The Andalucia : Appreciating the Islamic Heritage

Spending couple of days if the different regions of Spain was one of my most memorable experience that I would not forget. Spain was definitely one of my favorite countries, due to the culture and I'm loving the language it self (as a result from watching too many tele-novelas). From the flamenco, bull-fighting, Spanish tapas and the long history of Muslim conquest, these are mostly the things that I was looking for as part to garnish my general knowledge of everything. 

I will emphasize more on my visit to the Andalusia region, which has a long standing history on the Muslim conquest upon the arrival of Ummayad's from Damascus in year 711. The two Andalusian cities famous for the influence of Moors cultures are Cordoba and Granada. I made a day trip to Cordoba from Seville (by train). And the next day I departed to Granada by bus, and put up a night there.

Cordoba

I began the day early from Seville and headed to the train station to board the RENFE train to Cordoba. I managed to get a cheap ticket as I have booked it months earlier. I was so longing to see the Great Mosque of Cordoba, which is also known as the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba and The Mezquita. Based on the long history of the Great Mosque of Cordoba, this mosque has become a significant value to the Christians. The entry ticket costs 8 euro for an adult.

Outer design of The Great Mosque of Cordoba

The construction of Great Mosque of Cordoba began in 784 A.C and was supervised the Emir of Cordoba, Abd ar-Rahman I. It was also believed that the original copy of Al-Qur'an was placed in this mosque during the reigning of Abd ar-Rahman II. The next Emir of Cordoba, Abd ar-Rahman III built a tower at this mosque around the 9th century, whereas Al-Hakam II supervised the enlargement of this mosque and refined the design of the mihrabs.

The tower built by Abd ar-Rahman III but now used as bell tower

The Great Mosque of Cordoba is well-known by its impressive interior design. The architect of this mosque created the horseshoe arches, on top of the lower arched. The white and red stripes on the arches are actually an arrangement of blocks of sandstone and marble, making the main praying area even more amazing. There are more than 850 arches made in this area.

Internal view of the Great Mosque of Cordoba with the stunning arches (photo credit : Proyecto Espana)

Another beautiful structure in the Great Mosque of Cordoba is the mihrab. A ceiling resembling a sea shell was carved from a huge marble block. The spaces at the both sides of mihrab were embellished with golden tiles. It is even more amazing to see the neat and fine of Islamic caligraphy and patterns on the arch, the mihrab and on the wall.

The mihrab in Great Mosque of Cordoba (Photo credit : Arteazuer Blogspot)

The final modification stage of this mosque includes the construction of walkways at the exterior part of the mosque complex dan the setting up of a garden know as Patio de Los Naranjos. This area serves as a place to do the ablution before performing the prayers. There are many orange trees (that's where the word 'Naranjos' comes from, it means oranges) and also a lovely fountain. The construction of this mosque was fully completed in year 987 under the the supervision of Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Amir. This mosque was the most beautiful one compared to the thousands of existing mosque  in Cordoba during this period, and it is still the most beautiful until today.

The site of mosque construction was actually regarded as sacred place to the Romans and they have built the Roman temple long before the conquest of Islam. After the Christian reconquest of Cordoba in year 1236 by Ferdinand III, this mosque was converted to a cathedral with major renovations being done. Though major renovations were done, most of the Islamic architecture and design were preserved by the Christian rulers, hence the name Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba.

This mosque is part of historic center of Cordoba which has been gazetted as UNESCO World Heritage Site in year 1984. This is due to its outstanding artistic creation and religious architecture of Islam, as well as significant influences on Western Muslim art. Several structures were built after the fall of Moors empire such as the Calahorra Tower and the Alcazar,  which were connected by the Roman Bridge. There is also and archway as the entry point to this historical city, namely Puerta del Puente.

The Roman Bridge connecting the Puerta del Puente and Calahorra Tower

Puerta del Puente

Try to avoid the ladies holding some kind of herbs on their hands, in this historic city area. They don't speak English at all and they would try to get attention by approaching the visitors, grab the hands and try to look at them, as if like fortune telling. Even if one refused, they will keep talking in Spanish, and money from visitors. Euro 5 at least. Avoid eye contact by all means.

Another interesting Moorish city worth visiting and just outside Cordoba is the Madinat Al Zahra. However, getting to this place was not that easy. One will need to take a taxi, or alternatively, take the bus serviced by the tourist office at certain period of the day. This service is not unavailable on Monday though.

Granada

Granada is a city located at the foot of Sierra Nevada. It is such a peaceful city and less crowded compared to other cities on the Andalusia region. Despite the end of Moorish conquest, and the re-conquest of the Christianity in the 16th century, the elements of Islam are pretty prominent in Granada. Based on my observation, many Muslims reside in Granada today, based on the fact that many business outlets are run by the Muslims. They maybe come from the north African or the Middle Eastern countries.

The precious gem from the Moorish empire is of course the Alhambra, built in the 11th century. It was initially functioning as military base and on the 13th century the royal residential area, higher officers and the elite armies were built during the Nasrid dynasty. The entrance ticket costs 14 Euro.

Generalife garden, one of stunning attraction in Alhambra

View of Sierra Nevada from Alhambra

The most impressive thing I admire most about Alhambra is the evergreen Moorish architecture and design are well preserved at every corner of this lovely heritage site. The halls and the gardens are embellished with the Islamic calligraphy and they are simply stunning. However, there are several structures and buildings which are not based on Islamic concept, especially after the end of Nasrid empire. Among them are Palace of Charles V. Londaraza's Garden and Santa Maria de Alhambra church.

Court of Myrtles

Generalife, Alcazaba fortress, Nasrid Palace and several halls and open space such as the Royal Bath, Ambassadors Hall, Hall of the Two Sister, Hall of Mullioned Windows, Court of Lions, Hall of Justice and several others are the main attractions in this lovely Alhambra. Construction of each structure and space was done in stages and very much dependent on the incumbent ruler's desire. For example, the Court of Lions and the Alcazaba fortress were constructed during the ruling of Sultan Mohammed V. Other than this, the Comares Palace and Gates of Justice were constructed during the Sultan Yusuf I. However, the Generalife Garden underwent several reconstructions and modifications and the actual designer of this garden is unidentified to date. 

Besides Alhambra, Albayzin is another Islamic heritage in the Andalusia. It is located just opposite of Alhambra and it has strong Islamic influence until today. During the Moorish period, there were 30 mosques in this sector but these mosques were demolished and replaced by churches during the Christian reconquest. 

Andalusia has indeed displayed the grandeur and glorious Islamic ruling once upon a time. It is absolutely a good move to preserve these legacies which enables the travelers to learn more about the history and culture, especially to those who love to explore about Islamic history in the Europe.