Granada, The Alhambra and Arabic shops

The Alhambra in Granada, Spain 

The Alhambra in Granada is a palace that used to be a Muslim fortress during the Muslim rule in Spain from 711-1492.  This former fortress symbolizes the major influence of Arabic-Muslim architecture in Spain.  Granada was the last stronghold of Muslim rule during the christian reconquista.  The Christians believed that the Alhambra was to beautiful to destroy when they conquered the city, therefore it still stands today.  I have never seen anything like the Alhambra before and was memorized by the magnitude of it.  The Sierra Nevada mountains set off in the background were breathtaking.  In order to have the perfect view of the Alhambra you have to visit the look out point "St.Nicholas" about 10 minutes outside of the city center.  We visited the look out point on the first day in Granada then went inside the palace the next day.  Everything about the Alhambra was perfect, except for the horrible weather....freezing rain and ice cold temperatures was definitely something I could have done without during this trip but I still had an amazing time at the Alhambra and Granada.  

View from the top of the Alhambra

Inside the Palace 

 The Arabic Shops

The Muslim influence in Andalusia, especially Granada is extremely predominant in shops, restaurants, and boutiques.  The shops were really beautiful, and one of the restaurants we visited had Arabic tea and pastries where you can smoke shisha out of a hookah while enjoying some tea and a pastry.