Granada Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Granada

The story of the city of Granada does not properly begin until the Umayyad conquest of 711 AD. The Iberian peninsula fell under Moorish rule that would last 700 years and the Jewish settlement of Garnata al-Jahud grew to become Granada of Al-Andalus.

The long Reconquest of Spain finally ended when the Emirate of Granada was ceded by Mohammad XII to the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile.

Spanish-Islamic art and design is epitomized in the Alhambra. A World Heritage Site of UNESCO, it is a walled complex of the Royal Residences and the exotic gardens of the Generalife. The complex also holds the Museum of the Alhambra and items from the Museum of Fine Arts.

We cannot talk of the Alhambra and ignore the gardens of the Generalife. They are located on the hill Cerro del Sol, overlooking the rivers Genil and Darro. The Generalife was created to be a restful retreat of the Muslim Kings of Granada. It is kept in the Islamic Nasrid style. It is one of the main attractions of Granada today.

The Cathedral of Granada is built over the site of the Great Mosque. It was designed in a blend of Gothic and Renaissance styles. The Royal Chapel of Granada was built over the terrace of the Great Mosque. It holds the ornate tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella.

The Albaicin is an ancient Al-Andalus neighborhood of the City. It has architectural wealth including the towers of Alcazaba, the old Muslim bathhouse, the Old Royal Chancellery, and the churches of San Cristobal, and San Miguel Alto.

Palaces, mosques, cathedrals, exotic neighborhoods (and flamenco!) are waiting.