alhambra (for real).

(n.b. i am loosely translating from my let's go espagne book as well as commenting on my own experiences at alhambra in this post)

sharonne and i started with the palacios nazaríes (named for the nasrid dynasty, founded by al-ahmar in 1236 after he fled cordoba and took refuge at al-cazaba [Ar. fortress]), now known as alcázar (royal palace), built by 2 major moorish kings, yusuf I (1333-54) and son fils mohammed V (1354-91). i can't even articulate how amazing it was to be face-to-face with the kufic and cursive epigraphy that we had seen photos of in my islamic architecture class...sharonne has very little background in islam (or architecture), so i was able to point out some of the major elements, though some of the terminology escaped me. i took some photos, but sharonne took the bulk of them as my battery in my camera was running dangerously low, but not even the resolution of a digital camera can capture every dimension of the brilliant stucco work.

we also saw the palacio de carlos V (palace of charles quint), which was actually constructed by pedro machuca, a student of michelangelo. it is considered to be on of the most beautiful edifices of the spanish renaissance, with 2 floors of doric columns. sharonne saw it as a symbol of the blatant decadence of the époque (it is huge and circular, empty, and all in marble, and charles quint didn't even live there), but i think in many ways it fits with the idea that monarchs wanted to perpetuate their memory (and maybe create enormous empty spaces to demonstrate their wealth and power).

the views of granada and the sierra nevadas from the watchtower of alcazaba were incredible. it is said that al-quiada thought about bombing alhambra because it was the last muslim stronghold. the bells were rung (back in the 13th century) to announce imminent danger and also to signal different stages of the irrigation system set in place by the moors.

i know this is a big sin, but i didn't see generalife (the gardens at alhambra). i was tired, starving for some shawarma (the veiled lady at picadilly circus also gave me free falafel on my last afternoon! i think she liked my henna), and my bus left granada for sevilla at 4:30 that afternoon...