Last Updated on December 17, 2018 by Cat Rogliano
Congrats Andie! her photo of the Alhambra at night in Granada had the most votes in our best of summer contest (And her other photo of Euro Cup celebrations in Spain had the 3rd most votes!)
What is La Alhambra? Built as a fortress in the 9th century, and converted into a palace in the 14th century, the Alhambra is a monument to the history and legacy of the Moors in Spain. Calling their northern territory Al-Andalus (think Andalucía ), most of modern Spain was controlled by the Moors at one time, and even as other parts of the country fell back to the Spanish, the Emirate of Granada lasted until 1492. This rich and storied history makes the city a unique part of Spain, and the Alhambra a much loved destination for students and travelers.
So what did Andie have to say about her time there?
“Granada has such captivating architecture, ambiance, history and culture that can be seen and felt with every step in that wonderful city.” Andie says she was struck by the Alhambra and took the opportunity to visit several times, during the day and at night: “La Alhambra is a treasure to the city because of its richness in history and beauty. One of the great things about being in Granada is that there are many opportunities to revisit the Alhambra.” It is the kind of place that “takes several hours to meander through” and so living in the city means making many trips to discover and rediscover this fantastic work of architecture.
“Even though Granada is a smaller city compared to Madrid or Barcelona, there are so many things to do and see there.” And, hey, we can attest to this last part: “Be ready to walk, which is a good thing because then you can take lots of great pictures!”
See the rest of the photo contest winners!
Read more student journals about Granada.
Check out AIFS in Granada on facebook.
Find out more about our program there for the summer, semester or January term!
