It started drizzling when I made my move to Alhambra. Hey, where's the sun? As I stood outside of Palace of Charles V, waiting for them to open up the entrance to Palacios Nazaríes, there was a glimpse of blue skies on the horizon. Yay!
I had thought of getting a guide for my Alhambra visit. After spending some time on the net, looking for one and reading up user reviews, I finally decided on an audio guide. I could take as little or as much time that I want.
Alhambra was A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!! Words couldn't simply describe the sheer magnitude of my feelings. I had a glimpse of it yesterday. From the outside. But the moment I stepped foot into the Palace, I was in awe. I've read articles/reviews about it. I've seen pictures in the net and my friends' Facebook albums. My best friend said I "will LOVE" Alhambra. However, they still did not prepare me for it. I've been in and out of basilicas and churches in Europe, but to find old Islamic architecture in Europe that dated back to the 13th century was something that I learnt to appreciate.
My dear readers, you guys would better off reading the articles on Alhambra in the net, and believe me, there are tons of them. Trust me, tons :) There's even a site which has a nifty interactive map. La Alhambra y el Generalife (by Council of the Alhambra and the Generalife) is another site I could really recommend, and is the one I'm referring to (or plaguarising, there I said it :D) as I'm doing this write up, especially in figuring out where my pictures were taken at. And since we're on the topic of pictures, I wished I had a DSLR camera. You'd be presented with a picture-taking opportunity in every nook and cranny. It'd also take better pictures, especially in low light conditions.
The moment you enter Mexuar, you could already see the intricate details on the walls, ceilings, doors, windows and what have you, throughout the entire visit. The engravings and inscriptions come from religious and poetic verses. The most common inscription is "There's no victor but Allah", which is the Nasrid Sultanate motto; I was flipping through the pages of this one book in the town bookstore, and it states that there are over 9000 occurances of this particular inscription alone. Court of Machuca is outside of the grilled windows and the Oratory is in the adjacent room.
From the Golden Room (the name derived from woodwork ceiling), you'd find the very majestic Façade of Comares. It has 2 doors leading to separate passageways. The left door led us to the core of the Palace, and right one (which was closed) led to the family and servant quarters.
The Court of the Myrtles got its name from the myrtles that are planted on both sides of the pool. From here on, you'd find that water is a recurring theme throughout the palace, and Alhambra in general.
The square Salón de los Embajadores (Hall of the Ambassadors) was the grand reception room and the throne of the sultan.
Court of the Lion features a very cool fountain placed on the backs of 12 lions, in the center of the courtyard; I could vaguely remember what the audio guide said -- depending on what time of the day it was, water used to come out from the respective lion. Somebody dismantled it to figure out how it works but ended up breaking the system. Sheeshhh :P
On one side, there's the Sala de los Abencerrajes (Hall of the Abencerrages), "derives its name from a legend according to which the father of Boabdil, the last sultan of Granada, having invited the chiefs of that line to a banquet, massacred them here. This room is a perfect square, with a lofty dome and trellised windows at its base".
On the other side lies Sala de las dos Hermanas (Hall of the two Sisters), a room with the 2 large identical marble slabs on the floor. I really thought I had taken picture of them. Bah hambug! The room has also very intricate honeycomb-shaped dome.
The Court of the Lindaraja was built after the Reconquista.
Once you came out of the Palace, you'd find the Partal and the Tower of the Ladies.
Next up is the Generalife (with the Spanish pronunciation - G' pronounced as an 'H' and the last 'e' is not silence). The palace was used as "a place of rest".
The last stop was Alcazaba, which is the fortress..
I was online when I should have been napping during siesta. I learned of the Mirador San Nichols, in the Albaicin neighborhood that promises amazing views of the Alhambra against the Sierra Nevada backdrop. It didn't disappoint at all. In fact it was spectacular.
I stayed until sundown and had gotten the chance to perform Maghrib prayer at the Granada Mosque. Nice! According to a news articles, it was launched in 2003, and faced some bumps along the way. The kinds of things that we take for granted back at home. Now it's 2013 and it is still here, "overlooking what was once Islam’s most important outpost in Europe, the Alhambra palace in Granada".
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| Anybody home? |
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| Rain, rain. Go away |
I had thought of getting a guide for my Alhambra visit. After spending some time on the net, looking for one and reading up user reviews, I finally decided on an audio guide. I could take as little or as much time that I want.
Alhambra was A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!! Words couldn't simply describe the sheer magnitude of my feelings. I had a glimpse of it yesterday. From the outside. But the moment I stepped foot into the Palace, I was in awe. I've read articles/reviews about it. I've seen pictures in the net and my friends' Facebook albums. My best friend said I "will LOVE" Alhambra. However, they still did not prepare me for it. I've been in and out of basilicas and churches in Europe, but to find old Islamic architecture in Europe that dated back to the 13th century was something that I learnt to appreciate.
My dear readers, you guys would better off reading the articles on Alhambra in the net, and believe me, there are tons of them. Trust me, tons :) There's even a site which has a nifty interactive map. La Alhambra y el Generalife (by Council of the Alhambra and the Generalife) is another site I could really recommend, and is the one I'm referring to (or plaguarising, there I said it :D) as I'm doing this write up, especially in figuring out where my pictures were taken at. And since we're on the topic of pictures, I wished I had a DSLR camera. You'd be presented with a picture-taking opportunity in every nook and cranny. It'd also take better pictures, especially in low light conditions.
Note: If you'd like to check out other pictures, they could be found in my Flickr account.
The moment you enter Mexuar, you could already see the intricate details on the walls, ceilings, doors, windows and what have you, throughout the entire visit. The engravings and inscriptions come from religious and poetic verses. The most common inscription is "There's no victor but Allah", which is the Nasrid Sultanate motto; I was flipping through the pages of this one book in the town bookstore, and it states that there are over 9000 occurances of this particular inscription alone. Court of Machuca is outside of the grilled windows and the Oratory is in the adjacent room.
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| Mexuar and Oratory |
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| Court of Machucha |
From the Golden Room (the name derived from woodwork ceiling), you'd find the very majestic Façade of Comares. It has 2 doors leading to separate passageways. The left door led us to the core of the Palace, and right one (which was closed) led to the family and servant quarters.
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| Golden Room's ceiling (top left) and Façade of Comares |
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| These were snapped along the hallway to Court of the Myrtles. |
The Court of the Myrtles got its name from the myrtles that are planted on both sides of the pool. From here on, you'd find that water is a recurring theme throughout the palace, and Alhambra in general.
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| Court of the Myrtles |
The square Salón de los Embajadores (Hall of the Ambassadors) was the grand reception room and the throne of the sultan.
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| Outside of 'Hall of the Ambassadors' |
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| Hall of the Ambassadors - clockwise from top left: archway, empty slot in the archway, part of ceiling, the 3 rooms, for the throne, floor, ceiling |
Court of the Lion features a very cool fountain placed on the backs of 12 lions, in the center of the courtyard; I could vaguely remember what the audio guide said -- depending on what time of the day it was, water used to come out from the respective lion. Somebody dismantled it to figure out how it works but ended up breaking the system. Sheeshhh :P
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| This is so cool |
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| Court of the Lion, and the fountain in the center |
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| I just call to say... (that's the audio guida if you have to ask) |
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| Little fountains along the hallway |
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| Can't get enough of this |
On one side, there's the Sala de los Abencerrajes (Hall of the Abencerrages), "derives its name from a legend according to which the father of Boabdil, the last sultan of Granada, having invited the chiefs of that line to a banquet, massacred them here. This room is a perfect square, with a lofty dome and trellised windows at its base".
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| The honeycomb ceiling in the Hall of Abencerrages |
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| Inner hallway between the Hall of Abencerrages and the courtyard |
On the other side lies Sala de las dos Hermanas (Hall of the two Sisters), a room with the 2 large identical marble slabs on the floor. I really thought I had taken picture of them. Bah hambug! The room has also very intricate honeycomb-shaped dome.
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| Painstaking restoration process underway |
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| Hall of the Two Sisters. The 2 marble slabs are separated by the small fountain in the middle |
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| The Court of the Lindaraja |
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| The kind of view from the windows (in the previous picture) had the Court of Lindaraja not built |
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| On the ground level |
Once you came out of the Palace, you'd find the Partal and the Tower of the Ladies.
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| Partal and the Tower of Ladies |
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| The Oratory and the Palace of Generalife in the distance |
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| The Partal |
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| Now, it's time to walk to Generalife |
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| Spanish school kids taking a tour of Alhambra |
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| Water feature in the lower gardens |
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| Entrance to the Palace of Generalife. This is said to be a former stable |
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| The Court of the Main Canal |
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| More shots of the Court of the Main Canal |
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| Overlooking the main palace |
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| The Court of the Sultana, with its U-shaped pool |
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| Water Stairway - Water flows through the sides of the staircase |
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| Romantic Mirador (Romantic observation point) |
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| Medina - the remains of the fortified city |
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| Baths |
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| Heading back to Palace of Charles V |
The last stop was Alcazaba, which is the fortress..
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| Entrance to Alcazaba |
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| Playing with the miniature feature on the camera |
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| Generalife, Nasrid Palace and Palace of Charles V |
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| Former site of the barracks |
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| Baths |
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| The bell was installed after the Reconquista |
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| View from the top of the fortress |
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| The Cathedral and the city |
I was online when I should have been napping during siesta. I learned of the Mirador San Nichols, in the Albaicin neighborhood that promises amazing views of the Alhambra against the Sierra Nevada backdrop. It didn't disappoint at all. In fact it was spectacular.
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| At Plaza Nueva |
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| River Darro |
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| Alhambra from below |
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| Alhambra and Generalife and Sierra Nevada in the backdrop. Too bad the pine tree is blocking part of the view. Does anybody have an axe or chainsaw? Just kidding :) |
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| Alhambra |
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| Sierra Nevada, which is apparently just one hour away |
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| Sun was about to set |
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| The crowd at the observation point |
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| It was getting darker |
I stayed until sundown and had gotten the chance to perform Maghrib prayer at the Granada Mosque. Nice! According to a news articles, it was launched in 2003, and faced some bumps along the way. The kinds of things that we take for granted back at home. Now it's 2013 and it is still here, "overlooking what was once Islam’s most important outpost in Europe, the Alhambra palace in Granada".
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| Mezquita |
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| The Maghrib jemaah |
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| Night shot of Alhambra |
Gorgeous! Now I must I must I must go to Alhambra! OK, it has been on my list for a while, to twin it with a trip to south Portugal, but never really got a chance to plan it properly. Could 2013 be the year?
ReplyDeleteYes, it was! Although I haven't done a lot of research on south Portugal, it does sound enticing. But I may need to do Turkey and Greece before that. Man, I need more leave and do more savings
ReplyDelete