Monastery of Santa Isabel la Real, Granada

The Monastery of Santa Isabel la Real represents one of the most striking transformations that followed the Christian conquest of Granada. Founded by Queen Isabella of Castile, the monastery was established on the site of the former Dar al-Horra Palace, a Nasrid residence, next to the church of Lower San Miguel. Completed in the 16th century, it was built in the Gothic style known locally as “Isabella’s style,” reflecting its popularity with the queen. Her coat of arms can still be seen above the entrance.

For tourists, the monastery is particularly interesting because its architecture preserves the complex layering of Granada’s history. The church combines Gothic and Mudéjar elements, including an unusual Mudéjar ceiling above the nave, crafted from intricately fretted woodwork associated with Moorish craftsmen. The font is also remarkable: it was made from the remains of a fountain recovered from the former palace. The church contains the tomb of sculptor Bernardo Francisco de Mora, while the statue of the Virgin Mary and several wooden crosses are carried through Granada’s streets by the resident nuns during the Easter procession.

The monastery remains a functioning convent, and its secluded atmosphere adds to its charm. Each evening at around 7 p.m., visitors can hear the nuns singing beside the nave. They also sell traditional pastries through a revolving window in the church.

Here, Christian Granada did not simply replace the Islamic city-it built directly over it, preserving fragments of the earlier landscape within a living religious institution.