Spain's Great Alhambra: Travels with D.L. Siluk

Spain's Great Alhambra


By Dennis L. Siluk


In l997, I took a trip around Spain: to Toledo, Cordoba, Madrid, and Granada, going down towards the Sierra Nevada which overlooks Granada; and I traveled beyond down to the Coast de Sole. Farther down I went to the Rock of Gibraltar, where I stayed for a day, ate at one of the pubs there, and climbed to the top of the big rock, and played with the monkeys on the way; and took a boat across the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco, Tanger: in Tanger, what an experience, I’ll save that for another day. Broadly speaking, this was perhaps the way the Moors went when they conquered Spain and ruled it for nearly 800-years, but backwards: that is, across the strait and onward to Granada and Cordoba, and every other city in its pathway. But where I want to bring you is to the Alhambra in Granada, which replaced the Capital in Cordoba, by the Moors: 1236 AD. In this fairyland, or Disney Land type ancient atmosphere, you see some of the finest Islamic art in Europe. It symbolizes Islam’s five requirements: prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, almsgivings and belief in the oneness of God. Everywhere, I mean everywhere within this huge fortress type palace, (which covers 35-acres) there are plaster stalactites resembling enormous kaleidoscopic images, exploding outward. There are many towers also. At first you don’t, or I could not picture its hugeness, but once inside you can. Or if you are looking up at it from a distance, you can see its towers and walls. When you walk about one can help but think of water, it is symbolized everywhere, with fountains and rivulets, a large pool as I said before, columns standing like palm trees.

In one area 4,400 tiny plaster cells honeycomb the celestial ceiling of the Hall of two sisters; I looked at it for the longest time, until my neck got sore. To be quite frank, I would not have went to Spain just to see the Alhambra, but it was a pleasant surprise being able to walk its halls, and see its architect, its pool, and all its grandeur.