Midwinter in Málaga - Tales of the Alhambra

Pour yourselves a large sherry, here's another image-heavy travel post.

After sharing the blue plaque I'd photographed in Birmingham back in February, marking the site where the American essayist, Washington Irving had lived in the city from 1819 until 1824, a Facebook friend, Jos from The Netherlands, recommended I read her favourite book, Tales Of the Alhambra. I duly tracked down a beautifully illustrated secondhand copy and devoured it in days. 

Fast forward a few months and, on what was to be our second trip to Andalucia (the first being in 1998), I thought it was time we visited the Alhambra. A UNESCO world heritage site since 1984 and the most popular destination in the whole of Spain, tickets sell out months in advance but, following Jeni's advice, we booked a tour with a local company before leaving the UK, the only way to guarantee admission. As independent travellers, an organised trip wouldn't be our first choice but if it meant finally seeing the Alhambra for ourselves then so be it. We boarded the minibus at 9am on Wednesday 7th December along with eight other travellers, an international group consisting of Finnish, German, Dutch, English and Americans, stopping at the midway point of our journey for a comfort break at a eerily quiet service station. Eighty miles inland from Málaga, Granada is several degrees cooler with a misty mountain backdrop and, after a few days respite, it felt like we'd stepped back into the depths of Winter. Restorative coffees consumed, we continued on our way and by the time we'd reached our destination the sun had burnt away the fog and the famously temperate climate of the previous day had returned.

The Alhambra was so called because of its reddish walls (in Arabic meaning Red Castle). It is located on top of the hill al-Sabika, on the left bank of the river Darro, to the west of the city of Granada and in front of the neighbourhoods of the Albaicin and of the Alcazaba. 

The Alhambra is located on a strategic point with a view over the whole city and surrounded by ramparts. The first historical documents in existence date from the 9th century and refer to Sawwar ben Hamdun who, in the year 889, had to seek refuge in the Alcazaba, a fortress, and had to repair it due to the civil fights that were destroying the Caliphate of Cordoba, to which Granada then belonged. The castle of the Alhambra was added to the city's area within the ramparts in the 9th century, although it was not until the arrival of the first king of the Nasrid dynasty, Mohammed ben Al-Hamar (Mohammed I, 1238-1273), in the 13th century, that the royal residence was established in the Alhambra. This event marked the beginning of the Alhambra's most glorious period. 

The Alhambra remained under Arabic control until 1492 when Granada was conquered by the Catholics and ruled by the sovereigns Ferdinand & Isabella. Some parts of the palaces were used by the new rulers whilst others were demolished and rebuilt like the Palace of Charles V, added by the Holy Roman Emperor in 1527.

By the 1700s the Alhambra had become abandoned and neglected, occupied by vagabonds, thieves and travellers. Washington Irving, fascinated by the tales and legends of Southern Spain, travelled to Granada in 1829, staying within the Alhambra for almost four months. Shocked at the graffiti covering the walls, then the way in which travellers immortalised their visit, Irving realised what an outrage this defacement was and was spurred into action, fighting for the palace's preservation and reconstruction. Instead of vandalising the palace's walls, he established a guest book which visitors could sign and wandered around the area interviewing residents and gathering tales of folklore and historical facts which he used to create his best-selling Tales of the Alhambra causing Europe to be even more drawn to the legends lying within the palace.

The Alhambra gardens were created to provide pleasure to the five senses, colour, light, aromatic plants and the murmur of water, bringing an atmosphere of sensuality. In Islamic tradition paradise is seen as a garden full of delights and pleasures where man can achieve full satisfaction. Water plays a major role, skillfully brought from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains and ensuring the abundance of vegetation and present in the fountains and ponds within whilst the walls echo the beauty of the garden with their decoration of floral motifs and colourful tiles.

The aim of the architects of the Alhambra was to cover every single space with decoration, no matter the size of the space, no decorative element was enough. Most of the interior arches are false arches, with no structure; there only to decorate. Walls are covered with beautiful and extremely rich ceramics and plasterwork and the coverings have wooden frames that have been exquisitely carved.

Even though the Koran bans the representation of figures, the decorating themes in the Alhambra are quite varied, classical calligraphic decoration is used, in particular cursive and kufic inscriptions, which reproduce the words of Zawi ben Ziri (founder of the Nasrid dynasty) Only God is Victor, and poems written by different poets of the court. 

The Alhambra was built with its own special type of column, which is not used in any other building, a very fine cylindrical shaft, the base of which has a large concave moulding, decorated with rings. The capital is divided into two bodies and the first one, cylindrically shaped, has a very simple decoration and a prism with a rounded-angled base and stylised vegetal forms.

One of the most impressive decorative elements used in the Alhambra is the mocarabe vault, formed by little cells placed one on top of the other one - said to have been inspired by the stalactites in the caves surrounding Granada.

The somewhat oddly named Generalife was built in the 13th century and decorated on the orders of the emir Abu I-Walid Isma'il (1313-1324). The name has various meanings, the Governor's Garden, the Architect's (alarife) Garden and the Vegetable Garden of the Gypsy Festivity Organiser. 

Patio de los Leones (the patio of the lions) is probably the most famous part of the Alhambra, named after the twelve lions which form part of the fountain in the middle of the patio and built by order of Mohammed V in the 13th century. The gallery is supported by one hundred and twenty four highly decorated columns. The arches lead to the Sala de los Abencerrajes and the Hall of the Two Sisters where the sultan's wives lived. 

Alhambra was just as beautiful as the great Islamic palaces and gardens we've visited in India and, being so much closer to home, it'll be a lot easier to return and see it throughout the seasons.

Although we prefer to do things under our own steam, it turned out to be a brilliant day. Everyone in the tour group was lovely (especially the Finnish women who shared our offbeat sense of humour & propensity for wandering off) and both guides, Maria who accompanied us on the journey from Malaga to Granada, and Stephanie who walked us around the Alhambra, were engaging and knowledgeable, allowing us time for photos and ensuring none of us got lost. 

After a wander around Granada with Maria who pointed out some interesting statues and some 14th century graffiti (which was actually the names of graduates from the university across the street, paid for by proud parents and daubed in bull's blood), we were left to our own devices for lunch and, as it had gone 2.30pm, we were ravenous.

Having travelled alone in the past, much as I enjoy my own company, I used to find eating alone rather tedious and invited Beatrix, a solo traveller from Dusseldorf, to join us for wine and tapas. Whilst Jon and she tucked into prawns, fried fish, Iberian ham and broken eggs, I worked my way through a platter of grilled aubergine slices drizzled in honey...yum!

In Málaga by 5.30pm, we returned to our apartment for a quick change before heading back out where, swept along by the crowds, ended up at the Plaza de la Marina watching the famous drone show before wandering through the Christmas market at the Paseo del Parque, wowed by the stalls of local, artisan food, the air fragrant with the smell of roasting chestnuts and partook in a couple of glasses of sweet Málaga sherry, served from an oak cask, at a mere one euro - a far cry from Birmingham's Frankfurt Xmas market which stinks of processed meat and where the cost of a glass of imported wine will make your eyes water. 

Like the locals we ate al fresco and late at night, demolishing bruschetta, padron peppers and patatas bravas washed down with several glasses of Victoria..... 

Before wending our way home through the beautifully illuminated city streets.

Stay tuned for my final instalment.

Hasta la vista, babies!