Découvrez le monde sans limites

Tour of Granada's Historical Center

VPG-DVD-198 - GRANADA Since the 7th century B.C., Iberians, Romans and West Goths settled in Granada but it was during Arab rule that the city first gained prominence. Sixty thousand Muslims once lived in the old Moorish city complex on the hill above the ancient district of Albaicin.1 Granada has a truly unique and captivating atmosphere, one that has inspired poets, musicians and countless travellers from all over the world. A lively and contemporary university city and at the same time the guardian of an historic past that draws in a multitude of tourists keen to experience its special charm. In the narrow valleys between the Alhambra and Albaicin Hills the gentle River Darro makes its age-old journey toward the city centre and the houses along the riverside have been restored to a high standard with typical wooden balconies, decorated façades and barred windows. The Banos Arabes are ancient Arab baths that date back to the 11th century. The mighty La Alcazaba Fortress rises up from the top of a hill and is separated from the rest of the Alhambra by huge walls. The city extends to the plains below and in the background are the snow-covered mountain peaks of the Sierra Nevada. The huge Torre De La Vela Watchtower is the highest point of the complex and was the first building of the Nasrides Dynasty. The Alhambra served as a military headquarters, administrative centre and royal residence until the expulsion of the Moors by Christian militia. The interior of the Alhambra is like a hidden treasure that lies expectantly beyond plain red walls, waiting to be discovered. The most famous of the courtyards is the Lion Yard of which the well and ornate arcades took several years to complete. The fiery south of Spain is a fantasy world situated between Europe and Africa. A land of passion and ancient culture: Granada is its shining pearl set amid the evocative landscape of Andalusia.

Granada, the last city reconquered in 1492 by Catholic monarchs, Queen Isabel of Castille and her husband Ferdinand of Aragon, is the Moorish jewel of Spain. Staying at an impressive resort hotel near the Alhambra Palace, I took a morning walk to explore the awe-inspiring Alhambra Palace and Generalife Gardens. The Alhambra (meaning the red or crimson castle) complex was begun in the 9th cent., modified by Mohammad III in the 13th cent., and much later by Charles V. It was abandoned by the last Moorish ruler, Boabdil, who was castigated by his mother for weeping in shame for losing beautiful Alhambra, "Now weep like a woman for what you cannot defend like a man." One of Granada's oldest districts, the Albaicín, was declared a World Heritage Site, together with the Alhambra and the Generalife. At the city center stands the Gothic Cathedral of Santa María de la Encarnación (1523-1703), which contains La Capilla Real (The Royal Chapel), and the Royal mausoleum of Isabel and Ferdinand, who chose to be buried in Granada because they saw its conquest as the crowning achievement of their reign.

GTR-DVD-1146 - In southern Spain, majestically, yet mysteriously, the legendary Alhambra proudly rises above Granada's atmospheric old town. After Córdoba, former centre of power of the caliphs, had fallen into the hands of the Christians in 1238, Granada became the country's new capital city. Mohammed The First ordered the construction of the Alhambra's massive walls and twenty-four watch towers above the remains of a comparatively modest fortress. King Charles The Fifth deliberately built his palace at this location as it had once been the last bastion of Muslim power in Spain. It thus symbolised the triumph of the Christian world. In addition to the external splendour of the Christian palace the full beauty of its Moorish architecture is only fully revealed by exploring its glorious interior. Thus the despair of the last Nasrides ruler strikes a poignant chord today for, according to legend, when he was forced to abandon his palace to the Christian armies without a fight, his eyed filled with tears as he glanced back at his beloved Alhambra. Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

Inside the palace at the most iconic image of Granada, the "Court of the Lions"...though the lions themselves were being restored at the time, hence the big wooden box in the center of the patio

My first attempt to compete with the History Channel ;) The Aljaferìa palace was build in the second half of the 11th century as a summer residence for the Muslim Taifa king Abu Jafar al Muqtadir. Jafar called it his palace of joy. It's the only conserved testimony of a large building of Spanish Islamic Architecture of the era of the Taifas. Between 711 and the 15th century vast parts of Spain were under Muslim occupation. Today the palace contains the Cortes, the regional parliament of the autonomous community of Aragon. Alfonso I of Aragon had captured Zaragoza in 1118 from the Muslims and made the Aljeferia the residence of the Christian Kings of the Kingdom of Aragon. The Troubadour Tower is the oldest construction of the Aljaferia. The tower is a defensive structure dating back to the 9th century. The Aljaferia is located on flat land as opposed to the majority of the castles of the time. Access to the inside is via only one door situated between two fortified towers. Isabel's Courtyard, named after Isabel the Catholic Queen is located in the center, there you can find a gorgeous garden with orange trees. zaragoza was the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon which also owned territories in Greece, Italy and France. For some time the Aragon King also held the title of King of Valencia and King of Majorca. Strong bonds connected him to the Kingdom of Portugal. The arrows and the yoke tied with the Gordian knot were the symbol of Isabel and Fernando. Isabel and Fernando, known as Cathlic Monarchs, completed the Christian Reconquest by forcing the las Muslim ruler Boabdil to surrender Granada and leave European soil. The Spanish Inquisition was established by the Catholic Monarchs we already mentioned, Ferdinand and Isabel, in 1478. It was not abolished until 1834. The Inquisition also resided in the Aljaferia, but I couldn't find information about this period. The building has a number of artistic styles, a result of the diverse uses to which it has been put. From Muslim Palace of Joy to chatholic stronghold to military base. In the 18th and 19th century the Aljaferia underwend so called renovations to convert large parts of the building into barracks. Thus big parts of its wealth were destroyed. La Aljafería es un palacio fortificado construido en Zaragoza en la segunda mitad del siglo XI por iniciativa de Al-Muqtadir como residencia de los reyes hudíes de Saraqusta. Este palacio de recreo (llamado entonces «Qasr al-Surur» o Palacio de la Alegría) refleja el esplendor alcanzado por el reino taifa en el periodo de su máximo apogeo político y cultural. Su importancia radica en que es el único testimonio conservado de un gran edificio de la arquitectura islámica hispana de la época de las Taifas. De modo que, si se conserva un magnífico ejemplo del Califato de Córdoba, su Mezquita (s. X), y otro del canto de cisne de la cultura islámica en Al-Ándalus, del s. XIV, La Alhambra de Granada, se debe incluir en la tríada de la arquitectura hispano-musulmana La Aljafería de Zaragoza (s. XI) como muestra de las realizaciones del arte taifa, época intermedia de reinos independientes anterior a la llegada de los almorávides. Las soluciones adoptadas en la ornamentación de la Aljafería, como la utilización de arcos mixtilíneos y de los salmeres en «S», la extensión del ataurique calado en grandes superficies o la esquematización y abstracción progresiva de las yeserías de carácter vegetal, influyeron decisivamente en el arte almorávide y almohade tanto del Magreb como de la Península Ibérica. Asimismo, la transición de la decoración hacia motivos más geométricos está en la base del arte nazarí. Tras la reconquista de Zaragoza en 1118 por Alfonso I El Batallador pasó a ser residencia de los reyes cristianos de Aragón, con lo que la Aljafería se convirtió en el principal foco difusor del mudéjar aragonés. Fue utilizada como residencia regia por Pedro IV el Ceremonioso y posteriormente, en la planta principal, se llevó a cabo la reforma que convirtió estas estancias en palacio de los Reyes Católicos en 1492. En 1593 experimentó otra reforma que la convertiría en fortaleza militar, primero según diseños renacentistas (que hoy se pueden observar en su entorno, foso y jardines) y más tarde como acuartelamiento de regimientos militares. Sufrió reformas continuas, y grandes desperfectos, sobre todo con los Sitios de Zaragoza de la Guerra de la Independencia hasta que finalmente fue restaurada en la segunda mitad del siglo XX y actualmente acoge las Cortes de Aragón. En su origen la construcción se hizo extramuros de la muralla romana, en el llano de la saría o lugar donde los musulmanes desarrollaban los alardes militares conocido como La Almozara. Con la expansión urbana a través de los años, el edificio ha quedado dentro de la ciudad. (Wikipedia) Video recorded between 17:39 and 18:33

Patti Smith singing the Door's Crystal Ship at the Garcia Lorca Center in Granada, Spain, on the anniversary of Jim Morrison's Death, with Tom Lardner. Filmed by Alfredo Martinez.

Just east of Malaga, Spain in Pedregalejo is where Alhambra Instituto is located. Everything you need is close by, in a smaller relaxing environement including all the fun on the beach. Our beaches have some of the best parties, events, and bars, all near by. Malaga center is only 10 minutes away too. Visit our webpage at www.alhambra-instituto.com

Video of the parade through the centre of Granada during the feast of Corpus Christi in June 2007

"El nuevo y revolucionario método para el adelgazamiento"