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| Alhambra palace is unique of its kind |
Spain is all about the sunny sky, food, ‘futbol’
(Spanish pronunciation of football), fun things and historical infrastructures.
In this context I must say that I was lucky to see 10 UNESCO rated world
heritage sites in a single trip. Well, the trip was hectic, and involved waking
up early and going to bed late, but this would surely give goose bumps, when
reminisced after 10 years. For people
who love history, Spain will be the most desired place for a holiday.
What’s a
world heritage site and where lies the importance?
There are about 1121 world heritage sites in this
planet, identified and maintained by UNESCO
(United Nation’s Educational, Scientific and cultural organization. World
heritage site could be cultural, natural or a mixed property, and spread over
167 State Parties. Sites having outstanding universal value, has been denoted
as heritage sites. It’s important that these sites cannot be renovated by
changing its structure, but can be maintained the way it is. The site could be
cultural, scientific, nature or any other significant forms, but it’s generally
protected by International legal treaties.
As for Spain, the country proudly shelters 48 UNESCO
rated world heritage sites. Well, although my time was limited and my wishes
couldn’t follow the leaps and bounds; I managed to see 10 of them.
1.
Monastery
and site of the Escorial, Madrid: Built at the end of 16th century,
the Escorial monastery, stands as a symbol of martyrdom of St. Lawrence. It is
the retreat of mystic power and during the reign of King Philip II it became
the seat of political power. The Royal seat of San Lorenza of El Escorial
became a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1984. There are 16 inner courtyards,
4000 rooms, 86 staircases and 88 fountains inside.
We were
told by our guide that that present royal couple of Spain doesn’t reside in
this palace, but in the palace of Zarzuela, although it’s the official
residence of Spanish monarch. The palace is used in times of celebration. The monastery is open from 10 am to 6pm. You
may spend evening near the monastery and walk to the Plaza de Oriente, where
several restaurants and café line up to welcome the tourists.
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| San loreza el Escorial |
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| El Escorial, at Madrid |
2.
Barcelona
Gaudi architecture: Barcelona is a vibrant city and the
most important place of Catalonia region. Known for its culture, and world class
architecture by Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona has been the most favourite place for
tourists in Spain. During late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Gaudi
has contributed various structures that represent that gothic style with a
blend of modernity to it.
We visited
the famous cathedral of Sagrada Familia, and other structures like
Park Guell, Palau Guell, Casa Mila, Casa Vicens, Casa Batlo, and the church at
Colonia Guell. All these works were felicitated as UNESCO world heritage sites.
Architect Gaudi used parabolic arches, incorporating Catalan vaults which
worked as revolutionary load bearing system. The queue to each site was too
long, but you can easily take advantage of ‘skip the line’ tickets by
purchasing online. That proved to be a time saver. The architectural legacy of Gaudi is
contributed in the present construction of Sagrada familia, a catherdral that’s
going to be the greatest in European continent by 2026.
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| Casa Batlo |
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| Sagrada familia, Barcelona |
3.
Seville: Seville, the most important city of the Andalusia
region of Spain boasts to host three UNESCO world heritage sites in the same
complex. The three buildings cathedral, Alcazar and Archivo de Indivas forms
the most remarkable complex. The cathedral
is a huge imposing basilica over a mosque. You may go to the terrace for
getting the best bird’s eye view. The
Alcazar is a great architectural excellence and a mish mash of styles and
periods, having a fascinating journey through history. The Archido de Indivas
is an extraordinary structure that preserves over 40,000 documents and maps;
formerly it used to be a stock exchange. The resources refer to the voyages to
the new world, covering the last three
centuries.
We saw the
structures, and posed photos surrounding the places. We were most fascinated by
the trees, truncated with oranges almost reaching our hands. The guide told
that these oranges are plucked for the purpose of making marmalades. An interesting place indeed.
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| Seville Cathedral |
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| Alcazar, Seville |
4.
Poblet
monastery: The Poblet
monastery is situated at the south of Catalonia, and northeast of Iberian Peninsula.
Built between 12th to 15th centuries, it’s known for its
impressive architecture that includes a fortified royal residence and pantheon
for the monarchs of Catalonia and Aragon.
The monastery is surrounded by three defensive walls around. The first
enclosure was built in the 16th century, has storehouse, workshop and worker’s house. The second
enclosure is a fortified golden door, and the third or innermost enclosure
includes church, monastic room and cloister.
The defensive monastery is surrounded by a wall of polygonal or square
tower, two of which is flanked by the royal doorway. It’s one of the most
unique artistry of Cistercian abbeys in the 12th, 13th
and 14th century. It was
inscribes to the list of world heritage site in 1991.
Poblet is
accessible from Barcelona in a day trip. We saw monks around the premises. The
trips are generally done in Spanish and Catalan language. You have to buy an
English audio guide to get through the structure.
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| Poblet monastery |
5.
Cordoba: A
city situated in southern Spain, Andalusia region, having a population of
325,000 only has the most number of UNESCO rated world heritage sites. Anybody,
if asked over a dinner party, on which city having highest number of heritage
sites, the answer probably would be Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, etc. But,
truly speaking its Cordoba. The other notable sites here are the Alcazar,
a fortress dating back to the Arab rule, a spectacular visit. The archaeological remains of the caliphate
city, Medina Azahara, an Arabic term which means ‘shining city’, an
establishment built in the 10th century is worth viewing. If you visit Cordoba in May, the patio
festival starts which is another UNESCO rated distinction. People decorate
their houses with summer flowers and that’s a wonderful spectacle. Tourists are
invited to see, and take photographs of the same.
The most famous is the mesquite cathedral, which was built in 786 AD,
then conquered by the Arabs, converted
to mosque and again after 16th century taken by the Christians. The
walls of the cathedral has Arabic inscriptions in it. People who come here
offer their prayers, at the same time offer namaaz. We were told by our guide,
that many people in Spain has been converted to Christianity, practise Islam in
secrecy. The mesquite cathedral is a prominent example of this culture. Cordoba, was the last powerful empire of the
Muslims in Spain, bears eminent Moorish influence.
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| Mesquita Cathedral of Cordoba |
6.
Avila: Avila is a fortified Spanish city located in
the Castile and Leon Community. It’s even regarded as the town of stones and
saints. It has the highest number of
Romanesque gothic churches. It’s a complete medieval town built in the
Romanesque style. Avila was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1985. The
site consists of walled city and four extra muros churches.
The main wall
of Avila was built in the 11th to 14th century. The very
sight of it was photogenic as we viewed in the afternoon sky. We took
photographs from certain view points. The wall of Avila becomes a fantastic
sight in the evening as they become totally illuminated. We saw the cathedral
and took photographs of the northern façade, western front, interiors, capilla
mayor, chapel of san Segundo, and the chapel of santa catalina. We saw various
other structures like basilica of san vincente, Iglesia de san pedro, convent de
san jose and many more. Walking through the cobblestone city gave me immense
pleasure and I could understand the versatility of the city which existed of
years before and still prevalent. For gastronomic requirements, try some bun
stuffed with sausage, bacon, steak and eggs. ‘Hornazo’ is worth mentioning in
this respect.
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| The walled city of Avila |
7.
Segovia
Aqueduct: Segovia is a
medieval town situated in central Spain, the autonomous community of Castile
and Leon. The centre is situated at the
confluence of Eresma and Clamores River.
The Moors, Jews and Christians co -existed since a long period and
worked together during the manufacture boom of the 16th century. The
roman aqueduct of Segovia was built in the 50 BC, is remarkably well preserved.
Consisting of 128 pillars, the aqueduct stands 28.5 metres above the ground
level. The aqueduct of Segovia, is best
known for the civil engineering feats, excellent state of conservation and
cannot be separated from Segovia as a whole.
We explored the city, posed before
the historic remains of aqueduct, and felt as state of satisfaction standing
beside of one of the oldest structures of the world.
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| Aqueduct at Segovia |
8.
Salamanca: Salamanca, a city situated at the Northwestern
Spain, a part of Castile and Leon region, dates back tits presence to the
Celtic era. The architecture is made
from ornate sandstone and the oldest university, Universidad de Salamanca
exists here. Research says that the
university was established in 1100 AD and became the centre of education for
the intellectuals during 15th – 16th AD.
We made a day trip to the place from
Madrid and enjoyed exploring the city. The historic city has important
Romanesque, Gothic, Moorish and Baroque monuments. We saw the cathedrals,
palaces, churches placed at the Plaza Mayor. The stones that has inscriptions
of the life of a student, prevents the city from ageing.
We were accompanied by our guide, who narrated
stories taking us to the nook and corner of the streets of Salamanca. Needless
to say, I fell in love with the centennial stones. We saw the house of shells (casa
de las conchas) and loved the traditional ambrosia flavours of the city. We tried some tostas and montaditos for our
gastronomic needs. It was an absolute
pleasure for a photography freak to click alluring views of the age old city.
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| Universidad de salamanca |
9.
Granada: Granada, a city situated in Southern Spain’s Andalusia
region, and at the foothills of Sierra Nevada has grand examples of Moorish
architecture. The city proudly possess Alhambra, the fortress, reflecting the
Nasrid dynasty built in 889 AD. Eminent personalities like Cristopher Columbus
stepped in to have discussions with the then monarch. We availed the walking tour of Alhambra, and
it was a wonderful experience. The patios, the enclaves, the wooden
architecture, the gardens and the lion like structures speak some untold
stories. The Moorish poets described
Alhambra as’ a pearl set in an emeralds’. On the Eastern side of Alhambra, stands
the Generalife, where the Emirs used to reside during the 13th and
14th centuries. The Alhambra,
Generalife and Albayzin, stand on two adjacent hills separated by the Darro
river. The district of Albayzin, constitutes
the origin of the city of Granada, is a rich legacy of the Moorish town
planning. The Christian tradition co-exit harmoniously. Albayzin district is
the best site where Hispano- Muslim tradition exists.
Another attraction that draws
tourists to Granada is the flamenco show organized at the caves, which gives a
traditional touch. A picturesque city,
Granada is a photographer’s paradise. We
stayed 2 nights at Granada, and explored the city.
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| Generalife |
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| Alhambra |
10. Toledo: Toledo, an ancient city situated at the La
Mancha plains of Central Spain, known to be UNESCO world heritage site from
1986. Known for having a wall all around the city, having Christian, Islamic
and Jewish influence. We did a day trip
to Toledo from Madrid. The first sight of the city was from a view point where
we could see the walled city, Alcazar, cathedral overlooking the Tagus River.
We were following our tour guide, along the meandering narrow roads of the
city. We learned about the religious history of Toledo, and appreciated the Synagogue
of El transito which resembled the Mud’ejar style. We visited the museum of El Greco and museum
of Santa cruz. Although , there is no point wasting in shopping, but the steel
swords displayed at the shops are truly mind boggling. I bought a miniature sample,
as a sign of novelty. We had a guided
tour along the Jewish neighbourhood and learnt how they were expelled from the
city. We viewed the two synagogues that turned to churches.
Toledo has over 2000 years old
history which involves being the capital of Visigothic kingdom, fortress of the
Emirate of Cordoba, an early Roman
establishment, temporary set of power under the jurisdiction of Charles V, and
an outpost of the temporary Christians fighting the Moors in the 16th
century. In one word, its history revisited.
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| Medieval city of Toledo overlooking the Tagus river |
