Mezquita del Albaicín (Albaicín Mosque), Granada

The Mezquita del Albaycín (Albaycín Mosque), also known as The Great Mosque of Granada, was opened in 2003, and is the first mosque built in the city since the Christian Reconquista in 1492.

The Mosque features traditional Arabic style with architectural accents of the Nasrid Empire. Located in Plaza San Nicolás, in the historic Albaycín neighborhood, The Great Mosque is made up of three sections: the garden, the prayer room (which is the mosque itself) and the Center for Islamic Studies.

The prayer section is decorated with sober elements borrowed from Islamic artistic traditions. The mihrab, which marks the direction of prayer towards Mecca, is a replica of the one in the Mosque of Córdoba. The cedar wood panels of the Atlas, carved by hand, contain an ayah from the Qur'an, where some of the divine attributes are named.

The marble panels of different colors are identical to those of the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The large windows of the qibla are copies of those of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. The fountain and the mosaics in the courtyard, that gives access to the prayer room, have been made by artisans from Fez, Morocco, who have recreated the designs and used same techniques as in Muslim Granada 1000 years ago.

The minaret is a tower of genuinely Albaicine proportions and silhouette. The mosaic inscription with Kufic calligraphy, which can be read under its eaves, is the declaration of faith of the Muslims: “There is no god but Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." On the ground floor, in the main entrance hall there is a reception desk and a store selling books, crafts and souvenirs.