A fortress, palaces and gardens, this Andalusian marvel has to be seen. La segunda parte.
I was really trying to get the Alhambra and the Generalife of Granada, Spain into one post. (Check out part 1.) Who was I kidding? I was already twenty photos in by the time I got to the Nasrid Palaces. So, let’s continue where I left off, the Palace of the Lions, part of the Nasrid Palaces.
The Court of the Lions is peak Nasrid era. The courtyard is named for the statues of lions holding up the fountain. I actually saw someone step into one of these little floor fountains.
Just fantastic. Those fountains are really trying to kill someone.
A very stunning palace.
The Hall of the Abencerrajes. This would have been absolutely stunning if all the colors still existed. I see hints of blue.
The room had two alcoves with another fountain in the center. I wonder how many fountains this palace actually has. They seem to be everywhere.
Another grand room.
The Hall of the Kings had smaller alcoves all along it.
That’s quite a doorway.
Close up of that Lion Fountain. I was in Granada between Christmas and New Year’s, hence the crowds.
A super grand room, the Hall of the Two Sisters.
That is a fancy ceiling. This dome is considered one of the finest examples of a muqarnas dome. Muqarnas is a form of ornamental building decoration often used in domes and apses. It was very popular across the Islamic world.
Close up!
The Mirador de Lindaraja. I can’t get over how gorgeous this palace is.
I was in the Nasrid Palaces for forever. Now to head over to the Generalife.
The Patio of Lindaraja. A very nice patio.
Passing through the Palace of Charles V. I’ve never seen such a round palace before.
Where I am heading!
To get to the Generalife, you take a bridge over this old road which separates the Generalife from the Alhambra. That bridge is actually an aqueduct that carries water from the hills outside of Granada to the Alhambra.
The walls and towers of the Alhambra.
The Generalife is now part of the same complex as the Alhambra. In the past, it was the summer palace of the Nasrids. It was mostly constructed in the 13th century-late 14th century. While much smaller than the other Nasrid palace, the Generalife is still has much of its Moorish decorations and designs, plus its fantastic Moorish gardens.
A garden with fountains. Not a surprise.
The tower like entrance to the Generalife. There was a bit of a line for ticket checking.
The Patio de la Acequia. The fountains are modern but really do fit the place.
A garden view of the Alhambra.
A lovely covered porch to view the Alhambra in.
While the Generalife is a bit simpler in decoration, it is still very fancy.
The Patio de la Acequia again.
Another view through this room.
The Patio de la Sultana and more fountains.
Lovely terraced gardens.
I wasn’t kidding that the Alhambra is huge!
And then the Generalife, a nice little summer palace.
The Alhambra and Generalife are simply amazing. What I showed above is only a fraction of what you can see there. It’s going to take some time to go through the entire complex. I think I spent at least five hours there and didn’t see everything. It was a good five hours.
Check out my next update where I visit a couple of castles and a World Heritage city!
or
Start at the beginning of my travels around Spain!
