Alpujarras

Common card · No. 495462

The Alpujarra (Spanish pronunciation: [alpuˈxara], Arabic: البشرات, romanized: al-bašarāt or al-bušarāt) is a natural and historical region in Andalusia, Spain, on the south slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the adjacent valley. The average elevation is 1,200 metres (4,000 ft) above sea level. It extends over two provinces, Granada and Almería; it is sometimes referred to in the plural as "Las Alpujarras". There are several interpretations of this Arabic-origin name: the most convincing is that it derives from al-basharāt (البَشَرَات), meaning something like "sierra of pastures". The administrative centre of the part in Granada is Órgiva, while that of the part in Almería is Alhama de Almería. The Sierra Nevada runs west-to-east for about 80 km. It includes the highest mountain in mainland Spain: the Mulhacén at 3,479 metres (11,414 ft). The term sierra nevada implies the existence of a snow field, an accumulation of permanent snow and ice. However, in the Alpujarras most of the snow melts...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Xufanc, CC BY-SA 3.0