Today we followed a 3.5 hours guided tour of the Alhambra in Granada - a palace, a fortress and a mini city of the Nasrid Kingdom, the last Islamic kingdom to survive in Andalusia before it finally fell in 1492. Cordoba, the former capital of the Umayyad Dynasty had fallen a long time ago whilst the surviving kingdom could only retain the city of Granada and the area to the south.Alhambra is the primary reason why people comes to visit Granada. Inside one could find an incredible reminder of the glorious Islamic period in the past. The buildings are full of beautiful Islamic design and calligraphies decorating the walls, pillars and ceilings.
http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200604/alhambra/default.htm
Following a guide is the best way to learn the history and the many intricacies and details of the Alhambra itself. The place was quite full with lots of tourists today and yet this is not the peak season. We only booked the trip a week ago. Everything was done online. The tour in the end lasted for 3.5 hours.
The place is always portrayed as a place of exceptional beauties - water fountains, glorious and most modern traditions of its time, music and art of exceptional beauty, and advanced knowledge of science and technology far ahead of the rest of the Europe.
However the beauty stops there. Visiting this place will give you a mix of pride and sorrow. Pride in seeing the amazing Islamic calligraphies and amazing relics of a great Islamic empire before. But also sorrows knowing that these are just relics and that the decline of the empire was due to the weak ummah and rulers. In reality, the histories are ones of bitterness and great tragedies.
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