Moorish And Catholic Conquerors. . .
The Moors ruled Andalucia for 800 years, leaving their mark on the culture that still influence the lifestyle and food of Andalucia today.
Andalucia… the land the Arabs called Al-Andalus
Where powerful caliphs ruled the Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages, built their fairytale palaces and mosques in legendary cities — Cordoba, Granada and Sevilla. For hundreds of years worshippers came from near and far to hear the wisdom of its imams and throw themselves before its glistening gold-tiled prayer alter.
Andalucia… the land the Arabs called Al-Andalus
Cordoba, a once grand Moorish city featuring the Mezquita, a splendid mosque constructed in the 6th century. Once the center of Western Islam and the heart of a cultural capital that rivaled Baghdad and Constantinople, the Mezquita was restored and now provides visitors an insight to Islamic Cordoba in its 10th-century prime.
Moorish Palaces, Roman Ruins
Granada and the Alhambra… the last home of the Moors in Spain, finally driven out of the country in 1492 during the Reconquista by the army of king Ferdinand of Aragon and queen Isabella of Castile. Today Granada is a major destination with the Alhambra one of the world's top historical sites to visit.
And a Catholic Reconquest
One of the greatest masterpieces in Renaissance architecture, Granada Cathedral, is the burial place of the Catholic Monarchs, the Royal Chapel. The Cathedral was constructed after the conquest of the Nasrid kingdom. It is here where Isabella and Ferdinand chose to be buried because they deemed their defect of Muslim Nasrid kingdom was their most important accomplishment.
Sparkling White Mountain Villages
For centuries, the white mountain villages of southern Andalucia were hilltop forts straddling the contested frontier between Moors and Christians, swapping hands as power shifted one way and the next They can vary from tiny remote villages to larger cities like Ronda or Antequera. Not to be missed while traveling the region.
Sunny Coastlines
The coast of Andalucia stretches from Malaga province on the Mediterranean to Cadiz and the many towns to the east on the Atlantic. Options are endless for the visit, from small quiet villages to the large cities of Malaga, the Costa del Sol and Cadiz
And a World of Seafood
Centuries of flavours inherited from Christian, Jewish, and Islamic cultures. The bounty of the Andalucian farmland, the Mediterranean and Atlantic ocean is reflected in the traditional regional tapas. From farm and sea to table, tapas are a way of life in the south and the options to try different dishes are endless.
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