Granada, Seville, Cordoba

Can I just start off by saying that I am so grateful for my life?! Every week I am amazed by all I do and experience. I love that my life is surprising me every day. We started off the week by visiting the Prado again with Dr. Rosenberg. A lot of the paintings became more interesting to me as Dr. Rosenberg explained the context or the life of the painters. I was really grateful for his knowledge while visiting the Prado. We had a super long excursion this week! We left for Cordoba, Seville, and Granada on Wednesday. I had been to Cordoba and Seville before, but I had forgotten a lot about those cities. We visited a lot of sites that had been built during the Arabic regime in Spain. I love the architecture of these buildings—they are unbelievably detailed and filled with colors. In Cordoba, we visited the Mezquita which is a mosque that was built on top of a cathedral, and then later a cathedral was built inside of the mosque. It’s a great example of how Spain is built on a combination of many cultures. It is one of my favorite places in all of Spain. I love how you can see the mix of artists that designed the inside. Its hard to accurately describe! There are hundreds of white and red striped arches—they seem to never end. Cordoba as a city is beautiful as well; the houses are pure white with colorful roofs. I had forgotten what Seville was like, but I really enjoyed our time there! We visited the Plaza de Espana, which is where scenes of Star Wars II was filmed. We also visited the Alcazar, which is along the same design of the Mezquita. Its one of those places that you walk with your mouth wide open the whole time. It is hard to fathom how something so beautiful can be man-made! It is stilled used as a palace today!  We also visited the cathedral where the remains of Christopher Columbus are kept. You can’t see the casket, but you can see his tomb! That evening, a few of us found some amazing tapas (various Spanish appetizers), and we ate them along the river as the sun set. Basically perfect! We were also able to find a free flamenco show—Seville is known for putting on amazing flamenco shows. While in Granada, we were able to visit the Alhambra, which was nominated to become a new “wonder of the world”. The Alhambra was a castle built for the royal family, but because of its location, it could also function as a small city in times of war. It is influenced by Arabic design, and its jaw-dropping gorgeous. I love Arabic design because they tend to incorporate nature, light, and color into their designs. Cathedrals usually are designed to turn our focus to the Savior by using Bible stories. For me, I appreciate the use of nature and symbolism more than carvings or paintings. I wish we would have had more time to travel, but we do have to attend class at some point :). Below are some pictures and the rest of my homework assignment!

1.       The mihrab designates one of the holiest places inside a mosque. It shows the worshippers the direction of Mecca, or the direction that the individual needs to pray. There is no specific location designated for someone to pray within a cathedral—all places are open for someone to do so. Also, within mosques, there are areas to wash or perform a cleansing ritual before praying. In cathedrals, there are basins filled with holy water, but Catholics don’t perform washing ceremonies.

2.       Christopher Columbus is buried in the cathedral of Seville!

3.       Alcazar and Castillo both mean castle. Alcazar is an Arabic word, so the design of an alcazar comes from Moorish influences. Castillo is a Spanish word, so the design most likely will not be of Moorish influences.

4.       Andalucia comes from the Arabic word “al-Andalus”. This word sounds like “anda en luz” in Spanish.

5.       Granada is a city that was very important in Spanish history for many different reasons. For example, Isabel and Fernand blessed the city, and many believe that they gave Columbus permission to explore America within the walls of Granada. This city was also a sanctuary for those seeking religious freedom, specifically those of Arabic descent. Also, Granada was a fortress. It is almost impossible to conquer the city because of where it was built. The mountains surrounding it prevent armies from taking over the city with ease. It is also the home of the Alhambra, which one of the best surviving examples of Moorish history in Spain.

6.       The Alhambra was a palace built for the royals living in Granada. But, the Alhambra could also function as a small city in times of war. It is built directly into the hill, making it almost unconquerable. Unlike many of the other Moorish buildings in Spain, it was not changed or destroyed to support the Catholic faith. It is a pure and untouched example of Arabic designs.

7.       There are many similarities between our faith and the Muslim faith. For example, we and the Muslim faith believe in prophets, and specifically having one prophet on the earth at a time. Also, prayer/communication with God is an important concept in both religions. I also noticed that all of the religious buildings were filled with symbols and words to help those worshipping to turn themselves to God. Our temples are filled with symbols for that exact same purpose.
Pictures: 
1. Plaza Espana en Seville 2. Alhambra 3. Alcazar 4. Seville 5. Seville 6. En la Alhambra 7. Granada 8 & 9: Alhambra 10: Granada gelato en Granada (Granada means pomegranate in Spanish) 11 & 12: Mezquita en Cordoba 13: Plaza Espana