My friends,
I spent last week in sunny Spain, travelling through Seville, Malaga and Granada in the southern state of Andalusia. But as much as I enjoyed the sunshine and the beautiful beaches, it was the region's rich history that warmed me the most.
Andalusia was once a Muslim state under the rule of the Umayyad Caliphate — more popularly referred to as the Moors — before it was reclaimed by the Christian kingdoms from the 13th century onwards, in an episode of history known as the reconquista.
I was particularly moved by the stories surrounding the stunning Alhambra palace that towers over the Spanish town of Granada. When defeated, Muhammad XII, the Moorish ruler, was believed to have left Granada through the winding roads that led through the Sierra Nevada mountain range on his way back to Morocco. But before he crossed the final ridge before he lost sight of the Alhambra, he is believed to have looked back at his lost kingdom and wept. The moment is immortalised in song and is referenced in the title of Salman Rushdie’s novel The Moor’s Last Sigh.
Walking through the incredible Nasrid Palaces in the Alhambra a few days ago, I could well imagine the despair he must have felt, and the wonder his conquerors must have experienced when they took over this incredible complex of palaces, gardens and courtyards.
For wonder they must have felt, because something stopped them from destroying the incredible Islamic works of art, and instead they supplemented it with the glorious Palacio de Carlos with its Renaissance influence and beautiful pillars. I’ve put up some pictures on Instagram if you fancy looking through.
I wonder if any of those kings would have felt any satisfaction if they had realised that people would be visiting these amazing buildings centuries hence, and marvelling at how Islamic, Christian and Roman influences could sit side by side to quite such a striking effect.
I was also really moved by the loving way in which the Spanish authorities have preserved these monuments and made it so accessible to the public. If there is a better example of how to present your rich history without politicising it, I am yet to come across it.
It is also a reminder just how much of our literature and art is informed by history. It’s not for nothing that many scenes in the Game of Thrones TV series were filmed in Moorish palaces in Seville and Cordoba.
If you have any recommendations of fiction set during the Umayyad dynasty or the reconquista, please do let me know by email or on the comments below!
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