Nov 27, 2009

Photo Essay: Granada pt.1, splendor of the Alhambra

Granada, a former stronghold of Moorish Spain, is a city steeped in romance and folklore. About 2,200 ft above sea level in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Granada spills over two hills, the Alhambra and the Sacromonte. Past glories of this fabled city were popularized in the English speaking world through Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra. Granada is also the hometown of the celebrated poet and dramatist Federico Garcia Lorca who shot by soldiers in 1936 during the early days of the civil war.

Today I begin a three-part photo essay series on Granada, starting with the Alhambra, which is the hilltop fortress palace of the last Muslim rulers of Spain, the Nasrid Kings, and one of Europe's greatest attractions. To avoid the famed queues, I bought our tickets in advance online and this made for smooth sailing into this stunning complex of palaces on Christmas Eve. The clouds and rain stayed away and it was a magical experience that didn't fail to impress. The Alhambra is a dazzling treatise on the beauty of symmetry.

Reflections in the pool in the Palace of the Nasrid, the most impressive of all the palaces we saw at the Alhambra.
Granada, Alhambra
Granada, Alhambra
Intricately carved, lace-like walls and ceramic tile designs in the Palace of the Nasrid.
Granada, Alhambra

Granada, Alhambra
Granada, Alhambra
Torre de las Damas (ladies tower), all that remains of the oldest palace, Palacio del Partal, at the Alhambra.
Granada, Alhambra
A view of Albaicín and Sacromonte from the fortress tower, Alcazaba.

Overlooking the Alhambra, is Generalife, which was built in the 13th century as a summer retreat. It is famed for its lush gardens but since we were there at Christmas the gardens weren't blooming but that still didn't take away from the splendor and lavish beauty of the palace.

An enclosed oriental garden called Patio de la Acequia.
Granada, Generalife, Patio de la Acequia
A view of the Alhambra from the arched portico in Generalife.
Granada, Generalife
Two Generalife views at Sunset.
Granada, Generalife
Granada, Generalife
All photos by Shehani Kay. Taken Christmas Eve 2007.

Next in this series on Granada will be a photo essay of Sacromonte and the Gypsy caves nestled in the hill. So stay tuned!

Happy Friday!

2 comments:

Generalife alhambra granada said...

Nice pics. The word “Generalife” can be translated as garden of paradise, garden of feasts. In garden there are Fruits as well as flowers,plants are selected for their aromas and color.Garden has abundance of cool breeze due to open terraces.The Water-Garden Courtyard has a long pool framed by flowerbeds, fountains, and pavilions. In a year 2 million visitors are visiting garden. Alhambra is a popular tourist atrraction. surrounding the Alhambra can be viewed without a ticket.

Shehani said...

thanks for the extra information! :)

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