Toledo: The Beginning Of The End

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasirgondal/sets/72157631344999458/

A local saying goes in Toledo, "A carpet frays from the edges, but the carpet of Muslims Al Andalus frayed from the very center".

You understand that when you look at the map of Spain. Madrid, its capital is  right in the middle. Toledo is just south of it. Called Tulaytulah by Arabs,  it was the capital of Spain for years. It was conquered by Tariq bin Zayad himself the same year he landed in Spain. It was the first major city of 'Moors' to fall to Christians.

Muslims, or Musalmans as called by Spaniards, entered the Iberian peninsula from the south in 711 and were at their northern most part in north central France by 732, where they were defeated by French at the Maarkatal Balatul Shuhada aka Battle of Poitiers.

The Reconquest of Spain, La Reconquista, a movement by Catholic Spaniards to take Spain back from Muslims started no later than Muslims arrived. There were small back and forth successes here and there, but the first major city they captured was Toledo in 1085. Granada, the last big city state, fell in 1492. So there is a four century of time difference between the Fall of Toledo the Fall of Granada.

Toledo was built by Romans, the first invaders of Spain. Jews were there long before the Muslims. They had lived a comfortable life under the Visigoths, the Roman nomads who ruled Spain before the Moors. Muslims had Cordoba as their capital. Once taken back by Catholics, Toledo became the center of Spain until later in 1561 when Madrid was made capital of Spain.

Where ever we went in Spain, we saw some reference to Isabel and Ferdinand. What I remembered from childhood books and movies was that the two monarchs were responsible for the downfall of Muslim Spain. It is much more than that. Their marriage was in fact the birth of Spain as a country. A widely divided Iberian peninsula for centuries was brought together by this marriage of the two large dynasties of Castille ( where Toledo is and where Isabel belonged to ) and Aragon. Rest is history.

Isabel and Ferdinand had planned to be buried in Toledo and the Royal Chapel was built for that purpose. Now it is famous for weddings.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasirgondal/7903943098/in/set-72157631344999458/lightbox/
 Once they captured Granada, the Catholic Monarchs ( As they are called) decided to be buried in Granada, and that is where their remains are.

A hospital colleague of mine who has spent his formative years in southern Europe, Dr Solinas, told me that Toledo needs a second trip. I realized that when I was leaving the city. Built on a hill, it can be done in a day if you have all the placed dotted. We were in a group, a half day trip from Madrid. Left by 9  and back in Madrid back by 2.  That left many places unexplored or visited not to the fullest.  Many things to see. The whole city is designated as a World Heritage site.

Thanks to the escalators of a recently built convention center, one can go all the way up from the northern end, just past the Bisagra Gate.  Once upstairs, one finds oneself on a cobble stone path. Many cities we visited have the streets of the old town for pedestrians only. Only the emergency vehicles go by, or some local residents.

THE CATHEDRAL:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasirgondal/7903920764/in/set-72157631344999458/lightbox/

The first place we saw was the Cathedral, from the outside, Like many large cathedrals of the old cities, it is built on the site of a former mosque. In Roman catholic hierarchy this is the church. It is the Primate church of Vatican which means the highest priest in Spain sits here. Toledo was the central place for both the religious and political hierarchy before the capital was moved to Madrid. We did not go in there, but I heard there are many things to watch, including the detailed historical map of the La Reconquesta and an effigy of faqih Abu Walid. He was a local Muslim leader who helped plead to Alfoso VI to spare the lives of those who destroyed the mosque. (The king was not in favor of the mosque's desecration but his wife conspired with archbishop to have it happen).

EL GRECO:
El Greco, literally means 'the Greek' was a Greek artist who came to Spain to try his luck in the building of royal palace El Escorial. He did not have any luck there, retired to Toledo and now he is one of the most famous residents in the history of Toledo. We saw a famous painting of his "Burial of the Count of Orgaz" hangs over his grave in Santo Tome. There is  museum in his name in the city.

SYNAGOGUE:
The Synagogue. Sinagoga de Santa Maria la Blanca.
This is one of the many sad stories one is reminded when visiting Spain's past. Jews have a longer history in Spain than Muslims. They were there long before 711. They apparently had enjoyed a good time under Visigoth Romans but when the rulers converted to Christianity form their pagan faith, the life slowly became difficult for them. In that background, they welcomed the arrival of Muslims and stories of their accomplice roles are widespread. In Toledo, there is a rumor that when the Christians went to pray at the alter, the Jews closed the city door behind them and opened for the Moors when they attacked.  Once Toledo fell to Christians, Jews still enjoyed good treatment for a while. Things turned bad four centuries later, when Granada, the last Muslim stronghold fell.

The synagogue we visited is one of the two in the city. It was built a century after the Fall of the city. Muslim craftsmen had remained in demand and they were employed to built the synagogue, That is why it has mosque like mehrab and onion dome shaped arches.  Once the city got rid of Jews mercilessly, it was converted to a church, as all the synagogues and mosques were. They put the alter and Statue of Mary in the middle of mehrab.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasirgondal/7903936794/in/set-72157631344999458/lightbox/
This is one of the strange examples of architecture which had features of Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths.

DAMASCENE ART:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasirgondal/7903951650/in/set-72157631344999458/lightbox/
There are two places in Spain where you can find original mementos. One is Toledo and the other is Granada. Rest may be all made in China. Toledo is famous for its Damascene artwork. Ummayads were from Damascus and along with them came the arts and crafts. The metal work, of silver and gold in the iron plate is still done in the same way done in eight century Syria. Christian kings were very fond of these swords and the craft found a continued sponsorship. Went to see the work being done in a factory and bought some mementos.

What we did not see and wished to see was the Alcazar and the mosque. And the interior of the Cathedral.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasirgondal/7903930630/in/set-72157631344999458/


The synagogue:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasirgondal/7903936290/in/set-72157631344999458/