The Alhambra

This is the first time I’ve titled an article with just the name of the place I want to tell you about. I could have called it “Alhambra the One” but that wouldn’t be objective, because something of its magnificence can be found in practically every city in Andalusia. It is unique to me personally, for several reasons. The romantic tales of Washington Irving that I read as a child. The two weeks spent in Granada in 2011, every day at the foot of the copper-gold-coloured towers. The charm of early medieval Arab culture, embodied by Al-Andalus. I could go on.

The Alhambra itself is not early medieval. On the contrary, it was the last stronghold of Moorish rule on the Iberian Peninsula before the Spanish Crown conquered the territories of the Kingdom of Granada in the late 15th century. An earlier fortification had existed on this strategic height since the 9th century, but the current castle was built by the Nasrid dynasty, founded in the 13th century by Muhammad I ibn Nasr. He decided to move the Alcazaba of Granada (the fortified central part of the city) from the opposite hill, leaving a magnificent legacy for generations.

The Alhambra symbolizes the golden sunset of 8 centuries of Arab rule in the southwestern corner of Europe. As my Spanish colleagues pointed out to me in 2011, it will yet be another 3 centuries before Spain can boast of having ruled these lands at least as long as Al Andalus. In the meantime, we all have the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful Moorish heritage that has survived to this day. Whether the Nasrids were the authors of the best of it, everyone will judge for themselves.

The name of Alhambra means “The Red Castle”, although it is actually not one but several castles, added by numerous gardens and various other things, even a church. You wouldn’t expect Their Majesties the Spanish monarchs to have kept the capital of their Arab predecessors intact simply because they liked it a lot. I mean, they probably DID like it, but they tried to recycle what they could. For example, if you enter the complex through the Gate of Justice, you will come across just such a creation.

This is the Palace of Carlos V, who came here in 1526 for his honeymoon with his young bride Isabella of Portugal and was so impressed that he simply could not resist starting to build himself. Today this palace houses the Alhambra museums, inexplicably closed on Mondays (when everything else is open). On one side of the building, you go to the Alcazaba – the inner fortification or the last line of defense, which consists of thick walls, many towers and a few barracks. You cannot enter the towers, today they only serve as pedestals for magnificent photos.

Next to the entrance to the citadel is the entrance to the pearl of the complex – the Palace of the Nasrids. It is the essence of the Moorish heritage in Granada, although medieval Spanish monarchs managed to express themselves here as well. The furniture is long gone, but the palace is still a fairy tale of stone, wood and faience. Here and there cut through by internal gardens with orange trees and ponds. One can almost imagine the princesses from Irving’s fairy tales sitting on the internal balconies with filigree windows contemplating the fountains in thoughts of their beloved princes.

The interior of the Nasrid Palace is filled with so many details that it can cause congestion of the senses. Underfoot, floors of decorative clay bricks are laid, between which small faience medallions with fantastic birds peek out. The walls are lined with brightly colored shiny faience tiles, forming endless geometric patterns. Above them, calligraphic stone inscriptions share wise thoughts from the Quran. The vaulted arches are surrounded by exquisitely sculpted decorations, and carved suns and flowers shine on the wooden ceilings.

After leaving the Nasrid Palace, the walk through the Alhambra continues through the old Medina, the fortified central district of the medieval city. There, we are greeted by parts of other castles, untranslatable to me in Bulgarian, such as the Palace of the Partal (the Palace of the Portico?). A tower called the Tower of the Ladies, a gallery with arched porticoes, and a beautiful small lake are the only preserved elements of this oldest castle in the complex, built during the time of Muhammad III Nasr sometime in the early 14th century.

In addition to the remains of old palaces, the Medina today also contains some later buildings such as the Monastery of San Francisco, as well as many, many gardens. Therefore, the recommended time to visit is precisely spring, when everything is in bloom, but not yet burned by the summer heat. Leaving the fortified complex past the “Tower at the End of the Street”, we are already in the next gardens – of the Generalife Palace, equipped with their own amphitheater and wonderful views of the towers and fortress walls of the Alhambra.

The last stop before leaving is the Generalife Palace itself, built by the same Nasrids as a rest-base. It is difficult for me to understand why the rulers needed a separate place to relax, given that their everyday palace was also equipped with gardens, fountains, gazebos, etc., just like the Generalife. Moreover, the Generalife is literally attached to the city walls, it is not like, say, a villa by the sea. But what can we do, they wanted a second castle for relaxation, they built it. Each to their own.