Granada: History & Pomegranates

Granada is one of those places where one wanders and never quite sees it all. I'm certain, after a full week here, we will need to return again and again. Besides its incredible beauty, it is rich in a history that almost overwhelms.

Ruled by Iberians, Romans, and then Visigoths, it became the capital of the Emirate of Granada, under Nasrid rule, in the 13th century. It was the last Muslim-ruled stronghold in Spain. Granada was conquered in 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II and Isabella I, and progressively transformed into a Christian city over the course of the 16th century.
Moorish culture is evident everywhere. Our first stop was at the Corral del Carbón, originally al-Funduq al-Jadida, which is the only funduq or alhóndiga preserved from the Nasrid period (14th century).

Originally a caravanserai (of Silk Road fame), it was a protected place for merchants to rest their animals, spend the night, and to get a bite to eat'.



Continuing with our Moorish history, we visited the Alcaicería. Built as a silk market with 200 shops, the Alcaicería was filled with precious silver, spices, and silk. It had ten armed gates and its own guards. Silk was huge in Moorish times, and silkworm-friendly mulberry trees flourished in the countryside. It was such an important product that the sultans controlled and guarded it by constructing this fine, fortified market. After the Reconquista, the Christians realized this market was good for business and didn't mess with it. Later, the more zealous Philip II had it shut down. A terrible fire in 1850 destroyed what was left. Today's Alcaicería is an "authentic fake"... rebuilt in the late 1800s as a tourist souk (marketplace) to complement the romantic image of Granada popularized by the writings of Washington Irving.

A stroll brought us to the Albaicín, Spain's best old Moorish quarter. Here, in the 11th century, the Zirid dynasty constructed their royal palace, significant Islamic buildings, and temples encircled by a sumptuous fortress.
Wanting to know even more, we visited the grounds of the Great Mosque (2003) which "celebrates an historic reunion as it looks out in greeting towards the majestic silhouette of the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada."

This is the first mosque built in Granada since 1492.
The Albaicín reached its peak of splendour during the Nasrid dynasty, when it boasted a population of more than forty thousand inhabitants and thirty mosques. After the Conquest by the Catholic Monarchs, this was designated as a place of residence for the Muslims, and they gradually settled here.
Eventually, the neighborhood of mosques transformed into a neighborhood of churches. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Moors permanently vacated their houses in Albaicín. Over time, the Muslims have returned and strolling the narrow streets, with decorative façades, shares their unique culture for all who visit.

We then went, with the masses, to the Plaza San Nicolás to admire more of the Alhambra which we will visit on Thursday.

Granada, for those who don't know, means pomegranate. This beautiful, yet difficult fruit, is seen everywhere: in the foliage, street signs, passageway mosaics, and even the bollards which keep cars from running over pedestrians on the narrow streets.
Legend has it that it was a pomegranate tree growing in the fortress that gave the city its name; in Christian times the term Agranata began to be used, which evolved into the current name. Another version states that someone watching the sunset over the city once compared the image with that of an open pomegranate.


We were surprised by the lobbies of hotels in which we perused. The Hotel Palacio de Santa Inés consists of two small Mudejar buildings built in the first third of the 16th century and is located in our neighborhood.

The frescos were museum quality. What a find.







We pass this amazing building, the High Court of Justice of Andalusia. The seat of the high court is the former Royal Chancery of Granada. From 1505 to 1834, the Royal Chancery had jurisdiction over the Kingdom of Granada, over the three kingdoms that then made up Andalusia (Seville, Córdoba, and Jaén, as well as the Kingdom of Murcia, La Mancha, certain provinces of Extremadura, and the Canary Islands. The oldest parts of the present building were built around 1531. The present façade and staircase date from slightly later, during the reign of King Philip II; the façade was completed in 1587. The building contains numerous sculptures and paintings from roughly that era, as well is ironwork, tapestries, and so forth.

This monument to the Aguador pays homage to the water-carrier profession, a profession that lived on from the 11th to the mid-20th century. This itinerant wanderer sold water in the city, both to passersby and to houses that had no water. Interesting!


A brief pause in the Plaza Isabel la Católica showcases a monument which represents the moment when Christopher Columbus reached an agreement with Queen Isabella for his expedition to the Indies. It was completed in 1892 to commemorate the fourth centenary of the discovery of America.




After the little kiddos when to bed, the big kids went for a huge hike above the city. This photo was taken at 9:22 PM. It is staying daylight for so long. It really feels elsewhere.
“Hail, O City where dawn rises and the setting Sun rests.
Where the pearls of mist melt and the pearls of crystal-clear water:
where the Glory between laurels lies
and whose immense light enlightens you!”
-José Zorrila


“Granada is Spain’s most valued treasure;
a melting pot of flavors, smells and passion."
-Víctor Hugo

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Small Town Fun... New Home Happiness

After spending the morning renting cars to transport six people and all the gear needed, we headed to our next home in Granada... but not without a detour for lunch (I will always detour for food).

When choosing our path onward, we decided to stay coastal and dine in Nerja until we read this, "Costa del Sol towns come in pairs: the famous beach with little history, and its smaller yet much more historic partner established a few miles inland, safely out of reach of the Barbary pirate raids that plagued this coastline for centuries. Nerja is a good example of this pattern. Whereas it has almost no history and was just an insignificant fishing village until tourism hit, its more historic sister, Frigiliana, hides out in the nearby hills. The Barbary pirate raids were a constant threat. In fact, the Spanish slang for the coast is clear is 'no hay moros en la costa' (there are no Moors on the coast)." Needless-to-say, we chose Frigiliana.
Our introduction to the town came via this kiosk, Casita der la infomación y fantasia. You deposit 1€ in the slot of your language and "The Moor and his parrot" tell you the interesting history of Frigiliana. The kids loved it.
It is called the city of three cultures because Jews, Christians, and Moors lived here, in harmony, for years.
Our delicious meal was provided by Nueva Tahona. We all agreed that it was our best dining of the trip thus far.



We were only here briefly so we mainly meandered and admired. Historical plaques and tiled signs were proudly everywhere. The one for this cool building read, "The old silo was built in 1767 where surplus grain was kept in the years of good harvest to be distributed when there was a bad harvest. Although the pósito (the warehouse) was mentioned in 1749, it is very likely that it was established in 1640, the year in which Frigiliana became an independent town."









The ride to Granada was one that felt a little like home as we skirted the snowcapped Sierra Nevada.
Getting to our apartment was a logistics challenge with conflicting GPS, too many one-way impossibly narrow streets, and helpful Spaniards with opinions.



But once we arrived home, it was so worth it. There is no way any photo can do this place justice but here's the link to the Airbnb listing... WOWSERS.

Each of us believes that this is the coolest space we've ever stayed in. Located in the historic heart of Granada with a patio overlooking its most famous sight- The Alhambra. 
After putting the children to bed, us adults watched the sun set and marveled as the palace illuminated. This next travel chapter promises to be even better than the last.

Chateaubriand said, “Granada, last refuge from a tiring life. Eternal garden, shows remnants of paradise that still remain, in only very few privileged places on earth”

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