In a game of word association, you might match up Paris=Eiffel Tower, London=Big Ben or New York=Empire State Building. How about Granada, Spain? My guess is that Alhambra would come to mind. Perhaps it’s not as tall as those other iconic structures but it’s just as impressive with its vast complex that spreads across 14 hectares (35 acres) of gardens containing palaces, towers, and fortifications (today’s featured photo above). This masterpiece of Islamic art and architecture from the 13th and 14 centuries, is certainly why 2 million people visit it each year yet the ancient lower city, founded by the Romans in the 1st century AD has much to offer including the old Moorish quarter, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 2 days that we were in town gave us the chance to explore both.

The guidebook that we were using said that it “covers all the essential sights beyond the Alhambra” so we first had a look at the Corral del Carbón that 14th century silk traders used as an overnight resting spot for themselves and their camels. There was originally enough demand for 14 of these buildings because so many merchants were headed to our next stop: Alcaiceria, the silk market. It housed 200 shops that sold not only the fine fabric so dear to the sultans but equally precious salt, silver, and spices.

The Neptune fountain in Plaza de Bib-Rambla marked the center of Moorish Granada where the market and festivals were held. Once Christians reconquered the city this area became the ghetto until Moors and Jews were expelled. Houses were demolished to expand the square and large religious buildings were added including a university, the archbishop’s palace, and the Cathedral. Queen Isabella had the existing mosque destroyed to make way for the much more commanding cathedral in 1523.

Beside the cathedral is Royal Chapel Square that was another center of Moorish culture with a bathhouse, school, one of those 14 camel resting spots, a silk market, and a mosque. Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand wanted to be buried in Granada since it was the last Moorish stronghold in Spain that the Catholics conquered so they had a huge chapel built to replace all of those Moorish buildings. In nearby Plaza Isabel La Catolica a statue commemorates the agreement between the Queen and Christopher Columbus to spread Catholicism in the New World in exchange for his becoming Admiral of the Oceans, King of the New World, and recipient of one eighth of all the treasures he brought back to Spain.

One blogger said that the street Carrera del Darro was “one of the most romantic walks, not just in Granada, but the entire country.” It follows the path of the River Darro through the city where the old walls would have been. We were now below one of the two neighborhoods that former residents of the center of the city settled once they were expelled after the reconquest. The Arab quarter, Albayzín, features narrow alleys, tall white washed townhouses, and hand painted tiles. There are mosaic designs on the streets made with white and black pebbles gathered from the rivers in Granada. The other hillside neighborhood was Sacromonte, where the gypsies built their homes. Many of these buildings were carved, cave-like, out of the rock face and some today are used for flamenco demonstrations.

Last stop for the day was the 11th century El Bañuel, the Historic Arab Baths, one of the few to survive since the conquerors considered them immoral and where conspiracies could grow. This one escaped the wrecking ball perhaps because it was partially concealed beneath a private home. Operating only as a museum, you first pass through the keeper’s quarters before entering the cold room, the warm room, and finishing in the hot or steam room.

Like those other 2 million annual visitors to Granada mentioned in the first paragraph, we too were here to visit Alhambra and we were delighted. The name Alhambra means “the red one” in Arabic, referring to the color of the walls and towers. We were wandering around inside those walls for hours, discovering something new through each doorway: geometric patterns, calligraphy, and arabesques, palace gardens, water channels, pools, and pavilions. Because the number of daily visitors is limited inside the Generalife, the summer palace and gardens of the Nasrid kings, we bought a timed ticket for that and then had the rest of our lengthy stay to leisurely enjoy the fortress, the royal residence of the sultans, and the palace of Carlos V.

The following day we took the train to another Andalusian city that could give Granada a bit of competition in both the origin of flamenco and the splendor of their Moorish palaces. Next time we’ll be in Seville.

Just so you’ll know: From the Alhambra website, here are some of the rules for visiting:
Do not touch or lean on the columns.
Do not touch the plants in the garden.
Do not take off your clothes or shoes.
Do not lie down on benches or in gardens.