Appreciating the Alhambra

The Alhambra is essentially a city in the middle of Granada. Its name is Arabic for red fortress. This palace was originally built to be a military area. The beauty goes far beyond just impressive architecture and detailed tiling. The landscaping of these gardens looks like something straight out of the secret garden.

            One thing that you won’t miss is the sound of running water. Moorish Hydration Technology was implemented in 1238 AD. It blows my mind that in 1238 this palace had running water! They used the water for the gardens, indoor plumbing and heating/cooling. To put it into perspective, Versailles didn’t have this technology until the 19^th century.

            The Alhambra gave birth to some of the most important historical events of all time. Christopher Columbus had been in contact with Queen Isabella about a voyage and she showed interest, but she told him she couldn’t commit until she got control of the Alhambra. In 1492 the Muslim leader, Muhammad XII, surrendered to her. That same year she committed to Christopher Columbus and history was forever changed.

The room where Queen Isabella and Columbus met.

            Also that same year she began to eradicate the Islamic influence in Granada and unite Spain under one religion, Catholicism…hence, the Spanish Inquisition. To appear Catholic, several families changed their names to Christian sounding names. That’s why today we have names like María, José, Jesús, Ángel, Cruz and Dolores. Because the Americas were discovered by this Spanish sponsored voyage and missionaries were sent over to convert the natives to Spain’s national religion, it is safe to say that the widespread following of Christianity today can be traced back to the events of Granada in 1492.

            What’s so odd is that when the Catholic kings took control of the Alhambra historically speaking they should have destroyed the Arabic influence to assert their Christian faith, but instead they were too awestruck by the Alhambra’s sheer beauty. Not just one Spanish leader, but all of them took this approach. Because of this, the Arabic influence is still preserved. Instead of destroying the Alhambra, they added to it. There are walls with tiles side by side: one with the Islamic 8 point star and one with the 6 point star. 

            It is so cool to live in such a historic place. I have yet to look at the Alhambra at night and not have my breath taken away. It’s so crazy to stand in the same room as Christopher Columbus! Granada is a town that truly makes history come alive.