Week 6: Nature and History on Hill and in Valley

Dear readers,

      By the time I finish this post, I will have completed the second-to-last Wednesday of my time here in Spain. Thinking about it in these terms certainly enhances the poignancy of the reality that I will soon be home in the United States! While I am excited to see my family, boyfriend, and friends again, I cannot help but feel that I will leave a part of me behind. Like it or not, a sliver of this lovely culture has surreptitiously and gradually embedded itself in my heart. But, rather than dwell on departures, I would prefer to give you an account of my adventures this past week. Week six of my time here in Spain was marked by several especially wonderful adventures, which I will not soon forget.
      The first of these adventures was an expedition to Granada! I went with some friends from Spanish Studies Abroad, though it was not an officially program sponsored trip, and it was absolutely amazing! We saw La Alhambra, the Cathedral of Granada, the Park of Science, and a jaw-flooring flamenco exhibition. Here are a few pictures of the sites, and along with the pictures I will give a bit of information about each place.

El Parque de las Ciencias

Left: I found a laurel plant! Center: one of many species of butterflies at the Science Park (El Parque de Las Ciencias). Right: A Snow Owl that I was able to see up close during the birds of prey exhibition!

Naturally, more butterflies, because one picture is never enough.

(haha, see what I did there?)

We also saw the Cathedral of Granada! A few facts about the structure are:

- Work was begun on the Cathedral in the 16th century by architects Egas and Siloam at the instruction of Charles V.

- The Cathedral was built over the ruins of an ancient muslim mosque. 

- The structural style of the Cathedral is a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance, though was built to be strictly Catholic. 

- It remains unfinished to this day, though the first stone was laid in 1523.

- The Royal Chapel (a separate building, but related to the Cathedral) contains the tombs of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon (Los Reyes Católicos) and their children. 

Entrance to the Cathedral 

The chapels are simply breathtaking in their artistic splendor and brilliance. Pictures simply cannot do them justice. 

We also visited La Alhambra, which was by far my favorite site to see in the city. And yes, in case you were wondering because the name sounds familiar, the Alhambra is indeed also the title of Washington Irving's book. Where did he get the title, you ask? Look no further than Granada, Spain!

Guess who this statue is? 

If you can't guess, you have my permission to cheat and peek at the photo below.

Some information (very, very basic) about the Alhambra is as follows:

- The name "Alhambra" comes from the Arabic word "ga'lat al-Hamra," which means red castle.  

- The Alhambra first made its appearance in history in the 9th century, but was not inhabited by royalty until the 13th century.

- The structure was abandoned as a residence in the 18th century

- The castle rests on a steep hill, which was a perfect strategic location for battles. 

- Even back in the 9th century, the Alhambra was equipped with an advanced water canal system, which ran from the river Darro. This is impressive for a multitude of reasons. Primarily, because water is so scarce in the desert-like climate of Granada. But also, because of the lack of tools and technology during that time. Apparently, the architects modeled the waterways after those of the Romans. 

-The building boasts incredible designs of arabic make, which is understandable because Muslim monarchs resided there up until the 16th century. 

      

 

Entrance to the building of the Baths 

 

In the middle is one of the many artificial ponds, which are connected to pipes, which formed part of the advanced canal system of that time. 

On the left is a hallway in the building of the Baths. Center is El Patio de los Leones, in which you can observe the canal system in the ground. On the right is an incredibly intricate star-shaped design on the ceiling in one of the bath rooms. The star shape is a very popular one throughout the Alhambra, though this particular star serves the double purposes of decoration and ventilation.

 
 
Above left: A blessing or prayer written in poem form in Arabic. These inscriptions can be found throughout the entire palace.


I know I've only barely begun to brush the surface of the history and beauty of the Alhambra and the Cathedral, but these are a summation of my experiences, observations, thoughts, and findings. I truly hope you enjoyed them and are intrigued enough to explore more for yourself! Perhaps you may even eke out the time to pick up Irving's The Alhambra and discover more about the castle's incredible architectural genius through the portal of a sister art.

Bendiciones,

Laurel