By Farooq Soomro | February 5, 2015

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The Journey

Bullfights, Flamenco, Gachas, Spanish guitar, Siesta and castles come to mind when a tourist packs his bags for Southern Spain. For a Pakistani traveler, however, Spain is only about two landmarks: Alhambra and Cordoba Mosque.

Immortalised in Iqbal’s poetry, celebrated in Tarrar’s travelogues and romanticised in Hijazi’s fiction, it has left a certain image and perception in our generation’s minds. The sense of loss has only deepened over the centuries and one could witness the wistful longing in the eyes of many taking this pilgrimage of love to both landmarks.

Valencia

I happened to be in Barcelona with friends and had a few days to spare. We had already rented a car in Barcelona and had explored its outskirts.

We decided to drive to Granada via Valencia. The drive was rather uneventful and we made our first stop for lunch in the Valencia port city.

Valencia has a rich Roman legacy but, at the same time, a modern look. I had hoped to see the Valencia football stadium on our way; it had been my favourite boyhood club famously known for making back to back appearances in coveted Champions League Finals and challenging the duopoly of Barcelona and Real Madrid in the Spanish Primera Division.

Unfortunately it was on the other end of the city so we finished our lunch by the beach and turned back to the highway.

Granada

Located at the foot of Sierra Nevada Mountains, it has the famous rivers of Beiro and Darro traverse through its fertile fields and orchards.

The Arabs gave it its current name after their conquest in the 8th century but the area was colonised much earlier by Romans among others. It remained a Muslim stronghold for centuries afterwards and was the last city to fall to the Christians at the hands of Queen Isabel of Castile in 1492.

A culturally rich history and diverse topography makes Granada a top European destination. There are umpteen landmarks worth a visit but Alhambra remains the most emblematic.

The Palace City houses several palaces and gardens which were added through the reign of Nasrid Dynasty.

The castle with the fortified wall was built in the 11th century but the glorious quarters were added mainly in the reign of Ibn Nasr.The Moorish architecture, as the Europeans call it, might not be a novelty for the people from the subcontinent who are well accustomed to the intricacies of the Arab and Persian architecture.

Nevertheless it adds a flavour to the medley of spectacular architecture in Spain with Gaudi inspired Barcelona and Romanesque Madrid other notable mention.

Alhambra

We had been advised to reach Alhambra early in the morning in order to avoid long queues which are ever present at the entrance.Their official website had highly recommended booking in advance to avoid surprises.

The entrance was through the outer wall leading to the Nasrid Palaces, the top most destination within Alhambra. People were allowed inside in batches after half hour intervals. There were people from all over the world waiting in the queue. We did not mind waiting as we were enjoying the panoramic views of the countryside there.

Nasrid Palaces

The Nasrid Palaces are the pick of Alhambra for a reason. The fragility of the inner chambers is in sharp contrast to the rigidness of the outer walls. The patios and water channels embody a poet’s vision of heaven. The proportional rooms and patios are in symmetry and the carvings on the wooden ceiling and windows follow geometrical patterns.

We entered the Palace through the Mexuar and Council Chambers, where people once gathered for an audience with the King. The coffered ceiling was decorated with wooden carvings. From there we entered Patio del Cuarto Dorado. This was where the King granted audience to the general public in a larger number.

From there was the entrance to the Palacio de Comares. Built around the Patio of the Myrtles, it was named so due to the hedges surrounding the rectangular pond and the fountain. It had several private quarters which were used by the King and his immediate family. You could notice the difference in the amount of decorations on the roof and the walls.

Court of the Lion

From the Patio of the Myrtles a small door led us to the Court of the Lion. There was a fountain of the twelve lions that threw water in the middle of the patio. There were four water channels running through the patio which joined at the fountain in the middle. There were four extravagantly decorated halls around the patio.

On the northern side was Ted Sala de Dos Hermanas which had a dome with a central star and umpteen tiny cells giving the impression of constellations in the night sky. From there a passage led us to Emperor's Chambers.

A walk down to the Patio of the Grille and Patio de Lindaraja took us to dreamy Jardines del Partal, an area of terraced gardens. We had reached the end of the Nasrid Palaces. We sat there in silence absorbing what we had witnessed in quick succession: the legacy of a Muslim dynasty in the Iberian Peninsulalasting over centuries.

Palace of Charles V

We entered the Palace afterwards which was built by Charles V who demolished a part of the Moorish structures to make room for it. It looked out of place and rather an encroachment into the delicate layout of Alhambra.

The square building contained an inner circular patio which had two levels. The construction was started in 1533 but was completed only in the twentieth century. It was built in the Renaissance style and set the precedence of the Italian tone in the Spanish architecture. Two different museums had opened up in the building.

Alcazaba

One of the oldest parts of Alhambra, this citadel was built primarily to house a military settlement. It had an impressive set of defense towers as well as a dungeon. The highest tower, Torre de la Vela,offered panoramic views of the Alhambra, Sierra Nevada and the valleys below.

The impressive gardens of Alhambra thrived on a branch of Rio DarroRiver which was routed from the river to the foot of the hill. That water was the source of many streams, fountains and ponds which inturn distributed water to many of the Alhambra gardens and settlements. It was no ordinary feat in that era since it required an understanding of delicate water engineering and especially the use of water pressure.

Sierra Nevada Ski Resort

From there we drove to the Sierra Nevada Ski Resort which was amongst the sunniest in Europe with its resort base level at 2100m. The skiing season therecontinued from November to May. The drive was very scenic and the 32km stretch of the road turned and twisted through the slopes before reaching the biggest snow park in Spain. It wasn’t just the ski enthusiasts who flocked to the resort but it also appeared to be a big attraction for families, motorists and trekkers. Its snowy slopes and treks through the wilderness offered a view into the flora and fauna of the Sierra Nevada region.

We walked through the streets of Granada stopping at various colourful restaurants. The Arab cuisine was popular among the tourists and the shops were full of souvenirs.

The Drive to Cordoba

We drove towards Cordoba the next morning.The drive was very picturesque with vast empty stretches of verdant green fields on both sides of the road. There were acres of olive plantation and hardly any people to be seen around.

Cordoba was the capital of the Hispania Ulterior (Region of Southern Spain during the Roman Republic). It was the provincial capital of the Damascus Caliphate after its capture by the Ummayad forces in 711.

It became the capital of the independent emirate of Al-Andalus which was founded by the exiled Ummayad Prince Abd-ar-Rahman I, after his clan lost the Caliphate of Damascus to the Abbasids in 750.

The city reached its pinnacle under the reign of Caliph Al Hakam II who opened many universities and libraries making Cordoba the intellectual capital of Europe.

Mosque of Córdoba

The Mosque of Córdoba was originally a Catholic Christian church dedicated to St. Vincent bythe native Visigoths. When the exiled Umayyad PrinceAbd al-Rahman I took control of Cordoba, he decided to make the mosque a shining edifice of his reign while allowing a few churches to exist within the compound.

The mosque soon became the center of political and religious activity.There were 856 columns constructed of marble and granite and were inspired by the pillars of the Dome of the Rock with alternating red and white voussoirs.

Fearing long queues we went there early in the morning. However it was relatively easier to reach the gate, passing in front of the ablution fountain.The guard at the entrance asked if we were Muslims.

We nodded and he politely asked us to refrain from offering prayers. Apparently a lot of Muslim visitors had tried to offer prayers in the recent past which had caused a commotion at what is now a crowded tourist spot.

We stepped inside walking from one arch to the other trying to make sense of the landmarks inside a dim interior which dampened the effect of the lustrous decoration on the roof and arches.

We slowly moved towards the Mehrab which was framed with a heavily decorated arch with pieces of colorful glass that created bands for intricate calligraphy. An even more decorated dome rises above the arch with crisscrossing ribs creating lustrous arches.

The mosque was consecrated as a cathedral when Cordoba fell to the Christians. The minaret was converted into the bell tower and a Renaissance Cathedral was built in the center. The consecration probably saved the mosque from plundering which followed the Christian re-conquest.

Cordoba Town

We walked through the streets of Cordoba. The roman legacy was apparent in the city as well. Opposite the shops in downtown Cordoba a roman temple stood firm on a podium with six columns. It dated back to 41AD to the reign of Emperor Claudius.

From there we walked towards the Roman Bridge where The Tower of La Calahorra was built later in 14th century to defend the city from the Southern end.We walked aimlessly through the famous Callejon de lasflores, a narrow alley of whitewashed houses famously known for its vivid flowers in terracotta pots. There were many cozy restaurants and cafés around the area offering Spanish cuisine.

A visit to the nearby Alcazar is highly recommended which was a Christian era castle with delightful gardens and ponds. You could witness the deep contrast in its architecture despite its gardens and ponds being heavily inspired from the Muslim era.

A half day excursion could be made to the ruins of Madinat al Zahra, an opulent palace city built by Abd-ar-Rahman III al-Nasir, (912–961) Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba. Despite taking forty years to build, the city lasted only thirty years when usurper Al-Mansur transferred the seat of the government.

One could spend weeks exploring the legacies of the Moorish and subsequent dynasties in Southern Spain. Sadly the time was not on our side and we drove to Madrid to catch our flight back home.