Following Cordoba, our Andalusian excursion continued to Granada, home to the notorious, Alhambra, a palace and fortress constructed during the mid-14th century by Moorish rulers.
Photos: Views of the Alhambra from the Mirador de San Nicolás which sits at the top of Albaicin, the hill facing the Alhambra. We walked through a fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and whitewashed houses with secluded inner gardens, known as "cármenes" to reach the Mirador. Peaking out behind the Alhambra sits the Sierra Nevada mountains where we skied over the Christmas holiday.
SYA Faculty members, Alvaro (far left in photo) and Oriol (far right in photo) continued to be our go-to tour guides. We felt fortunate to have a personalized tour rather than just guide books. Alvaro has his PhD in architecture and is a wealth of knowledge. Besides getting an inside view of Spain, one of the most enjoyable parts of the SYA trips for us was getting to know the Spanish faculty more personally.
Some say that the name Granada means "great castle", for the Roman fortress which once stood on the Albaicin Hill. Granada was the last Muslim city to fall to the Christians in 1492, at the hands of Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband Ferdinand of Aragon.
Granada still holds a significant Muslim population which is reflected in the delicious cuisine and culture; the Arabic food and mint tea were to die for and an appreciated change from typical Spanish food.
The Alhambra is a mighty compound of buildings – including the summer palace called Generalife, with its fountains and gardens - stands at the foot of Spain's highest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada, and overlooks the city below and the plains of Granada.
Photos: Inside the Alhambra compound. Photo 1: Danielle and Sophie (above). Photo 2: Nick and Chris (with blossoms in background). Photo 3: SYA group at the top of the Alhambra with a view of the surrounding area
Photo: Example of Moorish writing and architecture. Besides the impressive design and architecture, the Alhambra boast modern engineering designs such as pipes for water flow.
Photo: Aidan, Chi Chi, Kelsey, Angelica, Maddie, and Colin
Photo: View of the gardens in the Alhambra
Photo: "Telephone" walls. You can talk or even whisper into one side and the person can hear you across the room
Photo: At the end of the tour. Oriol and Parker in back; Celia, Alvaro, and Ellen in front
Photo: Views from Alhambra
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