Melanie Lahura
Blog # 2
Cordoba. On Friday, February 11 we got up early to go to the mosque nearby our hotel. I ate my breakfast in 10 minutes because we were in a hurry.
Professor Antonio, Professor Ruth, and Rocio, who takes care of the American students abroad in Madrid, took us to the mosque. Professor Antonio gave us a history lesson before entering to help us understand what is inside the mosque. He discussed Islamic expansion. From the year 711, the Iberian Andalusian territory was integrated into the North African province of the Umayyad Caliphate and became a province under Muslim rule. From early on, there are two religious sects that deal with issues of religious law and political law in Islam, the Shia and the Sunni.
It is so fascinating to see a place where cultures and religions have shifted, mixed, and intertwined the way they do in the south of Spain. Andalusia is richer architecturally and culturally today for things that happened politically over 1300 years ago.
Córdoba is a traditionally important city in Andalusia. It is an artistic and cultural center. And inside the mosque (Mezquita), you can see the Spanish Islamic architecture and tile design. It is one of the most important contributions to a site with two thousand years of history as there are also Roman remains.
In the early 16th century, the local bishop decided what should be done with the mosque and they proclaimed it a cathedral. As a unique icon of Córdoba, it was not destroyed. In the 20th century, the new mentality is that the mosque elements of the site are important for enrichment.
The mosque has two parts: the courtyard and the covered area inside. The anonymous architect who built it used columns and arches as support. On the columns, they put a “pila” (concrete water storage tank). Since they are too weak to stand up alone, the architect supports them with another arch. They used brick and stone mixed. The mosque has eleven naves. Antonio also explains that not only were the walls and ceilings rich in architecture but also the floors were rich. By that, I mean that in those times there were many rugs rich in textile. The Mezquita is an unbelievable history lesson.
On Sunday, February 13, we visited the Alhambra. The Alhambra is a fortress complex of towers, palaces, gardens, a refinement of Islamic architecture. The structure of the Alhambra adapts to its surrounding. It is between two rivers: the Genil River and the Darro River. The Alhambra has towers on the outside and palaces on the inside. Professor Antonio gave us a lot of information about the Alhambra. Among them is the word Sultan which means power. Muhammad XII of Granada was the first sultan of Granada. He was a very intelligent person who the people of Granda really depended on. He was recognized for his government and admirable disposition.
I learned about the term baraka and its true meaning, which is happiness in Arabic. However, the Spanish thought it meant boat, “Barco”. Another term, “tasas”, were places to have refreshments for those who attended long ceremonies.
The Abencerrajes room was the King's bedroom. On the ceiling, you can see an eight-pointed star made with plaster macaroni muqarnas that create a spectacular level of light. In the courtroom, there is a picture on the ceiling of the sultan surrounded by his most important courtiers. The room of the two sisters is an important room with two marble slabs and a view of the neighborhood. The windows are low because the sultan knelt to pray. The Alhambra in Granada left me very tired. The place is huge. It’s very beautiful, but you must go in comfortable shoes.
On Monday, February 14, we visited the Reales Alcázares of Sevilla, then the Cathedral, followed by a walk through the Santa Cruz neighborhood. In Santa Cruz, I was able to buy souvenirs for my parents and siblings. We visited the most important Islamic monuments in the Seville area. Over the years these places change. During a time of Catholic kings, the Alcázar was the center of Andalusia. The fortress was a residence in Seville from the 10th century to the present. The outer wall of the palace is the Fortaleza or fortress. Inside, the giant gardens have preserved elements of Islam. I really like to learn new terms and one is the term montería, a hunting party. In the “Salon del Almirante” (Admiral's room,) on the ceiling, you can see the shields of the different admirals. There is a painting of “the Virgin of the Navigators” which represents the protection of the Spanish sailors. The gardens include the Courtyard of the Maidens. We were able to see the Courtyard of the Dolls which has doll faces carved into the columns of the arches. Another very nice patio was the patio of flags for flags of army regiments. It belonged to the Alcázar but it was always private for important families in those times. After visiting the Alcázar we went to the Giralda, Seville Cathedral. Professor Antonio explained to us about the “Giralda”, (del giraldillo comes from the name of the "Giralda", whose meaning is "vane of a tower with a human or animal figure"). When the finished cathedral was built, they decided to redo it and build a bell tower. Between the two towers, there are no stairs but there are ramps to get to the top. The story says that this could have been done because it was a way to access the top of the tower on horseback without having to walk, which was a whim of the caliph. Or the other theory was that it could have been a more practical system to upload the materials to build the bell tower. Going up the 35 ramps, I was buzzing with excitement to see the view at the top.
Seville was the last stop of our beautiful tour. The temperature was perfect. When we were in the Uber heading to the train, the driver played music for us and at that moment I had so much peace. I put my hand out the window and I could feel the breeze so soft and refreshing. Sevilla was a beautiful place and I hope to return.
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