WHAT IS ANDALUCIA FOR US?

Andalusia lies between the well-known mountains of Sierra Morena and Sierra Nevada. The southern part of the country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Its main river is called Guadalquivir which increases the lands fertility. It has three main cities : Seville, Cordoba and Granada (pomegranate in Arabic). It is the southest and biggest region of Spain, the ancient Vaetic. It lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean sea. It is 87,268 sq. klm and it has a population of 5,893,400 (1960). In 1833 it was separated administratively in 8 provinces and each one is named after its capital : Uelva, Seville, Cordoba, Haen, Cadix, Malaga, Granada and Almeria. The first four make the Upper Andalusia and the rest the Southern Andalusia. Its climate is mild in winter and warm in summer, especially in the southern Mediterranean areas. The northern part of Andalusia is covered almost entirely by the legendary mountain range of Sierra Morena.

History : The region of Andalusia is the ancient Vaetic from the name of the river Vaetio (Guadalquivir today) where according to mythology was the garden of Hesperides.

The unique and various minerals of Sieraa Morena were transferred by the Phoenicians to Tyros and then to Carthage.

Ancient Andalusia had immeasurable value for Rome because it supplied the empire with oil, wine and its precious minerals, especially its silver. The battle of Caesar in 45 B.C. in Munda is legendary. Tradition has it that as a roman province it gave Rome famous emperors such as Traianos, Adrianos as well as Marcus Aurilius and Theodosius. In 409 B.C. the Vandals settles in the area and that is how the name of the area came up (Vandalusia – Andalusia).

Music : In the field of music Andalusia is presented as the symbol of Spanish music. The main old types of Andalusian music are: a) singing dances to the accompaniment of castanets that belong to the flamenco type, b) songs : the seguirigia, the colpa, the polo, the martinete, the solea.

The modern andalusian music which has been affected by the new modern world, the world of the gypsies is always accompanied by the guitar with the only exception of the saeta and the castalera.

Seville is covered with green next to the navigable river of Guadalquivir. Seville, which is the fourth city of Spain in terms of population, gives its history through an inscription found on an old gate.

"Heracles built me, Julius Caesar bordered me with walls and towers and St. Vasilios took me".

Cordoba is the motherland of great men from the Roman Empire. In the city there is the most beautiful mosque in the world, Methkita.

Granada is well-known for its castle, Alambra. It is a real "pomegranate" hard from the outside; its unassailable walls hid from the others whatever beautiful its owners enjoyed