Hi friends,
It has been a few months since my first and only visit to a magical and unique place like the Alhambra in Granada.
The Alhambra, apart from being one of the best beers in Spain, is actually the second monument or set of monuments from my point of view in number of visitors, and I was able to visit it with my colleagues during a day of coexistence between the sales force and the technical service of the company for which I provide service.
Due to the large number of people at the event, we were divided into 8 groups, with a guide for each group. In our case we were with David, a very nice guide from Granada who was a spectacle for the way he enthusiastically transmitted all the knowledge about the history of the Alhambra, its strategic location, its origin as a fortress and its evolution as a palace complex for emirs and kings.
Generalife
The Generalife was the summer residence of the sultans of the Alhambra. Today it is a set of historic gardens from various eras and its palatial buildings, some from the Nasrid period. Being the courtyard of the irrigation ditch, the most beautiful place of this first part of the monumental complex of the Alhambra.
Today the Generalife is accessed through the new gardens that date from the 30s of the last century, where we can see an auditorium and vegetation characteristic of southern Spain such as orange trees.
Very close to the auditorium, while walking through the gardens nearby, we entered a path of leafy hedges, water channels and fountains that reminded me of the labyrinths of some movies.
However, one can leave this route to one side and observe the orchards and the wonderful views from this place of different towers of the Alhambra with part of the city in the background
Medina-Partal and Charles V Palace
After touring the Generalife, the next area that I visited with my companions within the Alhambra complex was the area of the Medina, Portal and Palace of Charles V. But for this we had to access the fortified area from where we could see the Sierra Nevada in the distance.
During the tour, we continued to walk through numerous gardens with striking hedges that one could play with to take interesting pictures of some of the interior buildings.
And soon I realized that we were reaching the areas with the most interesting buildings when I began to see some souvenir stores and that taking pictures of certain buildings with some comfort was complicated by the large number of tourists. Although with patience I was able to find moments of some tranquility.
And it was not for less, since near me was one of the most emblematic doors of the Alhambra, which is the door of Justice with his hand at the highest point on the Arab arch.
And very close was also one of the main palaces of the complex which is the palace of Charles V, which despite not being one of the Nazari palaces due to its large dimensions despite not being complete by missing its dome is one of the most visited places of the place congregating many people touring its inner perimeter.
But undoubtedly, from this area of the visit, the palace that struck me the most for its beauty was the Partal Palace with its crystal clear pool in front of it and the beauty of the surrounding gardens.
Nazari Palaces
Undoubtedly, the best part of the visit.
The great beauty of the Palacios Nazaries is not only concentrated in these two main palaces (Comares and Los Leones) that I will show you a little later, but also in the adjoining rooms such as the Mexuar or Hall of Justice where we can see in different parts of this area different styles of Arab architecture as a result of the modifications that were made during the centuries of use of these rooms by the Arab royalty of the time.
To access the two main palaces we must access from the Mexuar, the Golden Hall, which is an anteroom of great beauty by the great masonry work of the time
And once we cross the golden room our eyes will sparkle with emotion at the beauty of the palace of Comares reflected on the pool, and if we have patience and a suitable lens we can use one of the fountains as an arrowhead that will give us a photo to remember for a lifetime.
But the emotion will continue to intoxicate us, touring the various rooms of the palace with ceilings worked to the extreme by the Andalusian art.
With a finishing touch visiting the Palace of the Lions, with its central fountain and the many adjoining rooms such as the hall of the kings, where I recommend you look at the ceiling, as there are splendid paintings of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
And as a final touch, if you want to finish enjoying the Alhambra, go to the neighborhood of Albarracín to drink a Granadian beer whose name coincides with the monument and go up to one of the viewpoints at night to see the Alhambra illuminated.
Best regards.
