In A.D. 711, the conquering Muslims combined forces with the Jewish community to overtake the city of Granada from the Visigoths. Known as Garnata al Jahud, the takeover lent its name to Granada, which is also the Spanish word for "pomegranate." The city became a refuge for Muslims in the 13th century, when Córdoba & Sevilla fell to Christian forces. During this time, Granada flourished with traders & artisans, becoming one of the richest cities in medieval Europe. In the 15th century, however, the economy began to slow, & a rivalry broke out over the royal succession. Christian armies, who were still working to reconquer Spain, took advantage of these misfortunes, laying seige to Granada in 1491. The next year, on 2 January 1492, King Fernando & Queen Isabel entered Granada ceremonially in Muslim dress; the last Muslim city of Spain had fallen to the Catholic Monarchs. The religious persecution that followed destroyed what remained of Granada's talented artisan culture, leading the city into a decline that lasted until the 1830s. Finally, interest in the Romantic movement sparked the restoration of Granada's Islamic heritage & the arrival of tourism. Unfortunately, the city suffered another setback in the 20th century during the Spanish civil war, when 4000 Granadans, including Frederico García Lorca, were killed for entertaining left or liberal connections. Today, Granada's most famous sight is the Alhambra, a hilltop palace/fortress conplex built by the Muslims & embellished over several centuries.
Saturday morning, I left with CIEE, my study abroad program, for Granada. After 2 weeks of self-planned & self-guided visits, it was nice to know the only thing I had to worry about was not missing the bus. After an uneventful 3-hour trip, we checked into our hotel, another nice change from inexpensive hostels. I roomed with a friend from CIEE & a Seville native along to socialize, which challenged me to speak Spanish the entire time. After lunch, we were escorted to the Alhambra, where we walked through the lush gardens & ornate palaces. Everything was absolutely beautiful & so different from the Christian-influenced architecture I have become accustomed to seeing. Then we walked into the city for tea & pastries in a teteria, which smelled of incense & was decorated with tapestries.
After the tour, we had free time to explore the city. My friends & I chose to shop, & we wandered the narrow streets full of little stores. Granada has an atmosphere that's a cross between hippe, Arabic & Moroccan; handmade jewelry hung from pegboards in the streets, & handstitched clothing & tapestries shifted in the breeze. Inside the dimly lit alcoves of the shops were rows of teacups, wooden boxes with geometric patterns, rainbow displays of hookahs & towering piles of handstitched mantles & pillowcases. The shop owners busied themselves in providing mirrors to those looking at earrings or unfolding numerous tapestries to point out the quality workmanship. I had my first opportunity to haggle & managed to lower the prices on almost all of my souvenirs. We visited the teteria again after dinner; from our corner seats, we relaxed & soaked in the ambiance of Granada.
Day 1 photos here & here.
The next day, we ate breakfast in the hotel then left with our guides for the twisting streets of el Albaicín, the oldest neighborhood in Granada. We emerged at a hilltop overlook from which we could see la Alhambra. In the little plaza, a half-dozen vendors had laid out handmade leather & metal jewelry & handpainted pendants & postcards. After the photo op, we walked to la Capilla Real, where Ferdinand & Isabel are interred. Like the Catedral in Sevilla, the Capilla Real is surrounded by gypsies that make their living tricking tourists; they offer a sprig to passerby, & those who accept are blessed & promptly asked to pay for the plant they're now holding. Once we passed the gypsies, though, we could admire the elaborate interior of the Capilla Real. Afterwards, we had more free time, & my friends & I wandered the shops again until it was time to find the hotel for lunch. We ate & boarded the bus for a quiet ride home.
Day 2 photos here.
This trip to Granada is definitely one of my favorite trips so far. (Then again, I've thoroughly enjoyed every trip so far.) I wouldn't have minded spending a few more days wandering Granada without a guide.
Nos vemos, Le <3.
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