La Alhambra

I went to the Alhambra this weekend. First, for those of you who don't know what the Alhambra is, allow me to give you a (extremely) brief history. Spain was invaded by the Moors (the Muslims) in 711 and was ruled by them until 1492. The Alhambra was constructed by the Moors as the main palace and government building. It was completed near the end of the Moorish rule. Once Granada was re-conquered by Los Reyes Catolicos (Ferdinand & Isabella) the Moors were expelled from the Alhambra. The Mosque was destroyed and Cathedral was built upon the same site. In addition to the Cathedral, in the 15th Century the "Palace of Charles V" was built. Although many of the buildings were ruined and or altered the larger buildings and palaces have remained intact or restored to their original form. Unfortunately, a large part of it is currently being restored, including the famous fountain in the Patio de los Leones. So unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of that, but if you google it you will find plenty of pictures and may recognize what I am talking about.

Enough of the history lesson and on to my own opinion. The Alhambra is amazing. The level of construction and craftsmanship that are displayed are unbelievable. We have all this technology in the world today but there aren't any buildings that have been built within the last century that compare to this (or at least that I have ever seen). The entire site is also full of gardens. I am bummed that I won't be here in a month or so to see everything in bloom, but it was still really beautiful and was extremely relaxing to walk through. In all, I think the Alhambra is one of the most unrecognized and/or under appreciated historical sites in Europe.

Check out my pictures and you'll see what I am talking about.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5903923&l=f4052&id=685220612

:)
Andrea