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10 Januar Granada : Spain. Granada is the capital city of the province that belongs to the autonomous community of Andalusia. The city is located between the foot of Sierra Nevada (in Spanish Sierra means a mountain range), the highest mountain range of the Iberian peninsula and the shores of the Mediterranean. Thus it has resulted in contradictory climatic conditions in a relatively small area of Granada. So in summer you would find the temperature soaring as high as 40 degree celsieus, whereas, in winter it can dip below zero. There is very little rainfall, so summer in Granada is practically rainfree.
Granada has beautiful and exquisite Moorish quarters, stunning Gothic palaces, and breathtaking natural scenary. It has snow clad mountains on one hand, and on the other hand has the mesmerising sea beckoning people to come and soak themselves in it. So, one can't find fault with their claim that you can Ski in Sierra Nevada in the morning and swim on the coast in the afternoon. Where else can one find such luxury?
Granada's countryside is very beautiful, with its white washed cottages and red terracotta tiles and pretty boxes of plants, with ancient cobbled paths leading through the land of figs, mulberry, almond trees and olive grooves : it is a site that always fascinates me.
The Moors crossed the strait of Gibraltar in 711 and settled in what was then a small visigoth town perched atop the Alhambra hill. They quietly settled down here, erected walls and laid the foundation for the prosperous civilisation that would follow. Granada reached its splendour in 1238, when Mohammed ben Nasar founded the Nasarid dynasty, and the kingdom of Granada stretched from Gibraltar to Murcia. The dynasty had 20 kings until King Boabdil was forced to surrender Granada to the Catholic monarchs, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, in 1492. During three centuries a grand and rich Islamic culture flourished, leaving Granada with architectural marvels of the caliber of the Alhambara, declared a World Heritage Site, along with the Generalife and the Albaicin.
Nasarid Palace Of Alhambra : It is built on top of a hill overlooking the rest of the city of Granada. It was built during the Nasarid dynasty with the intention of creating a paradise on Earth. Materials used to built this palace are very ordinary, ( plaster, timber, and tiles ) yet they have been put together magnificently. The Alhambra monument includes the Casa Reales, the Alcazba, the Palace of Carlos V, and the Generalife Gardens. The Casa Reales is broken into many rooms and patios that are intricately decorated with Moorish motif. Of all the rooms and patios the most beautiful ones are : Sala de los Abencerrajes, Sala de los Reyes, Sala de las dos Hermanas, Palacio del Partal, Salon de Emajadores, Patio de Arrayanes, Patio de los Leones ( this is the most beautiful in the entire complex), though when we visited it was undergoing some repairs so we couldn't really have a good look at it.
Patio de los Leones : The Fountain of Lions, placed in the center of the Patio, is one of the most genuine gems of the Alhambra complex. It is an alabaster basin supported by 12 white marble lions, emblems of strength and courage.
As I mentioned earlier it is under restoration, and would be ready for proper public viewing only in 2008.
The story goes that these 12 marble lions represent the hours of the day, the months of the year, and the signs of the zodiac. Legend claims that water flowed from the mouth of a different lion each hour of the day. The courtyard is lined with arcades supported by 124 slender marble columns. It is so beautiful you feel as if they are made of lace, so intricate and delicate the patterns are. You can stand there for long time looking at those marvelous pillars, the effect is really mesmerising. The loud call of the guide or the husband at this point can be quite jarring.
This was the heart of the palace, the most private section where the Sultan enjoyed his harem, which included both male and female beauties.
There are various halls with richly decorated honeycomb ceilings and domes, which are proof of the finest example of the Spanish Islamic architecture in the world. Then there is the famous hall where the sultan called his rivals of a Banquet, and murdered all of them in one go. Then there is the palace of Carlos V, which although looks beautiful yet seems totally out of place in such a setting. Mercifully, the Emperor's attempts to replace this aesthically Moorish palace with Gothic edifice were curtailed by frequent earthquakes and lack of funds. The Generalife : Was built in 13th century to overlook the Alhambara and set in 30 lush hectares. It was used by te Sultans as their summer palace or retreat to spend their time in the company of their numerous concubines. The highlights of Generalife is its gardens, which though beautiful has undergone lots of channges over the years. A long pool with rows of water jets makes graceful arches above it, with lots of plants and beautiful cypress hedges (which however were not used in Moorish gardens but have been added ) and countless fountains makes this garden a real treat to the eye and to the soul. I believe the famous American writer and former ambassador of Spain Washington Irwing took up residence in the palace in 1829. It was here that he wrote his best- selling "Tales of the Alhambra" which brought attention of the world to Granada, its romanticism, which still seems to draw people from all parts of the world. Well if you want to discover the rich and interesting history, experience the vibrant culture, and natural beauty of southern Spain, then I recommend you make it a point to include a visit to Granada, in your trip to Spain.
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