The Alhambra Deux

Spain, like much of western and central Europe, has a history greatly intertwined with religion. Between large populations of jewish settlements, islamic rule for seven hundred years, and centuries of state sponsored catholic fanatacism, almost every history lesson we learned was deeply rooted in religion. This is especially true for the city of Grenada, which was the last bastion of Spain in the Moorish Empire. We visited the Alhambra, the architectural wonder and Islamic fortress of the fourteenth century.
Walking through these ruins is like walking through a history book. It made me think even more of the religious wars that plagued Spain and much of Europe during it´s early modern period of history. Philip II bankrupted the once powerful Spanish empire four times because of his fanatical devotion to Catholicism. More than anything, it made me appreciate the basic rights that we enjoy in much of the developed word. The rights that many, myself included, are guilty of taking for granted.
The first Amendment in the Bill of Rights offers freedom of religion, a freedom that millions of people died for over the course of European history. Viewing Spains vast Islamic architectural influence, and seeing the exact history where so many people died for religion, has made me truly appreciate the rights that we enjoy today.