Submitted by Emily Bange on the 2012 fall semester program in Granada, Spain…
Last week our group had class in the Alhambra, one of the oldest, and definitely the most famous, site in Granada. The Alhambra was built by Alhamar, the first Arab king of the kingdom of Granada in the 13th century and was a royal residence for all of the kings of the Nasrid dynasty up until 1492, when Granada fell to the Reconquista, led by Ferdinand and Isabel.
It was by far the most beautiful place I have been to on this trip. The architecture is amazing, and I have so many pictures of arches, tiling, and decorated plaster. I loved learning the history and symbolism behind the architecture, and I can now tell the difference between the Arab architecture and the Christian architecture in the Alhambra. I loved seeing the mix of the two and learning about the how the Alhambra has changed over the past 800 years.
I plan on returning to go through the Palace of Carlos V, the grandson of Isabel and Ferdinand, which we did not get to see last week. It’s one of the free parts, in addition to the museums, that I want to go back to see. It’s a really good example of renaissance architecture with a square exterior, but a round interior area that kind of looks like the Coliseum!
I also loved the gardens, which are fed by the numerous fountains and irrigation networks on the grounds. I wish I had arrived a few weeks ago, when the flowers would have been in full bloom, but they are beautiful, even though some of them are fading.
