the Spanish love more than ham and mullets it has got to be arches. These are inside the Generalife and overlook the city. What a view.


One of the many gardens at the Generalife.


Outside the Palace of the Generalife.


The reflecting pool at the Carmen.


Outside the principal salon of the Alhambra. Inside this salon Spanish history was written thrice over.

This is the location where Boabdil, the last Caliph of Islamic Spain, signed the Capitulation, thus ending the 700+ years of Islamic rule in Al-Andalus and placing Spain and the Alhambra in the hands of the Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabel.

In this same salon Columbus petitioned the queen and king for permission, and money, to find the new passage to India. Permission was granted, but instead of finding India he got a little lost and made his way to the Caribbean.

Finally, this is the place where Isabel and Ferdinand signed the order expelling all of the Jews from Spain after the completion of the Reconquest.


A ceiling inside a salon of the Alhambra. All of the ceilings are made from hand-carved wood and adorned with ornate designs.


A wall inside the Alhambra. The lower portion of each wall is covered with hand painted ceramic tiles above which are verses, in Arabic, from the Quran [or Koran, if you prefer].


One of the smaller palaces of the Alhambra. This one was the private residence of the Sultan or Caliph and his harem. The harem consisted of the four "official" wives of the Caliph [one for each cardinal point on the compass], their children, and the parents, grandparents, and sometimes siblings, of the Caliph.


Another of the many gorgeous gardens of the Alhambra.