The Al-Hambra Palace in Granada is a feast for the senses. We hear the water fountains and tree frogs. We smell the flowers in the luxurious gardens. We taste the cold water from the drinking fountains. We touch the wooden panels inscribed with Arabic calligraphy as the cool breezes caress our faces and bare arms. We see all around us an intense beauty, a kaleidoscope of colors — pinks, greens, reds, yellows — intricate etchings, graceful calligraphy, sparkling white marble floors, and soft-orange walls.
In all that I see, all this beauty, what strikes me most is the evidence of human effort. With their intellect and labor, my fellow men and women tamed a barren land and created a veritable jannah (heaven) on earth.
