THE ALHAMBRA
The monumental Alhambra and the Generalife Gardens is considered nowadays as one of the most beautiful and meaningful cultural landscapes in the world. The Alhambra Palace is the most visited monument in Spain, receiving more visitors than El Prado in Madrid and the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
The Alhambra is a real Palace City of the Nasrid dynasty that is perfectly harmonized with its gardens and fountains, distributed along the majestic complex. It has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Alhambra is the most visited monument in Spain – more so than El Prado in Madrid and the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
The monument is divided into four areas: the Palaces, the Alcazaba (military area), the Medina (the city), and the Gardens of the Generalife, created by Aben Salid Ismail in 1319. It joint military functions with architectural elements such as walls and towers and with residential elements such as courtyards, halls, rooms for the harem, baths, etc. Its gardens, fountains, ponds, etc. are also spectacular.
History of La Alhambra & Its Most Glorious Period…
The Alhambra was so called because of its reddish walls (in Arabic, («qa’lat al-Hamra’» means Red Castle). It is located on top of the hill al-Sabika, on the left bank of the River Darro, to the west of the city of Granada, and in front of the neighborhoods of the Albaicin and the Sacromonte in the city. The Alhambra has a view over the whole city and the meadow (“la Vega”).
The first historical documents known about the Alhambra date from the 9th century and they refer to Sawwar ben Hamdun who, in the year 889, had to seek refuge in the Alcazaba, a fortress, and had to repair it due to the civil fights that were destroying the Caliphate of Cordoba, to which Granada then belonged. This site subsequently started to be extended and populated, although not yet as much as it would be later on, because the Ziri kings established their residence on the hill of the Albaicin.
The castle of the Alhambra was added to the city’s area within the ramparts in the 9th century, which implied that the castle became a military fortress with a view over the whole city. In spite of this, it was not until the arrival of the first king of the Nasrid dynasty, Mohammed ben Al-Hamar (Mohammed I, 1238-1273), in the 13th century, that the royal residence was established in the Alhambra. This event marked the beginning of the Alhambra’s most glorious period.
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Patio of the Lions – “Patio de los Leones”
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Court of the Myrtles – “Patio de los Arrayanes”
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Hall of the Abencerrages – “Sala de los Abencerrajes”
First of all, the old part of the Alcazaba was reinforced and the Watch Tower (“Torre de la Vela”) and the Keep (“Torre del Homenaje”) were built. Water was canalized from the River Darro, warehouses and deposits were built and the palace and the ramparts were started. These two elements were carried on by Mohammed II (1273-1302) and Mohammed III (1302-1309), who apparently also built public baths and the Mosque (“Mezquita”), on the site of which the current Church of Saint Mary was later built.
Yusuf I (1333-1353) and Mohammed V (1353-1391) are responsible for most of the constructions of the Alhambra that we can still admire today. From the improvements of the Alcazaba and the palaces, to the Patio of the Lions (“Patio de los Leones”) and its annexed rooms, including the extension of the area within the ramparts, the Justice Gate (“Puerta de la Justicia”), the extension and decoration of the towers, the building of the Baths (“Baños”), the Comares Room (“Cuarto de Comares”) and the Hall of the Boat (“Sala de la Barca”). Hardly anything remains built from after the period of the Nasrid Kings.
However, from the time of the Catholic Monarchs, Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand, until today, we must underline that King Charles V build the palace which bears his name, after ordering the demolition of a part of the complex in order to build it. We must also remember the construction of the Emperor’s Chambers (“Habitaciones del Emperador”) and the Queen’s Dressing Room (“Peinador de la Rein”a) and that from the 18th century the Alhambra was abandoned. During the French domination part of the fortress was blown up and it was not until the 19th century that the process of repairing, restoring and preserving the complex started and is still maintained nowadays.
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THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE - GRANADA, SEVILLA, CORDOBA
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SIERRA NEVADA - AL PUJARRAS
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Seville is the capital and largest city of Andalusia and the province of Seville, Spain. It is situated on the plain of the river Guadalquivir. Seville is the fourth-largest city in Spain Its Old Town, with an area of 4 square kilometres (2 sq mi), contains three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Alcázar palace complex, the Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies. The Seville harbour, located about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the Atlantic Ocean, is the only river port in Spain. It is located 3 hours by train from Granada.
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Cordoba is a city in Andalusia, southern Spain, and the capital of the province of Córdoba. It was a Roman settlement, then colonized by Muslim armies in the eighth century. It became the capital of the Islamic Emirate, and then of the Caliphate of Córdoba, including most of the Iberian Peninsula.
Caliph Al Hakam II opened many libraries in addition to the many medical schools and universities which existed at the time, making Córdoba a centre for education. The historic centre was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site
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The region of mountain villages known as Las Alpujarras clings to the southern flanks of the Sierra Nevada, cloven by deep, sheltered valleys and gorges which run down towards the Mediterranean. The Alpujarra is famous because of its unique mini-ecology. Its terraced farmlands are constantly watered by the melting snow from above, constituting a high-altitude oasis of greenery which stands in dramatic contrast to the arid foothills below. This is ideal hiking terrain for adventurous travellers, provided you take along a tent and well-padded sleeping bags - the average altitude is 4,000 feet above sea level.
COSTA DEL SOL
The Costa del Sol, literally, "Coast of the Sun" is a region in the south of Spain, about 1 hour by train from Granada, comprising the coastal towns and communities along the coastline of the Province of Málaga.
The Costa del Sol is situated between two lesser known coastal regions, the Costa de la Luzand the Costa Tropical. Formerly made up only of a series of small fishing settlements, today the region is a world-renowned tourist destination. If you desire a beach holiday in a popular area, or like the nightlife, this is your destination.You can find more information HERE
The fifty-odd villages in the region were the last stronghold of the Moors. After the Castillians took Granada in 1492, all were forced to convert to Christianity. Those who refused took to the hills, settling in this remote area. Perhaps the most picturesque villages are the famous trio which cling, to the slopes of the Poqueira Valley. Pampaneira, at the bottom, bustles with crafts shops and restaurants, as does Bubión, with its massive square church tower. But to savour the authentic Alpujarra, go to Capileira at the top of the valley - and walk down from the road into the lower streets of the village, where the rocky streets, overhanging passageways and sagging, stone houses are silent witnesses. The region is a about 50 miles away from Granada. Take a car or bus to get there.
Jaén is one of the many regions of southern Europe where the olive tree is grown, but nowhere else on earth dedicates so much space and energy to its cultivation. It’s hard to exaggerate the importance of the olive in this area. The figures are mind-boggling: the plantations or groves of Olea europaea in the Jaén province cover more than 590,000ha and harbour no less than 66 million trees. Production varies from year to year but typically Jaén alone is responsible for 40 per cent of Spain’s production of olive oil and a fifth of the world’s total — more than all the regions of Italy put together. For olive-oil tasting tours, pls visit HERE (in Spanish)
JAEN
COSTA DE LA LUZ
The Costa de la Luz , the "Coast of Light" is a section of the Andalusian coast in Spain facing the Atlantic, about a three hour drive from Granada; it extends from Tarifa in the south, along the coasts of the Province of Cádiz and the Province of Huelva, to the mouth of the Guadiana River.
Aside from the beaches and the sunshine, there are ample opportunities for leisure activities, like golf, kitesurfing, boating and other water sports and fine dining.
The Costa de la Luz is especially noted for the beauty of its protected natural reserves and a number of first-rate natural attractions. Among them are: the Doñana National Park, where endangered species, such as the Spanish imperial eagle, also known as Adalbert's eagle (Aquila adalberti), and the Iberian lynx (Felis pardina), can occasionally be sighted; the picturesque Bay of Cádiz; the steeply-pitched shorelines of the southern section of the Andalusian coastline; the salt marshes of Barbate and the seaside cliffs at La Breña ; and the sprawling wetlands at the mouths of the rivers Tinto and Odiel, where there is a profusion of water fowl and, in season, other migratory birds, including storks and flamingos. Among the towns, cities, and beaches of most interest to a visitor to the Costa de la Luz (in order, from northwest to southeast) are: Ayamonte, Isla Cristina, Lepe, El Portil, Punta Umbría, Matalascañas, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Chipiona, El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz, Chiclana de la Frontera, Conil de la Frontera, Zahara de los Atunes, Los Caños de Meca, Vejer de la Frontera, Bolonia, and Tarifa.
We will spend a week HERE after the wedding, joined by our children and anyone else who would like to visit