When Pierre and I talked about what we would like to see in Europe, I put Alhambra on the top of my list. I saw a PBS special many years ago and was absolutely blown away by the beauty. On this trip to Andalusia, I learned about Mujédar architecture. The Mudéjar style is a symbiosis of techniques and ways of understanding architecture resulting from Muslim and Christian cultures living side by side. It emerged as an architectural style in the 12th century on the Iberian peninsula. It is characterised by the use of brick as the main material. Mudéjar did not involve the creation of new shapes or structures (unlike Gothic or Romanesque), but the reinterpretation of Western cultural styles through Islamic influences. Pierre planned a tour of Andalusia that took us to Alhambra and exposed me to many other beautiful buildings and places. I couldn't stop taking photos as we walked through the palace, Real Alcazar.
In 1364 Pedro I ordered the construction of a royal residence within the palaces built by the city's Almohad rulers. Within two years, craftsmen from Granada and Toledo had created a jewel box of mujédar patios and halls, the Palacio PedroI, which now forms the heart of Seville's Real Alcazar.
I took about a thousand photos.
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