Alhambra, There and Back

Wednesday, April 29

We arrived at the main gate of the Alhambra shortly before it opened this morning.  Queues were already long, but because we were using a reservation purchased with our Granada Card, we were directed to a short and very fast line.  (Note for future visitors: Advance booking [months in advance, if possible] is essential for entry to the Palacios Nazaries, the main attraction in the Alhambra.

The Alhambra was the last holdout of the Moorish Kingdom in Spain, falling to Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492.  It consists of several parts, and covers a hilltop above Grenada.  The Alcazaba, or fort, is the oldest section, and was probably a Roman fortification.  The structures remaining today likely date from the 13th century. The Palacios Nazaries were the homes of the ruling sultans and their courts, and date from the 14th century.  The Palace of Charles V was built after the Reconquista by the Catholic monarchs and the Generalife Palace and Gardens, set at a higher elevation, were the sultan's summer refuge.  Must have been nice to have your summer haven within walking distance of home, though I doubt the rulers traveled it on foot!

As we were scheduled for 9:30 admission to the Palacios Nazaries (and were repeatedly warned not to be late), we had time to visit the Generalife Palace and Gardens before that.  This summer getaway from the press of affairs just down the hill was an attempt to create the Koranic ideal of heaven on earth.  The original gardens have been in place for 600 year, and they are spectacular, indeed.  Symmetrical plantings, fragrant blossoms, glorious colors, trimmed hedges, flowering trees, flowing fountains, reflecting pools and quiet walkways were just other worldly.  The extensive gardens also provided fruit and vegetables for the thousands who called the Alhambra home during the Moorish era.  A large, 20th-century addition to the Geeneralife Gardens was just as spectacular, with long vistas of flower-bordered pools, splashing fountains, and maze-like trimmed cypress hedges.  Throughout, water played as prominent a role as and plantings, buildings, or vistas; it was featured as a vital resource, as well as artistic and acoustic masterpieces.

The Palacios Nazaries certainly provided settings befitting the sultans who called them home.  The furnishings are gone, so it is the decoration of the walls, floors, and ceilings that take center stage now.  Extraordinary stucco filigree and calligraphy cover entire walls, stalactite ceilings bear traces of their original coloration, intricately fitted cedar wood ceilings tower impossibly high above huge halls, ceramic tiles retain their colors, and marble floors are occasionally channeled to allow the flow of water throughout the complex.  The centerpiece of the palace is the Courtyard of the Lions, ringed by highly decorated arches, columns, and porticoes.  In the center is a fountain ringed with twelve lions, a highly unusual feature in Islamic art, which traditionally does not depict human or animal life forms.  The reason for this departure from custom is not known, though theories abound. 

Between the Generalife and the Palacios Nazaries, there was beauty for every sense, and we tried to take it all in between the waves of tour bus groups that just kept coming.  The Alhambra is THE reason most come to Granada, and the complex handles the throngs well, but it's a challenge to just stand and enjoy it quietly, especially in the Palacios.

The Alcazaba was much less crowded than the Palacios had been, probably because there were obviously so many steps to climb to the towers of the defensive fortification.  The views over the city and to the snow-capped Sierra Nevada Mountains in the distance were wonderful on this sunny day.

We did have enough energy to walk DOWN the hill to our apartment for lunch on the terrace and an afternoon break before heading out for our evening program.

We joined a walking tour of the Albaycin and Sacromonte districts, which climb the hill opposite the Alhambra.  We began with a stop at the Arab Baths, tucked in a small building along the Darro River.  The design and construction of the baths were modeled on those the Romans built wherever they settled and, as they were for the Romans, the baths were a center of social life, as well as a facility for cleansing and general well-being.

We climbed, and climbed, and climbed through the narrow streets of the Albaycin and along the way stopped the lovely views of the Alhambra the neighborhood offers.  The St. Nicholas Mirador is probably the most famous viewpoint, but the mosque across the street offers the same vista with fewer people.  After 500 years without a mosque, and thirty years of negotiations, the Muslims of Granada were finally able to erect a mosque in 2006.  Almost every church in the city was once a mosque, yet the small modern Muslim population had no place to worship until then.

We had a chance to see several of the wells that dot the quarter.  The Moors established a system of aqueducts, wells, and underground pipes 700 years ago and it is still in use today.

We were also able to enter a Carmen, which is a walled family property containing a large home and many levels of terraced gardens, vineyards, fountains and paths.  These homes of the very wealthy are scattered around the quarter, well-disguised and understated behind their high walls.

The Sacromonte was the original Gypsy neighborhood and many of their descendants live there today, along with lots of newcomers, artists, and 21st century hippies.  Homes there were originally caves built into the mountain rock.  It's also home to many Flamenco artists and performance venues, built into the caves.

After the tour, we had tapas and dinner near our apartment and then took the mini bus back to the Alhambra for a nighttime look at the Palacios Nazaries.  This was less dramatic than we'd expected and the rooms actually looked much as they had during the day, so we made our circuit a fast one, caught a bus down the hill and called it a day.