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Culture Spain Sunny Spain is known for its idyllic Mediterranean coastline and white sand beaches, its bullfights, and its proud and stylish culture. All this is true, but a closer look at the culture of Spain reveals a much more fascinating, captivating country than what is marketed on tourist brochures.
In fact, when looking at “Spain” one is really looking at a series of countries, in which a series of different languages are spoken. There’s Galicia to the North West, where Galician is spoken, there’s Catalonia in the North East and Ballearic Islands, where Catalan is spoken – no it’s not just a dialect of Castilian Spanish, it’s a completely different language, as distinct as Portuguese or French. Then there’s the Basque country, or Euskadi, carved out from a small piece of territory in the north. The language has baffled linguists, as it can be traced to nowhere else in the world. Mostly spoken, of course, is the Castilian version of Spanish that most of the world speaks and is familiar with, but even then the thick, guttural Andalusian accent is a far cry from the King’s Spanish spoken in Madrid.
All of Spain bears the mark of centuries of Moorish conquest, which in its golden age left behind nothing less than architectural splendor. While the Moors, at one point, had control of the entire country of Spain their influence is most noted in Al-Andalus (Andalusia) where they ruled for nearly 800 years, from 711 to 1492. Seville is a remarkable collection of Cathedrals that were once Mosques, the Mosque at Cordoba is exceptional. The Alhambra in Granada is a work of art unduplicated anywhere in the world. Despite the stern nationalization carried out by Catholic rule after defeating the Moors in Granada on January 2, 1492, the Middle Eastern influence is still strong in Spain, especially as immigration from Morocco has injected a large demographic into the Spanish workforce.
The nightlife and party scene in Spain is reputed throughout Europe – and, in fact, the entire world – as one of the most raucous and well produced. Spain embodies the Arabic intensity that travelers to the Middle East often experience – outgoing, forward, hospitable – with alcohol. The result is a haven of liberal expression, dancing on tables, all night clubs and after hour parties – on the islands as well as on the mainland one can party for three days straight, sleepless, non-stop fun, and never be short of companions. That said, Spain is not a pleasure island only for debauchery, as some of Europe’s finest museums and most historical cities can be found here.
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