Andalusia

(span. Andalucía) a region in the south of Spain. It is the most populous and the second largest, in terms of land area, of the seventeen autonomous communities of the Kingdom of Spain. Its capital and largest city is Seville (=Sevilla). The region is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cadiz, Cordoba, Malaga, Jaen, Granada and Almeria.

Andalusia or Al-Andalus, as it was called by the Muslims, was ruled for over half a millennium by the Moors during the Middle Ages. Throughout this period many magnificent Moorish landmarks were built, such as the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. The Alhambra represents the zenith of Moorish culture and design, featuring some of the finest and most elaborate tile, wood, and plaster ornaments ever conceived.