Andalusia is a beautiful region with an ancient history that has absorbed all the best that Spain has. White villages, red soil and mountains washed by the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The thousand-year-old cities built by the Moors constantly host fairs and carnivals with bullfighting and flamenco, which originated in Andalusia. We will tell you about the most beautiful cities in the region with a rich historical past.
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1. Seville, an ancient city with beautiful architecture, where Moorish style is present everywhere: from the shape of windows and doors to the Giralda, a 12th century minaret turned into a bell tower and which has become a symbol of the city. The Gothic Cathedral, the largest in Europe, is adjacent to the architectural miracle of Seville Alcazar. This luxurious palace took 700 years to build and rebuild, it is protected by UNESCO, and you may have already seen it – in the Game of Thrones series, all the Dorne palace scenes were filmed in the Alcazar.
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But Seville is famous not only for its monuments of the past – nightlife is vibrant here all year round. The Santa Cruz area offers dozens of tapas bars and bodegas serving the best Spanish wines. In bustling Triana, where flamenco originated, it is danced in bars, squares and theaters. Bullfights in the arena in Seville take place in October, April and during local holidays.
2. Granada, lying at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, captivates with the splendor of Baroque churches, masterpieces of Mudejar architecture and the aroma of thousands of orange trees that grow on the streets of the city. Overlooking Granada is the Alhambra, a medieval Moorish fortress that turns purple in the setting sun. From its walls there is a beautiful view of the city and mountains. The Generalife, the summer palace of the sultans with many pools, fountains and a magnificent garden, is located at the foot of the fortress.
In the center of the city stands a huge cathedral, which began to be built in 1505 as a monument to liberation from the Moors and took 200 years to complete. A few steps away is the Royal Chapel, a Gothic masterpiece of architecture where the 8 kings of Spain are buried.
To immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere of Granada, go through the labyrinth that is formed by the narrow streets of the Albayzin district around the hill. The many miradoras (panoramic platforms) offer fantastic views of the mountains and the Alhambra. In the caves of the gypsy quarter of Sacromonte, flamenco is not only danced, it is also taught to everyone for a small fee. The city is also famous for its spas in the surroundings of medieval hammams.
3. Cordova, founded by the ancient Romans and one of the intellectual centers of Europe in the 10th century, remembers how a thousand years ago Christians, Jews and Muslims lived in peace and harmony in one city. The first on the list of unique monuments of Cordoba is the Mezquita Cathedral Mosque. It is one of the twelve architectural wonders of Spain. At first there was an ancient Roman pagan temple on this site, which was rebuilt into a Christian church. In the 8th century, the caliph demolished it and built a huge mosque, which, after the city was captured by the Spaniards in 1236, was consecrated and became the Cathedral.
Photo: Pigprox. Cathedral
Among the monuments of medieval architecture, the synagogue in the Jewish quarter and the Roman Bridge, which is more than two thousand years old, stand out. The synagogue is interesting because it is one of the three synagogues in Spain that have been preserved in their original form – with exquisite carvings, openwork arches and unique ornaments.
And the visiting card of the city is the Alcazar, the Fortress of the Christian Kings, rebuilt from a Moorish fortress. It is famous for the fact that from here King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella led the troops that recaptured Granada from the Moors, ending the centuries-old rule of the Moors in Spain. Here the queen received Columbus, who asked Isabella to sponsor a sea expedition to India. The palace is also famous for its beautiful gardens, magnificent Mudejar architecture and collection of antiques.
