The southern part of Spain is known as Andalusia. In many ways it is primarily an agricultural region. Historically what made it significant was that for many years it was under the rule of the Moors. The Moors were Muslims mostly from North Africa. They brought their own distinctive architecture into the region, the Moorish style. When Christians took over the region again, they changed some of the buildings such as turning mosques into churches. However, many buildings still remain that have distinctive Moorish features.
The Alcazar in Seville is one such building. The Alcazar is a palace. Over the years both Christian and Muslim rulers have used the palace. Both have influenced the various remodelings of it. I was looking forward to seeing the Moorish influence in the architecture as that seemed most unique. However, it didn’t turn out quite as I expected.
Our 6:30 time slot finally came, and we were ready to explore the Alcazar. When we entered, the first rooms we went to focused on the tile work. There were examples of various types and styles of tiles that were used throughout the palace. It seemed more like a museum with all the displays. it was interesting, but not what I expected.
Eventually we ended up outdoors in some patios and small gardens which then led to a very large garden behind the building which was all walled in. Peacocks strutted around the garden which intrigued people so they took up our attention for a while. We then wandered through the garden and eventually ended up on the other side of the building. The gardens here were a bit more formal. There was a two story walkway people could use to view the gardens. Some of the garden elements seemed to have been influenced by Moorish design, but I still felt like hadn’t seen what I came to see. As we walked around we noted that people were setting up for some kind of a social gathering outside.
We reentered the building from the opposite side, and here we saw more of the grandeur that I had been expecting to see. Unfortunately these rooms didn’t seem to have much of the Moorish features I was expecting. They seemed more European in style. However, after seeing only a few rooms, the personnel told us they were closing, and we had to leave. Apparently the special event that was taking place required them to close early. I was unhappy as I felt that I had missed a lot of the central part of the building, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I can only be glad for what I did see. It was a disappointment, however, especially since no one had warned us they were going to close early.
With that we began our final walk back to the hotel. We did stop for some ice cream which was delicious. We felt really tired when we got to our room. It had indeed been a busy and full day. While I think we could have used another day in Seville to see everything, we are leaving tomorrow for Granada.
Our train left Seville at 12:08 so we had a rather relaxing morning. We decided again to take a taxi to the train station. Dragging our suitcases through the streets no longer appealed to us. Our next destination was Granada.
Our train ride went smoothly. We had nice seats. The scenery was interesting as well. All along the way we saw orchards. It was hard to identify the trees, but I’m sure may of them were orange trees, bitter oranges, which are common in this area.
Once in Granada we took another taxi to our hotel. This hotel is a little unique. It’s in an old building on the fourth floor. I’m not sure what businesses are on the floors below, but guests use a key card to get into the front door so it’s not open businesses. The room itself is also a little larger than the other rooms we have had which is nice.
After settling in, it was laundry time. There was a laundromat just down the street, so quite convenient. A young woman from Australia was there doing her laundry. She was quite talkative and kept us entertained with her stories and opinions. She had also been traveling through Spain and Portugal but by herself. We learned quite a bit about her and her family.
With laundry done we decided to get something to eat. That didn’t happen. Apparently in Granada people eat late. We picked out a hamburger place to eat at, but when we arrived, it was closed. The sign said they would open again at 8:30. We looked around for someplace else to eat, but the only places open were bakeries, coffee shops, and ice cream places. We finally found a place that sold us some meat filled pastries, but it was hardly enough to be considered dinner.
With time on our hands, we decided we would prepare for tomorrow. The Alhambra is one of the most visited sites in Spain. It is a fortress set on top of a hill in Granada. I purchased tickets well in advance of our trip for early the next day, and I wanted to make sure we got there in time. I had read that if one is late, they don’t let you in. We needed to make sure we knew where to go.
We were told it was a 15 minute walk from our hotel. Unfortunately a large section of it was uphill. It did take us about 15 minutes, but what surprised us was that we were able to just walk into the fortress. No one stopped and asked us for tickets. I finally asked a guard, and he said the part we were in is public space. Other spaces are not, and one needs a ticket for them. They wanted to see my ticket to make sure it was the right kind. I guess there have been problems. I didn’t have it, but I think it’s good. We’ll see tomorrow.
We were able to wander around and go into some buildings so the slideshow below will give you a little bit of a feel for what the Alhambra is all about. This place will definitely have the Moorish features I have expected to find. There are some hints even on the outside of the buildings.
After walking back down the stairs, we went back to the hamburger place we had been to earlier. They were still closed, but there were a few people waiting outside. We joined them and eventually the restaurant opened. It was quite small, but we managed to nab two seats at the bar. In the end the service was pleasant and the food good. With our stomachs full we returned to our hotel as we would have an early start in the morning.
Have you visited any place with Moorish architecture? Feel free to share your experience in the comment section below. Thanks for all who have taken time to comment, like or share the post on your social media. I appreciate it. Be sure to sign up if you haven’t already done so. It couldn’t be much easier.
Credit: The pictures from the hamburger restaurant were taken by Silvette Lee