Imagine being surrounded by beautiful Islamic architecture as the light breeze of the morning wind sweeps your face.

This is what we experienced in the beautiful gardens of the Alhambra Palace in my recent trip with my husband to Granada, Spain.

Tall arches of greenery shade you from the sun, and the exotic flowers with their vibrant colors bloom thanks to the unique irrigation system that the Muslims developed for the palace in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.

Water channels cross your path underfoot as you walk through the majestic palace.

What great splendor and grandeur these people were living in, only to be taken away from them with just a blink of the eye.

The highlight of our trip was definitely the famous Alhambra in Granada.

We waited patiently in line for hours, hoping to get our turn to visit the dazzling palace.

The spectacular view was well worth the wait and was appreciated by the thousands who come everyday to visit.

Apart from the historical legacies left by Muslims in Spain, we were delighted to experience today’s Muslim Spain.

The most wonderful part was being surrounded by Muslims who live there and had migrated and opened up authentic restaurants and clothing stores from their countries.

The streets are filled with zabiha places to eat and scrumptious Moroccan foods.

Mosques thrive in the area and are jam packed at the Jumuah or Friday prayers. We prayed at the Masjid Mayor de Granada, located on a hilltop with a stunning view of the Alhambra Palace.

We prayed side by side with Muslims of all ethnicities who believe that one day Granada will be theirs again.

Among our tour of sites, we visited Cordoba. Like Granada, it is rich with Muslim history. Cordoba was the largest and most prosperous city in Europe in the tenth century.

As you walk in to the mezquita (mosque), there is a passage of the Patio de Los Naranjos where the Muslims made wudu (ablution) in running water.

Upon entering the building, you are overwhelmed with the red and white arches overhead and the pillars that extend to the end of the building to what seems like infinity.

Low lighting makes this place glow as you imagine what it must have been like centuries ago when the mosque was packed with Muslims at Jumu’ah (Friday) prayers.

The Cordoba mosque was known for its changing perspectives and plays of light.

The initial view is breathtaking as you walk under the arches.

But you can’t help but be overcome by a slight eeriness as you encounter statues upon statues of different people representing Christianity and the cathedral built in the middle of a beautiful mosque.

Parts of the mosque have been preserved, such as the elegant mihrab decorated with gold mosaics where the Imam delivered his khutbah (Friday sermon).

The majority of the mosque, however, has been destroyed and rebuilt.

Much of it was changed as was the closing of the 19 doors that illuminated the mezquita with light from the outside.

Also missing, of course, are the rows and rows of kneeling men and women, praying in unison, who would have filled its beautiful walls.

As much as this site was gorgeous, visiting it one could not help but feel a sense of loss at what Muslims had accomplished and subsequently lost.

We visited many different parts of Andalucia, but our main purpose was to visit these historical Islamic sites that contain a part of our history and our Muslim heritage.

We benefited a great deal from learning about our history and how Islam flourished, and also what led to its downfall.

There are many lessons to be learnt from the hardships of the Muslims in this time period.

The stories and historical sites are there to remind us of who we are and what our focus should be in this life.

As long as we maintain our focus, enjoin good and forbid evil, show the world how to live the Qur’an and practice the traditions of the Prophet (saws), then Allah will show His mercy and allow the ummah to grow and thrive.