The Magical Alhambra Palace

No Spanish holiday is complete without a visit to the city of Granada, the capital city of the Granada province. Nestled between two hills in the shadow of the regal Sierra Nevada Mountains, this city is distinguished by its diversity. It has three distinct geographical areas, each with its own climate: a warm coastal region, a fertile plain which gets chilly in the winter and hot in the summer, and an icy mountain region which contains the highest peak in Spain. It is one of the only places in Spain where visitors can go skiing and swimming in the same day. A river runs through the centre of the city, and because of this the area is rich with greenery. It contains tropical plants, flowers, alpine plants, and trees. It also houses a wide variety of animals, from wolves and foxes to eagles and hawks.

The most fascinating part of Granada, however, is not its geography but its rich history and culture. The culture is a mixture of Moroccan, Arab and Christian, and there are many sites of historical and cultural significance. The Moorish baths, the La Cartuja Monastery and the archaeological museum embody the culture of the Moors, while the Capilla Real and the Granada Cathedral represent the Christian influence on the city. Visitors to Granada can shop at an open-air market where the Moors used to sell silks, relax and get a massage in an Arab bath, or enjoy tapas bars and Moroccan tea houses in the Albaicín. Other important sites include the Carmen de los Martires, which is a stunning garden where stately peacocks roam, and the summer home of Federico Garcia Lorca. All of these things are dwarfed, however, by the beauty and majesty of the Alhambra.

The Alhambra is quite possibly the most-visited site in all of Spain, and with good reason. Although it is known as a palace, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is actually almost a city. Full of magic and intrigue, it represents a clash of cultures and is a magnificent example of both Islamic art and Christian architecture. It is unassuming from the outside, but inside it contains complex tile work, rich mosaic art, and walls which are completely covered with decorations and calligraphic inscriptions. These inscriptions contain wise sayings and verses from the Koran, and the words “There is no victor but Allah” are repeated over and over again throughout the palace. The outer courtyards are full of fountains and pools, which symbolized heaven on earth to the Arabs. Side by side with all of this, however, is a magnificent renaissance palace which represents the conquest of the Catholic monarchs Fernando and Isabel and the destruction caused by their grandson Emperor Carlos V.

The history of the Alhambra began in the 9th century, when it was constructed as a military fortress; however, it wasn’t until the 13th century that kings began to live there. Muhammed Al-Ahmar and his son Muhammed II, the first Nasrite kings, restored the building, and then Yusuf I and Muhammed V built the first palaces in the 14th century. The latter two kings constructed the Justice Gate, the Comares Room, and the Hall of the Lions. They also built some baths and several towers, among other things. In 1492, Fernando and Isabel conquered Granada, taking it from the hands of Boabdil, the last sultan of Granada. They added many structures to the palace, including a church, a monastery and some military barracks. Their son, Emperor Carlos V, destroyed an entire wing of the old palace and built a new palace, in the renaissance style, for himself. He also modified many of the interior buildings. After that, several Austrian kings left their mark on the place.

Unfortunately, the castle fell into disuse during the 18th and 19th centuries. It became the home of thieves and beggars rather than kings and emperors, and its strongholds were converted into taverns and piles of refuse. Bats made their homes in its abandoned halls. In 1808, Napoleon seized the castle and used it as military quarters for his soldiers and a dungeon for his prisoners. His troops destroyed whole sections of the palace, and when they left they tried to level the entire place. Thanks to a wounded soldier who disabled the bombs, this attempt was not completely successful; however, the Tower of the Seven Floors and the Water Tower were completely demolished. This destruction continued for several more decades.

There the Alhambra would have remained, torn from its pedestal and lying in ruins, if it were not for the vision and foresight of one man. Washington Irving, an American writer with a flair for the poetic and an incredible ability to bring settings to life, made his home in Granada as he prepared to write a history of the city. He immediately fell in love with the place, calling it "a most picturesque and beautiful city, situated in one of the loveliest landscapes that I have ever seen." Already a celebrity at the time, he was allowed to stay in the palace and even given a guide, a 17-year-old named Mateo Ximenes. Mateo not only lead Washington dutifully through the palace, but he also filled the writer’s ears with the legends of the place.

Washington was so inspired by the palace, even in such a state of disrepair, that he wrote a book about it. This book, entitled “Tales of the Alhambra,” described each of the rooms in such exquisite detail that it was almost as if the author yielded a paintbrush rather than a pen. Not only that, but it brought the character of the place alive with descriptions of the author’s emotions as well as the sounds and scents he encountered there. In addition, Mr. Irving seamlessly wove in many of the legends that he heard from Mateo and other residents of the city. The language was both poetic and precise, and it described not only the castle, but the history and culture of the entire city of Granada. The book was published in 1832, and it quickly became a classic.

Irving had the heart of a writer, and he wrote because it compelled him to do so; however, he did not feel that words were enough to do the magnificent palace justice. In fact, his exact words were, "How unworthy is my scribbling of the place." Nevertheless, those “scribblings” marked the beginning of a crusade to restore the Alhambra to its original splendour. The book was an instant bestseller, and it generated a huge amount of public attention for the castle. People began to realize the structure’s potential, and the community rallied behind it. In 1870 AD, it was declared a national monument, and the work of restoration began.

Thanks to Washington Irving, the Alhambra is again a glorious structure. It has been meticulously restored, and it is now considered the world's most well-preserved Muslim palace from the medieval era. Its red walls can be seen for miles, and it is these red walls that inspired the name “Alhambra,” which is translated as “Red Fortress.” Within the walls is a vast complex made up of three distinct parts. The first part is the Alcazaba Fortress, and it consists of the original fortress and palaces, their surrounding walls, and three 13th-century towers. These towers provide a glorious view of the town and the mountains behind it. The second section of the Alhambra consists of the Nasrid Palaces and the Carlos V Palace. These palaces are an architectural marvel, and yet they represent a stark contrast to the original structure. The third part is the Generalife Gardens, which are famous for the Patio de la Acequia and adorned by fountains, plants and pools.

It is also because of Irving that many of the unique structures within the Alhambra were preserved. For example, he wrote of the Courtyard of the Lions, where he said he met a “Turbaned Moor.” As he described this area, he acquainted his readers with the story of Fernando and Isabel’s conquest of the city, from the point of view of the Moors. As a result of his meticulous description of that courtyard, today it has been transformed from a state of disrepair back to its previous grandeur. In the centre of the courtyard, visitors can see the original fountain resting on the backs of twelve lions.

The Alhambra has also become a cultural centre of the city since Irving wrote his book. For instance, it is the home of the International Festival of Music and Dance. This event showcases many different types of music and dance, including Spanish guitars, symphonies, ballets, recitals, and flamenco. These events are held in various places within the Alhambra, including the King Carlos V Palace, the Generalife Gardens, and El Patio de los Arrayanes. In addition, there are many other concerts and events that take place in the Generalife gardens throughout the year.

It is likely that none of these things would exist today if it weren’t for the passion and the literary skill of a man from New York who cared about history. In spite of this, however, this son of Scottish and English parents has received very little recognition for his role in the restoration of the palace. There is a small plaque above one of the doors in the Alhambra which reads, in Spanish, “Washington Irving wrote his Tales of Alhambra in these rooms in 1829.” This plaque commemorates Irving’s stay in the castle and the book that he wrote about it, but it does little to describe the book’s sphere of influence. Even though the palace receives millions of visitors each year, very few of those tourists realize that they owe a debt of gratitude to Irving for making their visit possible.

Tourists are not the only ones who are indebted to Irving, either; all of us should be grateful for his dedication. His enthusiasm has rescued a historically important building, and his writings have saved it from extinction. Because of him, this palace is now preserved for future generations, and its accompanying history along with it. All of this could have been lost in antiquity, unreachable for all but the most knowledgeable historians, but instead it is available to the world because somebody cared.

It is time that we recognized Irving and all others like him. There are historical buildings, monuments and works of art all over the world that are there for our benefit, and many of them would not exist if someone had not spoken up in their behalf. Perhaps they would have been destroyed by thoughtless vandals, perhaps the wind and rain would have gotten to them, or maybe they would have been levelled to make room for shopping malls. Whatever happened to them, our world would have been much poorer as a result. It is only thanks to the thoughtfulness of good-hearted people that we can enjoy these places today, that their history has not been lost, and that our lives can be enriched by them. These people very often do not get the credit that they deserve.

So the next time you visit the Alhambra, think of Washington Irving. Pick up a copy of his book, read it in the courtyards that he helped restore, and give it to a friend when you are finished. Many people have read Irving’s short stories, such as “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle,” but few have perused “Tales of the Alhambra.” Tell your friends and family what you have learned; write about it on websites; blog about it. And the next time you hear about someone else who rescues a historical building, do the same for them. Do not let another day go by without these people receiving the recognition that they ought to have. They made a huge contribution to the world, and they should be rewarded for it. Hopefully this effect will snowball, and other people will begin to stand up for places such as the Alhambra. Together, we can make it happen.

Please take a day off from your Nerja Hotel swimming pool, or the beach, and take a day trip to the Alhambra Palace. A perfect day trip from Nerja, and a trip you will not forget.

Courtyard of the Lions