This was our first weekend trip. This is where Columbus got his start and since we were there on Columbus Day weekend, we got to see all the parades and celebrations. The walking tour took us through the Arabic markets which are still functioning and ending at the main cathedral. We saw many other smaller churches that were all prior mosques, which you could identify because of the very tall bell tower that was formerly the minaret. All of the churches also had large cisterns since the city is up on a hill water was considered precious. It was in Granada where the last Muslim ruler surrendered to Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492. A term of the surrender was that the Muslims would be allowed to continue living in the city. The coolest part of the city is the Alhambra. The original construction began in 889, then it was ignored until the 11th century and was rebuilt by a Moorish king. In 1333 it was converted into a royal palace. Then in 1492 it was used by the Christian rulers. It was in the Alhambra palace where Columbus was granted his final approval to go discover the New World. The significance of the Alhambra is that it is a rare example of late Moorish design. All of the fountains are elegantly beautiful. The surrounding gardens are called the Generalife that was unsecured so the king would only spend the day in the Gardens. Overall, a very cool city.
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