Urban Art

As you wander through the tangled, time worn streets of Granada, it is hard no to go more than a few blocks without turning a corner to be confronted by a mural splashed across the building. It almost seems to bring a renewed sense of life to the ancient city.




There is a movement afoot in the city to remove and prevent the graffiti. Maybe its my background, that where I come from graffiti is mainly gang signs and swear words, but i found the art work on the crumbling walls of Granada to be stunning works of art. When you turn a corner in the maze that is Granada and find yourself face to face with a ten foot mural, it is a mesmerizing.

More than once I found myself frozen on the sidewalk, contemplating the image emblazoned on the wall before me. While I can see why some would object to painting on the ancient walls of the city, the murals are both creative and beautiful, hardly the work of some young punk (more like the signature of a seasoned Picasso).

Supposedly the majority of the murals are done one artist, El Nino de las Pinturas. Whether or not that is some one's actual name or not, there is a distinct style to the paintings that would indicate the same hand at work.

Marruecos

Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic

Though I was only in Morocco, called Marruecos in Spanish, it was hard to believe I had actually set foot on the continent of Africa. The urban landscape was so intriguing, with new sights and sounds at every turn. From camels in the streets, to the traditional djellaba attire and Arabic on the street signs. I took so many photos I hardly no where to begin, but here are a few that stand out to me.

City of Blue

Tucked high in the rocky Rif Mountains, just inland from Tangier and Tetouan, is a city painted blue. Chefchaouen, or just Chaouen to the locals, can be spotted from a distance, easily identifiable against the stark rocks, with its blue toned buildings and red slate roofs. Entering the medina immediately leads to a twisting warren of blue alleys and passage ways.

I heard conflicting tales as to why the lower half of every building in the medina was painted blue. One story says that it was started by Jewish refugees during the 1930s, but my guide also mentioned how the blue comes from a local pigment in the rocks of the area, and that it is the shade of Islam. 

Whichever may be the case, the effect is stunning.  Vivid splashes of cobalt, turquoise, teal, white and cyan surround each corner and cobbled alley. Every surface of the bottom ten feet is painted, and although it is apparent that different coats and shades were used, everything is the same hue. I also saw several people touching up their blue walls with a fresh coat of the same paint. It almost felt like walking into an aquarium tank, there is so much of the color, that things not painted, like the street or people, seem to take on a faint indigo tint. 

The ancient walls still stand around the small village, and several minarets dot the skyline above the houses. There was something ancient and untouched about the quiet lanes, and locals dressed in traditional mountain garb. Men wearing full length, woven djellabas, and the women in brightly colored swatches with hats made from straw that are decorated with brightly colored yarn balls like mini-pompoms. 

And throughout the medina were the small, colorful shops of proud Berber craftsmen, selling leather goods, clothing, carpets and much more. At the furthest end of the village, a natural spring gushes forth from the mountain side. Gathered around are the rough mountain women, scrubbing their laundry and their children splashing through the shallows, on the hot Moroccan afternoon. I was sad when the day came to an end, and it was time to leave. I wanted to stay transported back in time, by this tiny untouched village.

Into the Maze

Many cities in Morocco contain a medina. The medina is generally walled in, and is a warren of narrow and maze-like streets, lined with white-washed and tiled buildings. The first medina I visited was in Tetouan, near the northern coast. It was market day and many of the Rif mountain women had come into town to sell their produce. 

The Berbers from the Rif Mountains are the original inhabitants of this north Moroccan area. They call themselves Amazigh, which means The Free People. The Berber name for Tetouan means literally "the eyes."

The surprisingly quiet corridors were bordered by mounds of fresh fruits, caged chickens, mules pulling carts, fresh fish, nuts and spices. Further into the maze there are quarters for different craftsman, tailors or woodworkers store fronts clustered together. All throughout the medina were small children, just watching the adults go about their day.  At the center I found and incredible Tea House, an unimpressive exterior gave way to incredible carved walls, and a fountain amongst the colorful table clothes. 




In the Berber complex there was a carpet sales room. And once the seller had you cornered it was a deluge of unrolling carpets. Though he was disappointed that I would not buy anything, the carpets were like works of art and he shared a lot of interesting information about how they were made. For instance, all of the dyes are made from local elements, mint or absinthe to make green, saffron petals for blue, paprika for yellow, turmeric for orange, and sumac for  black.

La Alhambra

Balanced atop the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas is the Alhambra. From a distance it almost looks like the fortress is an extension of the rock it was built into. The stones of the fortress blend so well to the rocky outcropping that the term Alhambra literally means "the red one" in Arabic.

But it is on closer inspection that the works of incredible beauty, from graceful calligraphy to elegant arabesque, which adorn the walls, columns and ceilings of Alhambra, become apparent.

The art and architecture is the culmination of centuries of tradition and innovation in the art of Islamic influence in Spain. 

As the rooms of the sprawling palace unfold, you are able to see the different layers, which were added at different eras. The Alhambra began with the original 9th century fortress, built for basic military needs. But during the mid 14th century the Moorish rulers converted the citadel into vast palatial suites, when much of the intricate architecture and delicate decoration were added.

 Later, after  the Reconquista by the Reyes Católicos, it became a palace for the Christian rulers as well. 

Adjacent to the palace of the Alhambra, is the Generalife, this is the summer palace of the Moorish kings.  The name is derived from Arabic, Jannat al-Arif, meaning Garden of the Architect. At its center is the  Water Garden Courtyard, consisting of a long pool framed by flowerbeds, fountains, colonnades and pavilions.