Granada
High above the Mediterranean coast, at the foot of the mountains of the Sierra Nevada,
Granada has whispered dreams and intrigue for centuries. A Greek colony in the 5th
century BC, by the 2nd century AD the Romans had named it Illiberis and founded
a mint. After the Moors conquered the city in 711 it grew enormously until in 1238
it was established as an independent kingdom. Uniquely, Granada remained autonomous
for another 250 years, paying tribute to the Christian kings of the north. The alliance
of Aragon and Castile in 1479 was the death knoll: Ferdinand and Isabella marched
on the south with an army of 150,000 soldiers in 1491. Although the people of Granada
resisted fiercely, after a seven-month siege King Boabdil surrendered the keys of
the city.
The Fall of Granada marked the end of an eight hundred year Islamic presence in
Andalucía: over the next ten years a programme of forced conversions was carried
out, until in 1501 Muslims were told to become Christian or get out of Spain. Many
remained, pretending adherence to the new religion whilst continuing to practice
their own in secret. As the city continued to grow in power, this hidden influence
imbued the city with a unique flavour that persists to this day.
The mountain setting makes for a less idyllic climate than is found elsewhere in
the region. Short cold winters and uncomfortably hot summers mean that the ideal
time to visit is in spring or autumn, especially because this is a city that demands
to be explored on foot. From the former Moorish town Albaicín, which is a fascinating
quarter full of narrow alleyways and small squares, to the cave quarter of Sacromonte,
traditional home of gypsies and flamenco dancers, the streets of Granada are magical.
The Capilla Real was built as a mausoleum for Ferdinand and Isabella: their grandson
Carlos V modified their simple design with soaring marble monuments. Isabella’s
outstanding personal collection of Flemish and Italian paintings is in the sacristy.
West of the city in Fuente Vaqueros, the birthplace of Andalucia’s most famous playwright,
Federico Garcia Lorca, has been transformed into a museum commemorating his life
and work.
All these wonders notwithstanding, the majority of visitors come to see one place:
the Alhambra. This legendary palace fortress was the home of the sultans and in
its construction Moorish art reached a spectacular climax. The Palacios Nazires,
built of adobe and wood, were intended to be renewed by each ruler in turn. The
brilliant use of light and space is secondary to the ornate stucco and mosaic decorations,
which are at their finest in the Court of Lions and the Royal Baths. The enchanting
gardens hide many secrets, including the Cypress Patio and the Escalera de Agua.
With so many beautiful sights to absorb, Granada can be exhausting. Luckily, many
bars give out free tapas with drinks. Specialities include gazpacho blanco, a chilled
garlic and almond soup; papas a lo pobre, potatoes fried with peppers; all kinds
of game from the mountains; olla de san anton, a bean and pork stew that’s perfect
for winter; and tortilla de Sacromonte, a Spanish omelette with some rather special
parts of the bull. Anyone who’s feeling a bit squeamish will be relieved to go for
the desserts, which are strongly influenced by Arab cookery and are famed throughout
Spain: the best are torta de la Virgen and roscos, both cakes made with almonds
and honey.