Farewell Granada!

Beauty Beyond Belief!

I was, and will forever be impressed by this city, Granada!

A visit here would be best enhanced by the basic story of Queen Isabella and her husband, King Ferdinand ( Católico ). They drove the Moors from the Alhambra and Granada (the last Muslim stronghold in Spain). That began the years of the Catholic Reign.

She also funded The first voyage to the New World of Christopher Columbus which set the stage for much wealth for Spain.

A Friend of mine told me about an excellent audiobook called The Queen’s Vow, which gave a pretty good history of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. I’m glad I had the history before coming.

THE MUST SEE THINGS IN GRANADA;

– The Alhambra

– The Albaicin

– The Cathedral

– The Royal Chapel ( Capilla Real de Granada)

– Monasterio San Jeronimo

– Any ancient Muslim homes/baths/ museums in the city. Casa Zafra, Banuelo Baths, and Casa Horno Del Oro.

I’m not going to give you a huge history lesson here, because the history of this area goes back well before the second century. It just blows your mind when you see everything that’s here.

Granada is Spanish for pomegranate.

Everywhere you go in Granada you see pomegranate imagery: in drawings and paintings; on signs, pottery; as statues, fountains and imbedded into pavements and roads.

The pomegranate or Punica granatum, is “granada” in Spanish and the official motif or “heraldic symbol” of the city.

“Granada” also means grenade or hand grenade. I guess they do look a bit similar. And when thrown against the pavement or a concrete wall they both explode in a quite spectacular way!

When you visit Granada you see that all the street signs have a painting of the fruit on the top of them. The pomegranate motif even adorns the sewer manhole covers! Once you train your eye to the pomegranate, you’ll find it everywhere.

The pomegranate is a Middle Eastern fruit and we all know that the Muslims were in Granada for centuries. It’s no coincidence that the pomegranate is well known here.

Interesting Fact

Here is an interesting piece of information I discovered when I was in Seville, about Granada and the pomegranate.

Look closely at this picture (above) of the tomb of Christopher Columbus which is in the cathedral in Seville.

Look at the bottom where the King has his sword and what he has plunged his sword into.

Here is a blown up photo of that sword plunged into a pomegranate – Granada!

It represents the removal of the Moors from Spain.

The sculptor felt that that was a critical piece to put in this tomb because without the conquering of The Alhambra and taking the Moors out of the city of Granada, Christopher Columbus’s voyage may never have happened!

Queen Isabella and Cristobal Columbus

This is a stunning statue of Christopher Columbus before Queen Isabella and one of the squares in Granada.