back next Ronda and Granada,Spain Night and Daytime Photos PURCHASE GREAT MEMORIES OF YOUR TRIP TO RONDA AND GRANADA, SPAIN- FOR HOME OR OFFICE. This gallery features Ronda, Spain and Granada, Spain historical sites. Ronda, Andalucía's town town split in two by a 360 ft gourge. Ronda is a mountaintop city in Spain’s Malaga province in Andalusia that’s set dramatically above a deep gorge. El Tajo Gourge is 360' deep, 200' wide. The town is connected by two bridges ,Old Bridge built in 1616 and the New Bridge, built in 1753-1791. Shot about halfway down the 360 foot deep and 200 feet wide El Tajo gorge, one can see three waterfalls and the foundations of the original bridge. The early morning sun streams through the bridge as the Guadalevin River flows below. This bridge dates back to the 1700's and at one time had prison cells in the bridge. Fascist prisoners were tossed over the bridge by the Republicans during Spain's Civil War in the late 1930's. Other images capture Puente Nuevo and the steep walls of the ravine with cafes lining the top as visitors view from the vantage point on the other side of El Tajo. The town is located in the Ronda Mountain range. Ronda is also famous as the birthplace of modern bullfighting, today glimpsed once a year at the spectacular Feria Goyesca. Held at the beginning of September, here fighters and some of the audience dress in the manner of Goya's sketches of life in the region. Once a year, Ronda also sees a return to tradition with its annual Feria Goyesca. A fairly recent festival, at least in Andalucian terms, it has become an event that has captured the imagination of Spain with its traditional dress, important bullfights and its ageless glamour. The Feria Goyesca (properly called the Feria de Pedro Romero) stems from the inter-relationship of three main personalities which spanned over three centuries, all with strong connections to Ronda. They are the famous 18th century bullfighter, Pedro Romero; the extremely influential 18th century Spanish painter, Francisco de la Goya; and finally, the great 20th century bullfighter, Antoñio Ordóñez, to whom the vision of the Ronda's modern Feria Goyesca can be attributed. Images were captured during the 2016 festival on September 3. Granada and the Alhambra The Alhambra was built on top of the Sabikah Hill, which cuts into a fertile valley and stands as the last bastion of the Sierra Nevada mountain mountains, in front of Albaycin and Sacromonte, between the Darro and Genil rivers. Al-Ahmar, the founder of the Nasrid Dynasty, took up residence at the Old Alcazaba of the Albayzin in 1238, though he felt attracted by the ruins on top of the Alhambra hill. Thus he embarked on the reconstruction of the building for the residence of his Court as we know it now. The Alhambra was a palace, a fortress and a citadel; the residence of the Nasrid Sultans and top government officials, court servants and the royal guard. The Nasrid Kingdom became the last Islamic sultanate on the Iberian Peninsula, and its capital Granada progressively received Muslim populations forced to retreat from the Christians. The city grew with the development of new suburbs and extended its walls nearly until it was conquered at the end of the 15th century. Alhambra Viewed from Mirador St. Nicholas A number of images capture the Alhambra from Mirador St. Nicholas. These images feature the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada Mountains during late afternoon, sunset and just after the sun slipped below the horizon. The Alhambra turns gold in the late afternoon light and then orange and red. The Sierra Nevada Mountains in the background turn yellow and then red orange. As the sun continues to set, the Alhambra is illuminated and the Sierra Nevada Mountains catch the final rays of the sun and start to turn dark. Meanwhile, the old city below lights up, flamenco singers wail and the wine flows at nearby small pubs. Alhambra and related Structures- Generalife Generalife has the Sultan's gardens and Summer Palace which dates back to 1319. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Sites not to be missed in the gardens include The Court of la Acequia, Patio of the Cypresses, , and panoramic views of the Old City Wall and Albayzin (Old Muslim Quarter). There are also panoramic views of the Alhambra's Alcazaba, Palacios Nazaries, Charles V's Palace, and Santa Maria de la Alhambra. Alhambra -Palacios Nazaries- 14th Century The palace features royal offices, ceremonial rooms, and private quarters. A theme running through this site is water- reflecting pools, running streams to pools, bubbling fountains, gardens, and interiors featuring stucco "stalactites", colorful ceramic tile designs, wood ceilings, molded plaster walls, and wooden ceilings. The ceramic tiles feature bright colors of red (blood), blue (heaven), green (oasis) and gold (wealth). Walls, ceilings, vases, and tiles are covered with decorative patterns and calligraphy of poems or phrases from the Quran. Entering this site one first encounters small rooms of the then walks through The Courtyard of the Myrtles which features a large reflecting pool surrounded by fragrant myrtle hedges. One then enters the Grand Hall of the Ambassdors which was the largest room in the palace and was a throne room for the Sultan. The room features a star studded wooden ceiling with 8,017 inlaid ceramic pieces, stucco walls with designs, filigree windows, and 16th century tiles in the floor. Next is the Courtyard of the Lions which features a fountain with a ring of 12 marble lions that originated from the 14th century. From the center of the courtyard, four channels carry water to private apartments of the royal family. The arched gallery that surrounds the courtyard is supported by 124 columns and Quranic poetry that is inlaid in the walls. The Hall of the Abencerrajes was the Sultan's living room, and features a ceiling with an eight sided Muslim star. Hall of Two Sisters is structurally similar to that of the Hall of the Abencerrages. It is situated above the court, where the only entrance is located, the wooden door of which is lavishly decorated with geometric shapes. Upon entering the hall several corridors to the left and the right lead respectively to the upper floor rooms and to the residence lavatory. The name is derived from the setting where two large marble flagstones lie with a small fountain in between from which water flows along a canal to the Court of the Lions. The tiled socle , the most peculiar of its sort in the Alhambra, is a lovely geometrical composition consisting of variously coloured interwoven laces. In characteristically Nasrid fashion, the plasterwork decoration is divided into large stretches, separated by inscriptions covering the walls, and culminating in the masterfully executed stalactite dome with its star in the centre and highly ornamented carved stucco in honour of Pythagoras’ well-known theorem. Alhambra's Alcazaba This fort sometimes called the "red castle" dates back to the 13th century. This fort defended a town of 2,000 Muslims living within the Alhambra's walls. The tower's four flag poles feature flages of the European Union, green and white of the Andalucia, red and yellow of Spain, and the red and green of Granada. There is an excellent view from this tower of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Albayzin. In 1492, the Moors were defeated by the Christians at this site and seven centuries of Muslim rule in Spain came to an end. Photos shot while on a Tauck Tour of Portugal and Spain in September, 2016. Click on the link below for more details on Ronda and Granada-Alhambra. Alhambra Information Ronda Information