Motril (Granada), Spain
The towering peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains were silhouetted against the crimson and orange sky as our coaches sped by the darkened orange groves and sugar cane fields that surround the port of Motril en route to Granada.
The Sabika hill sits like a garland on Granada’s brow,
In which the stars would be entwined
And the Alhambra (Allah preserve it)
Is the ruby set above that garland.
Ibn Zamrak, vizier to Muhammad V (1362-1391)
And Allah did preserve this crowning jewel of the Moorish culture in Spain; a culture that was responsible for introducing innovative farming techniques to Europe including irrigation, citrus fruits, rice, and sugar. They also made advancements in almost every branch of science including navigation, algebra, alchemy and arithmetic, the latter through the introduction of Arabic numerals. In southern Spain, evidence of the extent of the Moor’s cultural legacy is imprinted on the rugged landscape from the small white villages, to the great palaces. The unique and intricate decoration of the mudejar workmen stand as a silent testament to their 800-year stay in what they knew as al-Andalus.
We started the day with a visit to the gardens of the Nasrid sultan’s summer palace, the Generalife. After winding down the hill and stopping at the Renaissance palace that Charles V built on the site of the west wind of the Moorish complex, we entered the main palace through the Mexuar, a series of rooms used by the diplomatic corps of a now bygone era. An hour later our tour ended with a visit to the Court of the Lions, once the women’s harem. Every surface of the interior walls of the Alhambra is covered with stucco decoration that combined intricate, interwoven undulating floral and animal motifs with Arabic calligraphy.
The Alhambra Palace Hotel, part way down the hill, pulled out all the stops for a scrumptious lunch as we grabbed a much-needed break to recharge our batteries. After lunch, we either boarded the buses or followed our guides down through the city en-route to the Capilla Royale, to view the elaborate Carrera marble tombs of the Catholic Monarchs: Ferdinand and Isabella. A truly magnificent way to cap off the National Geographic Endeavour’s last Epic Voyage of the Mediterranean!
The towering peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains were silhouetted against the crimson and orange sky as our coaches sped by the darkened orange groves and sugar cane fields that surround the port of Motril en route to Granada.
The Sabika hill sits like a garland on Granada’s brow,
In which the stars would be entwined
And the Alhambra (Allah preserve it)
Is the ruby set above that garland.
Ibn Zamrak, vizier to Muhammad V (1362-1391)
And Allah did preserve this crowning jewel of the Moorish culture in Spain; a culture that was responsible for introducing innovative farming techniques to Europe including irrigation, citrus fruits, rice, and sugar. They also made advancements in almost every branch of science including navigation, algebra, alchemy and arithmetic, the latter through the introduction of Arabic numerals. In southern Spain, evidence of the extent of the Moor’s cultural legacy is imprinted on the rugged landscape from the small white villages, to the great palaces. The unique and intricate decoration of the mudejar workmen stand as a silent testament to their 800-year stay in what they knew as al-Andalus.
We started the day with a visit to the gardens of the Nasrid sultan’s summer palace, the Generalife. After winding down the hill and stopping at the Renaissance palace that Charles V built on the site of the west wind of the Moorish complex, we entered the main palace through the Mexuar, a series of rooms used by the diplomatic corps of a now bygone era. An hour later our tour ended with a visit to the Court of the Lions, once the women’s harem. Every surface of the interior walls of the Alhambra is covered with stucco decoration that combined intricate, interwoven undulating floral and animal motifs with Arabic calligraphy.
The Alhambra Palace Hotel, part way down the hill, pulled out all the stops for a scrumptious lunch as we grabbed a much-needed break to recharge our batteries. After lunch, we either boarded the buses or followed our guides down through the city en-route to the Capilla Royale, to view the elaborate Carrera marble tombs of the Catholic Monarchs: Ferdinand and Isabella. A truly magnificent way to cap off the National Geographic Endeavour’s last Epic Voyage of the Mediterranean!
