Granada

Everyone arrives in Granada full of romantic expectations but nothing can prepare you for the exoticism of what you've come to see, the Alhambra. This hilltop palace fortress, the last bastion of Moorish civilization, is the city's crowning glory, the most beautiful symbol of Islam in Spain.

In the modern city below, the Christian conquerors are entombed in their own crowning glory, the Capilla Real, so completing the historical picture. Their original intention was to be buried in Toledo, then capital of Spain, but after fulfiling their lifelong ambition and taking the keys of the city of Granada in 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella decided to make this their last resting place.

Granada Hotels

Gran Hotel Luna De Granada - Pl. Manuel Cano, 2 - Granada 18004 - Spain Phone: 958201000 Fax: 958284052
Melia Granada Hotel - 7 Angel Gavinet Downtown - Granada 18009 - Spain Phone: 958 227400 Fax: 958 227403
Saray Hotel - 4 Paseo Tierno Galvan Downtown - Granada 18006 - Spain Phone: 958 13 00 09 Fax: 958 12 91 61
San Anton Hotel - Prolongación de San Antón, s/n - Granada 18005 - Spain Phone: 958520100 Fax: 958521945
Los Alixares Hotel - Avda. Los Alixares del Generalife, s/n - Granada 18009 - Spain Phone: 958225575 Fax: 958224102
Ac Palacio De Santa Paula Hotel - 31 Gran Via De Colon Old Town - Granada 18001 - Spain Phone: 958 805 740 Fax: 958 805 741
Granada Center Hotel - Avda. Fuente Nueva s/n - Granada 18002 - Spain Phone: 958205000 Fax: 958289696
Alhambra Palace Hotel - Peña Partida, 2 - Granada 18009 - Spain Phone: 958221468 Fax: 958226404
Corona De Granada Hotel - Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, 8 - Granada 18005 - Spain Phone: 958521250 Fax: 958521278
Vincci Granada Hotel - Avda. Constitución, 18 - Granada 18012 - Spain Phone: 958204061 Fax: 958291037
Macia Condor Hotel - 6 Avenida De La Constitucion West - Granada 18012 - Spain Phone: 958 283711 Fax: 958 283850
Ac Granada Hotel - Ctra. De Jaen Bus Station - Granada 18013 - Spain Phone: 958 163 500
Rallye Hotel - Pso. de Ronda 107 - Granada 18003 - Spain Phone: 958272800 Fax: 958272862

Unfortunately, there is nothing romantic about the new town. Busy roads tear through its centre and while it lacks the village feel of Cordoba it also lacks the buzz of Seville. But it still has a perfect location at the foot of the snow capped Sierra Nevada and above a large fertile plain which, despite the thickness of the car fumes, gives it a cool verdant air.

Apart from the Alhambra, there are few architectural legacies of the Moors in Granada, although the Albaicin, the old Moorish quarter, retains its traditional flavour. But you will find the most perfect Renaissance cathedral in Spain and a collection of Renaissance churches hastily constructed after the Reconquest to encourage good Christian worship.

Granada Attractions

The Alhambra:

(Open daily 9.30 20.00 in summer, 9.30 17.30 Sunday and out of season. Floodlit visits twice a week from 22.00 24.00 on Saturday and one variable weekday (according to the season check with the tourist office). It is free on Sunday after 1 S. 00) The ticket comes in three parts for the Alcazaba, the alcazar and the Generalife; any unused section is valid the following day. There are two main ticket offices: one inside the Puerta de ]a justicia near the parador and another near the entrance to the Generalife. The queues at the former are usually much shorter.

The complex is reached from the town centre via Calle Cuesta de Gomerez, through the Puerta de ]as Granadas (note the three pomegranates) built in 1536. Bus No.2 from the Plaza Nueva will drop you off at the top. Although the climb is steep, the alameda outside the main perimeter walls makes for a wonderful leafy approach on foot (fork left as you go up).

The fairy tale Qalat Al Hamra or "Red Fort", the palacefortress of the Moors overlooking the town from its craggy perch, is the reason people come to Granada. The Alhambra is quite literally unique; it is the only Arab palace from the Middle Ages to remain intact and represents the zenith of Moorish architectural accomplishment in Spain. A city within a city (even now its grounds house a parador, a hostal and a restaurant), its courtyards, palaces, mosques, terraces, gardens and fortresses were once alive with scenes straight out of The Arabian Nights and as you wander from the Court of Myrtles to the Court of Lions and from one terraced garden to the next, those memories can still be evoked today.

Further up the hill, commanding an even better view over the neighbouring Albaicin district, is the Generalife, the sultans' summer palace. The royal entourage would retreat here to the cool gardens of cypresses and oleanders, pools and fountains, all achieved through the Moors' skillful irrigation and engineering.

Although many of the sumptuous buildings were destroyed by Charles V with the construction of his Renaissance palacc, by Napoleon's ransacking troops and by centuries of neglect, and despite the fact that Moorish buildings were never built to last, the Alhambra survives as the epitome of Moorishness in Spain and is the country's greatest monument.

Enter the outer gate and walk through the shrubbery, to reach the Puerta de la Justicial. (Just outside you will see the Pilar de Carlos V, a Renaissance fountain whose three spouts represent the three rivers of Granada: the Genil, the Darro and the Beyro). The gate is so named after the inscription "May God make the justice of Islam prosper within her". It forms part of the inner ramparts and is made up of two arches. Over the first one there is an outstretched hand symbolizing protection against evil and representing, by means of the five fingers, the five Islamic precepts of prayer, alms giving, fasting, pilgrimage to Mecca and the oneness of God. The tasselled key above the other arch represents the power God gave Mohammed to open the doors of Heaven.

Inside is the isolated Puerta del Vino (so called because it was here that wine was deposited for the inhabitants in the 16th century) and through that the open Plaza de los Aljibes, named after the cisterns that were later constructed beneath. Towering in front are the massive inner walls of the Alcazaba; behind is the Renaissance structure of Charles V's palace.

The Alcazaba is the citadel, the key defensive part of the fortress. Some of its foundations date from the 11 th century, but it was in the 13th century that the military impenetrability of the Alcazaba; was assured with the construction of the towers and outer ramparts. It was originally separate from the rest of the complex. Enter by the Puerta de las Armas to the inner courtyard and barracks and climb the watch tower, the Torre de la Vela, from which you get a spectacular view of the city below and the rest of the Alhambra behind. It was from this tower on 2 January 1492 that the Catholic flag was hoisted, signifying the surrender of the Moors and the completion of the Reconquest.

The Alcazaror the Casa Real is the palace proper, the heart of the complex, and here we find the richly decorated rooms and patios of the different areas and living quarters.

Behind the delicately ornate stucco tracery with its simple, geometric repetition of design, behind the beautiful coloured azulejo tiles, the stalactite ceilings and the arabesque arches is a flimsy assortment of rubble, brick and plaster. The Moors built for the present, not posterity; decoration (and the art of capturing the interplay of water and light) was everything and when one ruler went the next tore down his predecessor's palace to replace it with new heights of decorative splendour.

As in most Arab palaces, rooms radiate off a central courtyard. The courtyards in turn lead into each other through rooms or passageways. Each area had a designated function the Mexuar or council chamber where public administrative affairs were carried out; the Diwan or official state rooms with the throne room; and finally the intimate harem or private apartments.

The Mexuar, though much altered and damaged, is one of the oldest parts of the complex. It was originally where the king would deal with public petitions and administrative matters. Transformed into a chapel after the Reconquest, it still invokes the "glory of God", the "power of God" and the "kingdom of God" in its inscriptions. The small room at the end is the oratory. Next to this comes the Patio del Mexuar with its adjoining Cuarto Dorado or Golden Room decorated in Mudejar style with Gothic motifs. The ceiling is gilded and inlaid with ivory and mother of pearl. The restored canopied facade of the courtyard opposite quotes the much favoured line from the Koran "There is no victor but God" which appears throughout the Alhambra.

The Diwan (sometimes called the Serallo) is made up of the Palace of Comares and centres on the long Patio de los Arrayanes (Court of the Myrtle Trees). In the middle is a pool filled with goldfish and carp, banked by clipped myrtle bushes, reflecting the crenellated Torre de Comares in its water. Pass through a marble colonnaded loggia, the Sala de la Barca (Boat or Blessing Room). It owes its strange name to the greeting baraka or blessing which can be seen inscribed on the walls. Its ceiling, which was destroyed by a fire in 1890 and rebuilt in 1965, also has the appearance of an upturned boat.

The Sala de Embajadores (Ambassadors' Hall), the most spectacular room in the palace, was the throne room where the sultan would grant twice weekly audiences. It has a magnificent carved and vaulted cedarwood ceiling with allegorical geometric designs (symbolizing the Seven Heavens) that rises to a height of 18 metres (60 ft). Tapestry like stucco work and friezes from the Koran cover the walls above a band of beautifully coloured tiles. The horseshoe shaped windows frame superb views of the hills outside, although originally the fight would have been diffused through stained glass windows of matching geometric patterns. At the far end of the courtyard is the 16th century addition of the chapel crypt.

The almost secret passageway to the Sala de los Mocarabes makes a perfect, subtle entrance to the miniature paradise of he Patio de los Liones (the Court of Lions). A colonnade of slender single and paired columns topped by lacy, fringed arcading surround the patio. In the centre of the court, which would once have been planted with trees and scented shrubs. Twelve stone lions support the basin of a fountain while four channels of water (the four rivers of paradise or the four corners of the cosmos) flow out to the elaborate rooms on all sides.

On opposite sides of the court are the Sala de los Abencenerajes, named after a family massacred here, and the Sala de los Dos Hermanas (Room of the Two Sisters), named after the twin marble slabs in the floor. Both contain spectacular stalactite or honeycombed cupolas of great intricacy. The Mirador de Daraxa or Lindaraja, the Queen's bedroom and most intimate part of the palace, opens off this last room and overlooks a patio of cypress and orange trees. The royal baths below would have been reached by a staircase. At the far end of the Patio de los Liones is the Sala de los Reyes (King's Chamber), divided into alcoves, where paintings on the ceiling depict courtly scenes. Human representation is forbidden in the Koran so these were probably later additions.

Beyond the royal quarters are the lovely terraced Partal Gardens, enclosed within the outer ramparts and towers. Follow the signs round to the more recent apartments of Charles V where Washington Irving lodged, and the Patios de la Reja and de Lindaraja. Access to the beautifully illuminated bath chambers underneath the harem is from here.

The Palace of Charles V

Erratic opening times. The contrast between the delicacy and fight of the Moorish palaces and the weighty sombreness of this Renaissance mammoth could not be more striking. After demolishing much of the original Alhambra to accommodate it and levying taxes on the Moriscos to pay for it, Charles never used his unfinished residence. Built in pure Renaissance style by Pedro Machuca, a student of Michaelangelo, in 1S26, its colonnaded circular courtyard within the outer square building was once used for bullfights. It houses two museums. The Museo de Bellas Artes exhibits 16th 18th century religious art; the Museo National de Arte Hispano Musulman holds a collection of Moorish artefacts including a blue amphora known as the "Alhambra Vase".

The Generalife

The simple summer palace of the kings is nothing special after the sumptuous rooms of the Alhambra. But the terraced gardens with their cypress walkways, sculpted bushes, orange trees, roses, oleanders and rhododendrons, pools, fountains and patios are magnificent. The Callejon de los Cipreses and the Callejon de las Adelfas lead into the inner court, Patio de la Acequia or canal. The nearby water filled staircase, Camino de las Cascadas, is a feat of Arab engineering. Wonderful view extend over the Albaicin on the opposite hill.

The Albaicin

This is the old Arab quarter of the city, on the hill opposite the Alhambra, whose narrow, winding streets still preserve the Moorish feel. The hill was the site of the original fortress, and the surrounding streets expanded rapidly with the influx of refugees from other parts of the diminishing Arab kingdom. You can still see the whitewashed Moorish town houses or carmenes, with gardens and patios dotted with cypress and orange trees.

Take the Carrera del Darro along the river, past the Plaza Santa Ana. Note the Arab baths with their vaulted roofs which can be visited at No. 31. Climb the Calle Banuelo, and lose yourself in the labyrinthine lanes. Make sure you reach the Mirador de San Nicholas by the church of the same name, where you'll get the best view of the Alhambra. It is particularly lovely at sunset, although the Albaicin is not the safest place to walk at night. Not far away is the Plaza Larga, the heart of the quarter, and a little way down, the delightful Plaza San Miguel Bajo with bars and cafes.

The Cathedral and the Capilla Real

Far more imposing than the cathedral is the earlier Capilla Real (or royal chapel). This mausoleum swallowed up a quarter of the royal income in its construction. Although they had already built another mausoleum for themselves in Toledo, Ferdinand and Isabella decided to make Granada their final resting place, after eventually taking the city from the Moors. They are buried inside under two ornately carved marble sarcophagi, next to their daughter Juana the Mad and her husband, Philip the Fair. The actual lead coffins (plus that of the eldest grandson, Prince Miguel) lie in the crypt below. Other members of the royal family were buried here until they were transferred to the royal mausoleum at El Escorial.

The adjoining sacristy contains Isabella's fine collection of Flemish paintings, and a lovely Botticelli ("Christ on the Mount of Olives"). It also displays the queen's crown, sceptre and jewel box and the king's sword. The separate Capilla Real is an impressive example of the flamboyant late Gothic or Isabelline style of architecture. It was begun in 1506 and completed in 1521.

Other churches

In the northern part of town, especially round the university quarter, are other examples of Renaissance and Baroque churches such as San Juan de Dios and Convento de San Jeronimo. Farther out still is the Carthusian monastery of La Cartuja a 16th 17th century Baroque extravaganza.

Corral del Carbon

This is almost the only remaining Arab building in the new town (the other is the Madraza or medressa, the former Arab university opposite the Capilla Real). It's set back in a side street just off Calle Reyes Catolicos. Originally an Arab hostelry, its three storey balconied courtyard provided stabling and accommodation for travelling merchants. It later kcame a coal warehouse and in the 16th century was used as a theatre. It now houses craft workshops.

The Alcaiceria

Next to the Capilla Real, it is a 19th century replica of the Original Arab silk market. It now houses a collection of souvenir shops.