Discover the History of the Moors on a Tour of Spain and Morocco Travel Articles | January 23 Yeezy Boost Australia , 2018
An escorted tour through the Moorish sites of southern Spain and northern Africa is a fascinating way to learn more about this important civilisation.
Famous for their thirst for scientific knowledge, rich cultural identity and stunning architecture, the Moors’ influence on Europe and European thinking is not in doubt. But to truly understand the impact that this civilisation had on Southern Europe, take an escorted tour of Andalucía and Morocco.
Why an ‘escorted tour’ Adidas ZX Flux Australia , you may ask? Well, the reason is that we’ve become so used to seeing the whitewashed buildings, domed windows and mosaics of southern Spain as quintessentially ‘Spanish’ that it’s good to have a guide on hand to show you where these influences actually come from.
Moorish History in Spain
It was in the eight century that the Moors first settled on the Spanish mainland, when the Umayyad invaded Iberia. The occupation lasted a staggering 700 years until they were expelled by the Spanish in the fifteenth century following the Granada War. With such an intensely intertwined past it is hardly surprising that southern areas like Andalucía share many architectural similarities with its neighbours across the Mediterranean in Morocco.
The Alhambra Palace
One of the most striking places to see Moorish architecture on mainland Spain is in the Andalucían city of Granada Adidas ZX 750 Australia , on the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The vast Alhambra Palace (literally ‘red castle’) is probably the best known Moorish structure in Spain. A massive fortress which protected Moorish royalty within its walls, contains palaces and gardens, all of which can be explored by visitors.
The Giralda Tower?
While the Alhambra Palace might be the most impressive Moorish structure in the region, it is certainly not the only one. On an escorted tour you’ll discover how much Moorish architecture which has survived on the mainland has been incorporated into later structures. But don’t worry Adidas Tubular Australia , your guide will know where to find it. Like the Girlada tower which now forms part of the Cathedral in the Andalucían capital, Seville. The twelfth-century bell tower features both Moorish and later Spanish Renaissance designs and is a fascinating insight into how the two cultures have merged over the years.