Week 6: Andalucia, Southern Spain

Fifteen years ago, my wife and I spent two weeks in Spain. We were in Madrid for two days, visiting some of the sites in the Spanish capital. We also took a day trip to the nearby city of Toledo. A few days later, we took a train and headed south towards Seville. Seville is the biggest city in the region known as Andalucia. The thing I remember the most about this trip is the strong Moorish influence in the architecture of some of the public buildings. That Moorish influence is seen not only in Seville, but also in Cordoba and Granada -- the other two cities in visited on that trip. The main buildings built by the Moors in Seville are the Alcazar and the Giralda Tower. The Alcazar was built by the first Caliph of Andalucia in the 12th century as a fortress, and it then became the Royal Palace after the Spanish regained control of the area. Inside the Alcazar there is a gorgeous palace, and a beautiful garden. The Giralda Tower was built as a minaret next to a mosque. The mosque was latter replaced by the Seville Cathedral, and the minaret is now the bell tower of the cathedral (Sacred Destinations). I also remember watching a live Flamenco show in Seville.

After Seville, we took a bus to Cordoba. Cordoba became famous for advocating religious tolerance. At one point in its history, Jews, Muslims, and Christians coexisted peacefully for many years. The most visited building in Cordoba is the Great Mosque. Inside the mosque (pictured above) there are several rolls of columns and decorated ceilings. The mosque was transformed into a Roman Catholic cathedral after the Spanish regained control of the area. Altars were later placed along the inner walls of the mosque for worshiping catholic saints.

Granada was the most beautiful of the three cities we visited in Andalucia. The Alhambra Alcazar is the biggest and most spectacular Moorish structure in Spain. It is also a fortress featuring a huge garden, large outdoor areas ornamented with fountains, and a very elaborate palace. All areas are open to public visitation. From the Alhambra, there is a beautiful view of the snow peak mountains of the Sierra Nevada.

Sources:
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/spain/seville-giralda
http://www.alhambradegranada.org/en/info/historicalintroduction.asp
http://web.mac.com/jakehartsfield/iWeb/Cordoba/Mosques.html
http://www.seville-traveller.com/alcazar-spain.html