That I turned out to adore Alhambra is one of the least surprising things that has ever happened to me. I guess there must have been a time when Alhambra wasn’t among the places I desperately wanted to visit (possibly when I was 7 or so), but I cannot really recall it. I have pretty much figured out the reasons for this obsession, too.

First of all, I love borderlands in general. Places where two cultures meet tend to be fascinating and when we’re talking about two different civilizations – well, even better. That I have a long-standing interest in the ancient Middle-East, Northen Africa, Persia and the first centuries of Islam, clearly doesn’t hurt either. In Southern Spain, you can get a flavour of all these things, without ever leaving the European Union (convenient when travelling with a child).

There are more specific reasons, too. I love, in no particular order: warmth, pomegranates, colourful ceramic tiles, fountains and running water, gardens, orange trees, lemon trees, peach trees, herbs, pools, sweeping views, the Arabic script, military fortifications, magnolias, arabesques, jasmine and inner courtyards. Alhambra kindly provides me with all this.

Alhambra is not the grandest thing I’ve ever seen. The complex is big, but the palaces themselves are of moderate size – it’s the insanely intricate decorations, beautiful proportions and elegance of the structures that is impressive, not the scale. One of the sultans used to live on top of the big watch tower, in rooms that would not seem overly large for modern office workers. It reminds me of beautiful, detailed medieval manuscripts – another thing I’ve always loved.

But I think what I like most about Alhambra is that it still exists. That it wasn’t torn down (some of it was destroyed or refashioned, but most survives) in a fit of religious frenzy or revenge or general stupidity. That the palace of Charles V was built on the same location, leaving the older buildings pretty much intact, gives me hope for mankind.

PS Some of the pictures are by J.
PPS We stayed at the Parador hotel. The location is superb: it’s actually inside the walls of Alhambra.
PPPS As I said on Facebook, I’ll be on holiday schedule this week, postink less frequently than usual.