Photo Story
My Path to Understanding the Spirit of Granada
ID # 2686
Granada.
It takes just a short visit to recognize that Granada boasts a charm unique to that of other Spanish cities. In living and experiencing Granada this past year, I have had the opportunity to explore what elements interact to generate this sentiment. I have never before lived in a place with such a dimensional blend of relationships—a city with a thrilling, dynamic history as well as a current living, breathing environment of diverse interactions (a place alive with the constant connection of people, languages, cultures, and religions, to name a few).
After reviewing this photo story, students will be able to distinguish some of the different influences in Granada. They will be able to reflect on how these influences shape the atmosphere of the city, creating the “spirit” of Granada.
This photo story is geared towards students in grade 12.
My Photos:
Picture #1- Alhambra
Picture #1-
It is impossible to inhabit Granada without some realization of the history of the city. This is why my first picture is of the Alhambra, the old Muslim palace that is still boldly perched in the hillside, framed by the mountains while overlooking the steep, narrow streets of the historic neighborhood of the Albaycín.
The old, beautiful structure hints at the once dominant strength of the Islamic empire, which was the last stronghold in Spain to fall to Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492. Indeed, Granada teems with the lingering proof of the Islamic influence. The Alhambra, alongside countless other design elements, always served as an aesthetic reminder of the wonderful blend of cultures that constitute Granada.
In all of my wanderings through the city, often while lost in the curving, unmarked streets, it was a typical, delightful occurrence to stumble upon large horseshoe archways, or enter a rectangular courtyard garden centered around a standing pool of water, or gaze up at a ceiling of interlocking geometric patterns—all sights that owe their existence to the Islamic design influence.
Picture #2– Moroccan Influenced Streets of Granada
Picture #2-
If you were asked to picture a Spanish city, would your mind conjure the image shown above? Before I studied in Granada, my idea of Spanish architecture was dependent on the first couple of pages to show up on Google images, or on the standard set of images I had encountered in textbooks or movies. These images showed the general, monumental regions of European cities– and I unconsciously accepted these images as universal design elements that represented all of Europe, including Spain.
For me, then, this picture represents my realization of how different Granada was from this expectation. This was a big moment for me as a traveler and a learner, as I hadn’t consciously formed this expectation of what a European city “was supposed to be,” and only realized I had done so in the moment that the reality did not match my expectation.
It was an exciting moment, though, as Granada– as a living, breathing city– was so much more dynamic than any idea I could have created for it. Walking down Calle Elvira (which is the street pictured above), or through the streets of Caldereria, invokes an overall feeling of warmth, partially due to the ingenuity of the city planning, where the roads are narrow, intimate, and paved with uneven stones— with countless shops lined close to the street.
While I’ve already touched upon the importance of the Islamic influence on architecture, another point of this picture is the overall atmosphere that exists in addition to this, as the presence of Islamic culture also casts a strong vibe– particularly presented through the large presence of Moroccan residents and immigrants whom are an added element that define the city of Granada.
For example, on Calle Elvira, swirls of colorful scarves and walls adorned with jewelry, hand-crafted woodwork set in traditional Islamic patterns mimicking infinity, and the mixed tones of Spanish, Arabic, and English, invite each passerby into the doorways. The smell of herbal teas, sugar, cinnamon, incense, and sheesha mix on the street, and there is the relaxed hum of people smoking and talking in the comfortable, cushion lined, low-sitting enclaves of the teterías. On every corner you can jump in and grab some shawarma, baklava, or another delicious Arabic delicacy, whether it be from a chain style joint or a hole in the wall family run restaurant.
This is Granada, and would not exist without the Moroccan traditions that have been introduced to the city. This experience is represented in my own memories as a good friend, from Morocco but working in Granada, managed one of the teterías just at the beginning of Calle Elvira. It was customary to come and spend the entire siesta in the comfortable atmosphere of his shop, with the hand-cut turkish lamps casting a soft glow of light, with instrumental moroccan melodies spilling from the speakers, and hot mint tea available to slowly sip on.
Picture #3– Una mezcla Internacional
Picture #3-
When you think of Granada, would you imagine that 70,000 of the 250,000 citizens are students? Imagine if your high school, like the students of the University of Granada, made up more than 1/4 of the entire population of your city. Granada is filled with youthful learners.
This casts Granada into even more of an internationally diverse context, and creates an overall mentality only possible because of the sheer youth of the city. Within the University setting, the largest number of international students in Europe are hosted in Granada, in addition to the presence of countless other language schools attracting even more young, international learners to the city.
This impact is astronomical on the attitude of Granada. The city is exploding with young, exploratory minds from all over the world—mixing together concepts and ideas that are more readily absorbed due to the diverse nature of each classroom. I was able to personally feel the beauty of this in the close friendships I formed while living in the city. This is represented in the picture above, which shows my closest friends– a mix of students and workers, and a grouping of people from all over the world.
It was truly remarkable to come together to form such close bonds. There were always incidents of misunderstanding, whether caused by barriers of language or cultural differences, but they always ended in laughter and teasing as we slowly began to learn, with positivity, how to come to a mutual understanding. There was also the journey of not only adopting one another’s customs, but also then working them into the Spanish context, and bonding over the difficulty or success of these ventures.
Picture #4– Atmosphere of Acceptance: Somos mas que las palabras que nos definen
Picture #4-
The picture above is a creation by graffiti artists Raul, known as El Niño de las Pinturas. In english, this phrase means “We are more than the words that define us.” I think this phrase is an excellent representation of how the environment described in the picture #3– of young students coming together from all over the world to learn– has impacted Granada as a whole.
The phrase offers the concept of being too dynamic or complex to be characterized by the words people attach to us– a concept which really demonstrates the mentality of acceptance that exists in Granada. It suggests that we do not have to neatly define others or ourselves by a simple term– by a nationality, an ethnicity, a profession, a generation, etc. The quote also seems to call on us to creatively explore all of the ways we don’t fit neatly into a term that has previously been applied to us. Have you ever been defined by a term that you felt didn’t represented you? Can you see the importance of freeing people from defining others, or communities in general, with stark, binding terms?
Picture #5– El Niño de las Pinturas, the Spirit of Granada
Picture #5-
The writing above reads, “The world is dark, illuminate your part.” Can you think of what you would do to fulfill this demand? Raul, the artist of this piece and the piece in picture #4, seems to be lightening his part by spreading messages that implore people to think and grow by always challenging themselves and acting with an open mind.
More specifically, the particular journey of Raul as an artist is an example of an individual progression that seems to represent this spirit of illumination in a place of darkness. When he first emerged as an artist, he was fined for each piece and ordered to discontinue his work. He persisted, though, and eventually gained enough attention and respect from the eager minds of the youth, and from others with progressive mentalities, and morphed into a local hero of sorts. Now he is a cultural icon of Granada, with his pieces flaunted on nearly every corner of the neighborhood of Realejo.
Therefore, his positive message is boldly present to continue to positively influence the city. This is particularly crucial to Granada, as it is nestled in the conservative south of Spain, and as it holds an older generation of minds influenced by the conservative regime of Franco they were raised under. There are therefore instances of discrimination against certain immigrant groups– but the presence of the works of Raul, which mirrors the popular sentiment of the youth of the city– serves to strongly counteract this sentiment and push Granada towards a community that unanimously values acceptance.
Picture #6– La Huelga General- Forms of Expression
Picture #6-
The spirit shown by Raul– of pushing against the odds to continue with what he was passionate about– is not an uncommon trait in Granada. Throughout all of Spain, protesting vocally for what you believe in is far more typical than in the United States. Have you ever gathered with a large group of people to speak for or against something?
In Spain, this was so common that after a few months, it was no longer startling to be driven from sleep by blaring foghorns and chants through megaphones at the hotel across the street– or to leave a shop and be engulfed by a crowd marching down one of the main streets, with large signs and drums, and yes, more chants over megaphones. Some days the bus would take a round-about loop to avoid the streets shut down by protestors, or you’d have to dart around parked police cars re-routing traffic around the crowds.
The most dramatic protest I witnessed, though, was the general strike described on the poster in the picture above. On this day, everything was shut down—transportation halted, people did not show up to work, and anyone who tried to stay open was harassed into closing. As can be seen on the poster, social justice, public services, employment, and rights/liberties in general were concepts being fought for, and the whole country participated in delivering this message. Witnessing this activism was crucial in forming my concept of the spirit of Granada.
Picture #7-Integrating into the pace of life
Picture #7-
If you have heard someone talk about Spain, did they mention the difference in the pace of life? In my experience in Granda, I found this stereotype to be true in a wonderful way. The quote above, “La prisa mata,” translates to “The rush kills.” Overall, Granada exuded this concept, as time really did seem to pass differently.
The city lulled me out of thinking of time as regimented and abrasive, as it cradled me into a lifestyle where I still got things done, but if I was a little late, or something took a little longer than expected– no pasa nada– because value rests on quality and really living to enjoy oneself, now, in this moment– not somewhere down along in the planned future.
I certainly know that I’ve had trouble adjusting back to the pace of University life after a year in this less time-demanding atmosphere. Overall, I think it is always this aspect of the city– of breathing and living– that takes people off gaurd, but makes them fall in love with the charm of Granada!
Take Away Points:
After scanning through the photos and reading my insights and experiences, I hope you can feel closer to this abstract concept of the spirit of a place, and the spirit of Granada in particular. The pictures take you through a journey of exposure to a mix of different things: Islamic architecture, Moroccan influenced streets and culture, a city full of young students from all over the world, the gumption and the message of a local artist, the collective activism of the citizens, and the pace of life the people of the city adhere to naturally. I hope that you can recognize these elements, and see how they contribute to what makes the spirit of Granada– what gives it a unique personality that leaves a lasting impression!
Photo Sources:
Cover Photo and Photo #3- Lauren Jazy
Picture #2: Taken from: http://www.spain-holiday.com/blog/ (“Granada’s Albayzin Neighbourhood”)
All Other Pictures: Courtney Kubitschek