The Albaicín (), also known as Albayzín (from ar, ٱلْبَيّازِينْ, translit=al-Bayyāzīn), is a district of
Granada, in the
autonomous community
eu, autonomia erkidegoa
ca, comunitat autònoma
gl, comunidade autónoma
oc, comunautat autonòma
an, comunidat autonoma
ast, comunidá autónoma
, alt_name =
, map =
, category = Autonomous administra ...
of
Andalusia
Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. It is centered around a hill on the north side of the
Darro River
The Darro is a river of the province of Granada, Spain. It is a tributary of the Genil. The river was originally named after the Roman word for gold (aurus) because people used to pan for gold on its banks. This name was then changed by the Arab ...
which passes through the city. The neighbourhood is notable for its historic monuments and for largely retaining its medieval street plan dating back to the
Nasrid period (13th to 15th centuries), although it nonetheless went through many physical and demographic changes after the end of the ''
Reconquista
The ' (Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Nasrid ...
'' in 1492. It was declared a
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
in 1994, as an extension of the historic site of the nearby
Alhambra.
Etymology
There are several theories as to the origin of the district's present name, which comes from Arabic ( ar, ٱلْبَيّازِينْ). One theory is that ''al-Bayyāzīn'' was the Arabic plural noun denoting the inhabitants of the city of
Baeza (called "Beatia" by the Romans) and that the name was given in reference to the refugees of that city who settled here during the Nasrid period. Another theory is that name comes from Arabic , meaning "district/suburb of the
falconers", which is supported by the fact that other neighborhoods with that name exist in other Spanish cities.
Another hypothesis is that the name Albaicín derives from Arabic ().
History
The region surrounding what today is Granada has been populated since at least 5500 BC. The most ancient ruins found in the area belong to an
oppidum
An ''oppidum'' (plural ''oppida'') is a large fortified Iron Age settlement or town. ''Oppida'' are primarily associated with the Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread across Europe, stretchi ...
called ''Ilturir'', founded by the
Iberian Bastetani
The Bastetani or Bastuli were an ancient Iberian (pre-Roman) people of the Iberian peninsula (the Roman Hispania). They are believed to have spoken the Iberian language. The relationship between the Iberian Bastetani and the Tartessian Mastieni ...
tribe around 650 BC.
This settlement became later known as ''Iliberri'' or ''Iliberis''.
In 44 BC ''Iliberis'' became a
Roman colony
A Roman (plural ) was originally a Roman outpost established in conquered territory to secure it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of a Roman city. It is also the origin of the modern term ''colony''.
Character ...
and in 27 BC it became a Roman ''
municipium
In ancient Rome, the Latin term (pl. ) referred to a town or city. Etymologically, the was a social contract among ("duty holders"), or citizens of the town. The duties () were a communal obligation assumed by the in exchange for the priv ...
'' named ''Florentia Iliberritana'' ('Flourishing Iliberri').
The historical relation between present-day Granada and the Roman-era ''Iliberis'' has long been debated by scholars.
Modern archeological digs on the Albaicín hill have uncovered finds demonstrating the presence of a significant Roman town on that site. Little is known, however, about the history of the city in the period between the end of the
Roman era
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...
and the 11th century.
The
Umayyad conquest of Hispania
The Umayyad conquest of Hispania, also known as the Umayyad conquest of the Visigothic Kingdom, was the initial expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate over Hispania (in the Iberian Peninsula) from 711 to 718. The conquest resulted in the decline of t ...
, starting in 711 AD, brought large parts of the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...
under
Muslim control, becoming known as
al-Andalus
Al-Andalus translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label= Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, al-Ándalus () was the M ...
. During the early Islamic period, under the rule of the
Emirate
An emirate is a territory ruled by an emir, a title used by monarchs or high officeholders in the Muslim world. From a historical point of view, an emirate is a political-religious unit smaller than a caliphate. It can be considered equivalen ...
and
Caliphate of Cordoba (8th to 10th centuries), the area of the Albaicin was occupied by a small settlement and fortress (''ḥiṣn'') named ''Gharnāṭa'', which had a mainly
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
population and was thus also known as ''Gharnāṭat al-Yahūd'' ("''Gharnāṭa'' of the Jews").
A larger settlement, ''Madīnat Ilbīra'', was located further northwest, near present-day ''Atarfe''.
At the beginning of the 11th century, the area became dominated by the Zirids, a
Sanhaja
The Sanhaja ( ber, Aẓnag, pl. Iẓnagen, and also Aẓnaj, pl. Iẓnajen; ar, صنهاجة, ''Ṣanhaja'' or زناگة ''Znaga'') were once one of the largest Berber tribal confederations, along with the Zanata and Masmuda confederations. Ma ...
Berber group and offshoot of the
Zirids
The Zirid dynasty ( ar, الزيريون, translit=az-zīriyyūn), Banu Ziri ( ar, بنو زيري, translit=banū zīrī), or the Zirid state ( ar, الدولة الزيرية, translit=ad-dawla az-zīriyya) was a Sanhaja Berber dynasty from ...
who ruled parts of
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
. When the Caliphate of Cordoba collapsed after 1009, the Zirid leader
Zawi ben Ziri
Zawi ibn Ziri as-Sanhaji or Al-Mansur Zawi ibn Ziri ibn Manad as-Sanhaji ( ar, المنصور زاوي بن زيري بن مناد الصنهاجي), was a chief in the Berber Sanhaja tribe. He arrived in Spain in 1000 (391) during the reign of A ...
established an independent kingdom for himself, the
Taifa of Granada
The Taifa of Granada ( ar, طائفة غرناطة, rtl=yes, , es, Taifa de Granada) or Zirid Kingdom of Granada was a Berber Muslim kingdom which was formed in al-Andalus in 1013, following the deposition of Caliph Hisham II in 1009. The king ...
. Rather than settling at ''Madīnat Ilbīra'', Zawi ben Ziri settled in the more defensible position of ''Gharnāṭa'' (Granada) instead. In a short time this town was transformed into one of the most important cities of
al-Andalus
Al-Andalus translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label= Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, al-Ándalus () was the M ...
.
![PuertaMonaita](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/PuertaMonaita.JPG)
The Zirids built their citadel and palace, known as the ''al-Qaṣaba al-Qadīma'' ("Old Citadel"), on the hill now occupied by the Albaicín neighborhood.
It was connected to two smaller fortresses on the Sabika hill (site of the future
Alhambra) and Mauror hill to the south.
The city around it grew during the 11th century to include the Albaicín, the Sabika, the Mauror, and a part of the surrounding plains. The city was fortified with walls encompassing an area of approximately 75
hectares
The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is a ...
.
The northern part of these walls, near the Albaicin citadel, have survived to the present day, along with one of its main gates, the ''Bāb al-Unaydar'' (now called ''Puerta Monaita'' in Spanish). Another smaller gate, ''Bāb al-Ziyāda'' (now known as ''Arco de las Pesas'' or ''Puerta Nueva'') is located further east along the same wall.
The city and its residences were supplied with water through an extensive hydraulic system of underground cisterns and pipes. The Zirid palace was located near the largest medieval cistern of the Albaicin, known in Arabic as ''al-Jubb al-Qadīm'' (“the Old Cistern”) and in Spanish today as the ''Aljibe del Rey'' ("Cistern of the King"), which had a capacity of 300 cubic metres.
A now-ruined
sluice gate
Sluice ( ) is a word for a channel controlled at its head by a movable gate which is called a sluice gate. A sluice gate is traditionally a wood or metal barrier sliding in grooves that are set in the sides of the waterway and can be considered ...
called ''Bāb al-Difāf'' ("Gate of the Tambourines") was built across the Darro River and could be closed in order to retain water if needed. The nearby
Bañuelo, a former
hammam
A hammam ( ar, حمّام, translit=ḥammām, tr, hamam) or Turkish bath is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the Islamic culture, culture of the Muslim world and ...
(bathhouse), also likely dates from this period, as does the former
minaret of a
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
that is now part of the Church of San José.
![Albaicin walls DSCF1968](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Albaicin_walls_DSCF1968.jpg)
In the 13th century, following the rise and fall of other Muslim dynasties and the military advances of the Christian kingdoms of
Castile and
Aragon,
Ibn al-Ahmar (Muhammad I) established what became the last and longest reigning Muslim dynasty in the Iberian peninsula, the
Nasrids, who ruled the
Emirate of Granada
)
, common_languages = Official language: Classical ArabicOther languages: Andalusi Arabic, Mozarabic, Berber, Ladino
, capital = Granada
, religion = Majority religion: Sunni IslamMinority religions: Ro ...
. However, when Ibn Al-Ahmar established himself in the city he moved the royal palace from the old Zirid citadel on the Albaicín hill to the Sabika hill further south, beginning construction on what became the present
Alhambra, a fortified palace complex that still dominates the city today.
The population of the city and the wider Nasrid emirate was swelled by Muslim refugees from the territories newly conquered by Castile and Aragon, resulting in a small yet densely-populated territory which was more uniformly Muslim and Arabic-speaking than before. Granada itself expanded and new neighbourhoods grew around the Albaicín. A new set of walls was constructed further north of the Albaicín during the 13th–14th centuries, with ''Bab Ilbirah'' (present-day ''
Puerta de Elvira'') as its western entrance.
Among the major monuments built in the Albaicín during this period are the
Maristan (hospital), built in 1365–1367 (later demolished in 1843) and the Great Mosque (
congregational mosque) of the Albaicín, dating from the 13th century. During this time the commercial heart of the district was what is now known as Panaderos Street (''Calle Panaderos''). This street ran between the gate called ''Bab al-Ziyada'' to the west and the Great Mosque of the Albaicín to the east. Next to ''Bab al-Ziyada'' was a public square called ''Raḥbat al-Ziyāda'' ("Enlargement Square") also existed, later known in Spanish as ''El Ensanche'' ("the Enlargement") and now as ''Plaza Larga''.
![Albaicin-Granada (7)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Albaicin-Granada_%287%29.jpg)
In 1492, after years of
military campaigns, Granada fell under the control of the Spanish monarchs
Ferdinand and Isabella, completing the Christian conquest of Muslim al-Andalus. Muslims were initially granted protections and rights according to the terms of the surrender, but these rights were soon undermined. In December 1499, the Albaicín was the starting point of a
Muslim rebellion
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abra ...
throughout Granada, triggered by the
forced conversion of the Muslim population to Christianity, who then became known as '
Moriscos
Moriscos (, ; pt, mouriscos ; Spanish for "Moorish") were former Muslims and their descendants whom the Roman Catholic church and the Spanish Crown commanded to convert to Christianity or face compulsory exile after Spain outlawed the ope ...
'.
After the Christian conquest, much of the Morisco population of the city was displaced to the Albaicin, where they were joined in the 16th century by emigrants from the surrounding hinterlands of the
Vega valley, the
Alpujarras
The Alpujarra (, Arabic: ''al-bussarat'') is a natural and historical region in Andalusia, Spain, on the south slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the adjacent valley. The average elevation is above sea level. It extends over two provinces, ...
, and the
Lecrín valley.
Mosques were replaced with new parish churches, particularly after 1501. These new churches were often built in a mix of
Mudéjar
Mudéjar ( , also , , ca, mudèjar , ; from ar, مدجن, mudajjan, subjugated; tamed; domesticated) refers to the group of Muslims who remained in Iberia in the late medieval period despite the Christian reconquest. It is also a term for ...
and Renaissance styles. New civic institutions were also built in the area, such as the
Royal Chancellery
Chancellor of Poland ( pl, Kanclerz - , from la, cancellarius) was one of the highest officials in the historic Poland. This office functioned from the early Polish kingdom of the 12th century until the end of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwea ...
(''Real Chancillería''), which overlooks Plaza Nueva, a public square expanded during the 16th century.
The
Morisco rebellion of 1568, however, resulted in a mass expulsion of Moriscos from the city and left much of neighbourhood abandoned. The old Morisco properties were taken over by the remaining Christian residents, but the neighbourhood continued to have low urban density until the 19th century.
It was only towards the end of the 19th century, when the present-day ''Gran Vía de'' ''Colón'' and its surroundings were created between 1895 and 1908, that many of the inhabitants in the centre of the city were forced to relocate to the Albaicin and the neighbourhood increased in density. Many of the former spacious courtyard homes were subdivided into smaller plots to accommodate multiple families, or rooms from adjacent houses were purchased and joined together to expand available living spaces.
These crowded conditions continued until the 1970s, when the standard of living increased and some affluent families began to return to the neighbourhood.
In 1994, the Albaicín was declared a
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
as an extension of the monuments of the
Alhambra and the
Generalife
The Generalife (; ar, جَنَّة الْعَرِيف, translit=Jannat al-‘Arīf) was a summer palace and country estate of the Nasrid rulers of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus. It is located directly east of and uphill from the Alham ...
.
Historic houses (''carmen''s)
![Casa de Zafra02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Casa_de_Zafra02.jpg)
The traditional type of house is the ''carmen'', consisting of a freestanding house with typically whitewashed walls and including a small orchard or garden.
The Spanish term ''carmen'' is derived from the Arabic word ''karm'' (meaning 'vineyard').
This term originally referred to a type of "
periurban" house built on the hillsides on the outskirts of the city. Following the Morisco rebellion of 1568 much of the Morisco population of the city was expelled, which left many of the houses in the Albaicin empty. The remaining Christian residents then added the abandoned properties to their own and converted them into orchards and gardens, thus importing the periurban house type into this central neighbourhood of the city.
All houses were provided with water through a network of pipes which distributed water from the many
cisterns
A cistern (Middle English ', from Latin ', from ', "box", from Greek ', "basket") is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by ...
in the area. At least 20 underground cisterns still exist in the neighbourhood today.
Among the oldest and most important preserved historic houses in the neighbourhood are the Casa de Zafra and the
Dar al-Horra
Dar al-Horra (; ) is a former 15th-century Nasrid palace located in the Albaicín quarter of Granada, Spain. Since the early 16th century it was used as part of the Monastery of Santa Isabel la Real. It is now a historic monument.
History
The ...
, both dating from the Nasrid period. The Casa de Zafra was built in the 14th to 15th century and is named after Hernando de Zafra, the Secretary of Ferdinand and Isabella. The Dar al-Horra was a Nasrid palace built in the 15th century.
Both mansions include large rectangular courtyards oriented in a north-south direction. The main rooms of the houses were located behind
porticos
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...
on the north and south sides of the courtyard. Traditionally, the northern rooms were larger, allowing them to take advantage of the northern winds and the midday sun.
Traditional house architecture evolved over the 15th and 16th centuries. Previously, the ground floors of residences were more important and more heavily decorated. Over this period, however, it became more common to build an upper story and this upper story often became more richly-decorated than the ground floor.
The "doubling" of rooms on both the ground and upper floors likely reflected their seasonal use: the upper floors, which were warmer, were used in colder months while the ground floors were used in warmer months.
In the 16th century, Castilian
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
and
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...
motifs also began to appear among the decorative motifs and the upper floor galleries were extended around all four sides of the courtyard (rather than just the north and south sides).
Places of interest
In the Albaicín there are numerous monuments from different periods, mainly the Nasrid period and the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...
.
Museums
*
Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum of Granada: Provincial archeological museum with objects from many historical periods, founded in 1879 and housed in the 16th-century
Castril Palace
The Castril palace (also House of Castril) is a Renaissance style palace located in Sacromonte, a district of the Spanish city of Granada. Nowadays it hosts the Archaeological Museum of Granada.
The house is nailed in the Race of the Darro, in t ...
.
*
Palacio de los Olvidados: A 16th century house and museum displaying torture instruments of the
Spanish Inquisition
The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition ( es, Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición), commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition ( es, Inquisición española), was established in 1478 by the Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand ...
.
City walls and gates
![Albaicin walls DSCF1932](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Albaicin_walls_DSCF1932.jpg)
*City walls: A section of the 11th-century Zirid city walls runs along the high ridge of the Albaicin today, from Puerta de Elvira in the west to Puerta Nueva in the east. These walls protected the former Zirid palace and citadel, the ''al-Qaṣaba al-Qadīma''. A wide view of these walls can be seen from the Mirador de San Cristobal, among other vantage points. Further north, a long section of the 14th-century Nasrid extension of the walls runs from Carretera de Murcia in the west to the slopes above the Sacromonte area in the east. The highest point of these walls is marked by the Hermitage of San Miguel Alto, a church built on the site of a former Nasrid fortification tower (known as ''Burj al-Zeitun'', "Tower of the Olive Tree").
*
Puerta de Elvira: Medieval gate at the beginning of Calle Elvira, formerly known as ''Bāb Ilbīra'' in Arabic.
It was originally part of the 11th-century Zirid walls, but in the 14th century it was rebuilt into a heavily-fortified structure in order to be incorporated into the new Nasrid extension of the walls. Only a part of the gate remains today. A large Muslim cemetery, known as the Ibn Malik Cemetery, formerly existed outside this gate. The present-day Royal Hospital (''Hospital Real'') stands over a part of this former cemetery.
*Puerta Monaita: A gate in the 11th-century city walls, formerly known as ''Bāb al-Unaydar''.
*Puerta Nueva (or Arco de las Pesas): A gate in the 11th-century walls, formerly known as ''Bāb al-Ziyāda''.
*Puerta de Fajalauza: Gate in Cuesta de San Gregorio Alto, one of the few remaining gates of the 14th-century city walls.
*Puente del Cadí (or Puerta de los Tableros): Remains of a gate along the Darro River, between the Albaicin hill and what is now the
Alcazaba of the Alhambra. All that remains today is one of the gate's hexagonal towers and fragments of its former
horseshoe arch
The horseshoe arch (; Spanish: "arco de herradura"), also called the Moorish arch and the keyhole arch, is an emblematic arch of Islamic architecture, especially Moorish architecture. Horseshoe arches can take rounded, pointed or lobed form.
Hi ...
way. It acted as a sluice gate which could be opened or closed to control the flow of the river. It was known in Arabic as ''Bāb al-Difāf'' ("Gate of the Tambourines"), but is known today in Spanish as the ''Puente del Cadí'' ("Bridge of the
Qadi
A qāḍī ( ar, قاضي, Qāḍī; otherwise transliterated as qazi, cadi, kadi, or kazi) is the magistrate or judge of a '' sharīʿa'' court, who also exercises extrajudicial functions such as mediation, guardianship over orphans and mino ...
") or the ''Puerta de los Tableros'' ("Gate of the Boards").
This gate was also part of the fortification connecting the Zirid citadel on the Albaicín with the former Zirid fortress on the Sabika hill. It formed part of a ''coracha'' (from Arabic ''qawraja''), which allowed soldiers from the fortress on the Sabika to access the river and bring back water even during times of siege.
Islamic-era monuments
*
El Bañuelo
The Bañuelo or ''El Bañuelo'' (a diminutive of Spanish ''baño'' "bath"), also known as the ''Baño del Nogal'' ("Bath of the Walnut") or ''Hammam al-Yawza'', is a preserved historic ''hammam'' (Islamic bathhouse) in Granada, Spain. It is loc ...
: An 11th or 12th-century
hammam
A hammam ( ar, حمّام, translit=ḥammām, tr, hamam) or Turkish bath is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the Islamic culture, culture of the Muslim world and ...
(bathhouse), originally known as the ''Hammam al-Yawza'', now open to visitors as a historic monument.
* Minaret of San José: The minaret of the al-Murābiṭīn Mosque ("Mosque of the Hermits" or "Mosque of the Almoravids"), now incorporated with the Church of San José. The mosque is believed to have been built in the 11th century, during the Zirid period.
* Remains of the Great Mosque of the Albaicin: What remains of the former Great Mosque of the Albaicin (''Masjid al-Jāmiʿ al-Bayyāzīn'') is incorporated into the present Church of El Salvador.
The mosque was built in the 13th century by the
Almohads
The Almohad Caliphate (; ar, خِلَافَةُ ٱلْمُوَحِّدِينَ or or from ar, ٱلْمُوَحِّدُونَ, translit=al-Muwaḥḥidūn, lit=those who profess the unity of God) was a North African Berber Muslim empire f ...
.
Only its courtyard (''
sahn
A ''sahn'' ( ar, صَحْن, '), is a courtyard in Islamic architecture, especially the formal courtyard of a mosque. Most traditional mosques have a large central ''sahn'', which is surrounded by a '' riwaq'' or arcade on all sides. In traditi ...
''), with arcades of horseshoe arches, has been preserved today as part of the church. The mosque originally covered a total area measuring 42.4 by 32.2 metres. The mosque's prayer hall, now disappeared, had a hypostyle form similar to the city's larger Great Mosque (on the site of the current
Cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...
). It had 9
aisles
Aisles is a six-piece progressive rock band originally from Santiago, Chile. The group was formed in 2001 by brothers Germán (guitar) and Luis Vergara (keyboards), and childhood friend Rodrigo Sepúlveda (guitar). Later on, it expanded to incl ...
divided by rows of arches supported by 86 marble columns, with the central aisle being wider than the others. The courtyard was planted with lemon trees. Opposite the mosque there originally stood an
Islamic primary school and a ''khan'' (urban
caravanserai).
* Minaret of the al-Tā'ibīn Mosque (San Juan de los Reyes): The al-Tā'ibīn Mosque ("Mosque of the Converts") was a former mosque built by the Almohads in the 13th century. Its minaret is now incorporated into the present Church of San Juan de los Reyes. It features some
brickwork
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called ''courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall.
Bricks may be differentiated from blocks by si ...
decoration with ''
sebka
''Sebka'' () refers to a type of decorative motif used in western Islamic ("Moorish") architecture and Mudéjar architecture.
History and description
Various types of interlacing rhombus-like motifs are heavily featured on the surfaces of ...
'' motifs, similar to the larger
Giralda
The Giralda ( es, La Giralda ) is the bell tower of Seville Cathedral in Seville, Spain. It was built as the minaret for the Great Mosque of Seville in al-Andalus, Moorish Spain, during the reign of the Almohad dynasty, with a Renaissance-style ...
in
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
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Churches
![Granada 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Granada_02.jpg)
*Church of Santa Ana: A church overlooking Plaza Nueva at the beginning of the Carrera del Darro. It was begun from around 1537 and completed circa 1561 with a Renaissance-style façade and a
Mudéjar-style bell tower.
*Church of El Salvador (Collegiate Church of San Salvador): A church located at Plaza del Salvador (off Cuesta del Chapiz), on the site of the neighbourhood's former main mosque. The original mosque was consecrated as a church in 1499 by Cardinal Cisneros, in violation of the
city's terms of surrender, and became a
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
in 1501. A new church building was constructed by the Catholic Monarchs in the 16th century.
The church was severely damaged by riots in 1936.
*Church of San Juan de los Reyes: A 16th-century church with an Almohad-era minaret, on San Juan de los Reyes street. The church was built circa 1520.
*Church of San José: a Mudéjar-style church with a former 11th-century minaret. The church is dated to 1525,
but the former mosque had been consecrated as a church as early as 1494.
*Church and mirador of San Nicolas: The church overlooking Plaza de San Nicolas, a famous lookout point (''mirador'') with views of the Alhambra from the top of the Albaicin hill. The original church, built on the site of a former mosque, was in a Mudéjar style in the 16th century.
It was almost completely destroyed by rioters and looters in 1932 and rebuilt afterwards.
*Church of San Miguel Bajo: Church in the small square of San Miguel Bajo. The church was built in the 16th century with some Gothic elements, a Mudéjar-style ceiling, and Renaissance-style exterior portals. It was closed in 1842 and has since lost many of its historical furnishings. A 13th-century cistern, belonging to a former mosque on the same site, is still present and its arched opening is visible on the church's exterior.
*Church and mirador of San Cristobal: Church Carretera de Murcia. It was built in 1501 with a mix of Mudéjar and Gothic elements. A viewpoint (''mirador'') by the same name is found nearby, with views towards the southern Albaicin and the Alhambra beyond.
*Church of San Ildefonso: A church built from 1553 to 1559 on the edge of the Albaicin neighbourhood, with a mix of Renaissance and Mudéjar architectural elements and a
Baroque altarpiece.
*Church of San Luis: Church on Calle San Luis, currently ruined. It was originally completed in 1526 in a typical Mudéjar style, with later additions in the 18th century. It was damaged and left in its current state during the 1930s.
*Church of St. Peter & St. Paul: Church on the Carrera del Darro, built in the second half of the 16th century in a mix of Mudéjar and Renaissance style.
*Hermitage of San Miguel Alto: Church on Calle San Miguel, above the Sacromonte neighbourhood. It was originally built in 1671 on the site of a former Nasrid fortification tower, ''Burj al-Zeitun'' ("Tower of the Olive Tree"), but it was destroyed during the
French occupation in the early 19th century and rebuilt a few years after.
Historic houses and palaces
![Albayzin District Granada CL 2009 (16)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Albayzin_District_Granada_CL_2009_%2816%29.JPG)
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Dar al-Horra
Dar al-Horra (; ) is a former 15th-century Nasrid palace located in the Albaicín quarter of Granada, Spain. Since the early 16th century it was used as part of the Monastery of Santa Isabel la Real. It is now a historic monument.
History
The ...
: A 15th-century Nasrid palace, now open as a historic monument.
* Casa de Zafra: A 14th to 15th-century Nasrid mansion,
re-opened as an Interpretative Center.
* Casa Nazarí de la calle del Cobertizo de Santa Inés nº 4: A Nasrid-era house built in the 14th century, modified in the 15th century and again in the 17th century. Restored in the 1980s, it's an important well-preserved example of Nasrid domestic architecture.
The house is still used as a residence and is not open to the public.
* Casa Horno del Oro: A Nasrid-era house, built in the late 15th century and expanded in the 16th century with the addition of a second floor. It is now open to tourists.
* Casa del Chapiz: A residential complex consisting of two connected houses built on the remains of a Nasrid-era mansion of the 14th century known as the ''Dar al-Baida'' ("White House"). Both houses are centered around internal courtyards and were built in the 16th century in a style typical of Morisco architecture at the time. The southern house, which has a larger courtyard with a pool at its center, preserves remains of the former Nasrid house in its layout and in the courtyard's portico, which reuses Nasrid-era columns. The two houses were built by members of the same family, Lorenzo el Chapiz and Hernán López el Ferí, from which the complex and the adjoining street take their current names.
*Castril Palace: A mansion built in 1539 on the Carrera del Darro, currently housing the Archaeological Museum of Granada.
*Casa Yanguas: House on Calle Yanguas, dating from the 15th-16th centuries.
*Casa del Almirante (de Aragón): A house on Calle San José, built in the 16th century by Lady Leonor Manrique in a Renaissance and
Mannerist
Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Ita ...
style. It was later inhabited by the Admiral (''Almirante'') of Aragón, from after whom it is now named.
*Palacio de los Córdova (Cordova Palace): A Renaissance-style mansion commissioned by Lord Luis Fernández de Córdova in 1530. Its Mannerist portal and Renaissance-style courtyard are among its most notable architectural elements. The house was originally located at the now-vanished intersection of Calle de la Sierpe with Plaza de las Descalzas, but it was demolished in 1919. Between 1960 and 1967 it was rebuilt, with the help of preserved original materials, at its current location on Cuesta del Chapiz. It currently houses the Municipal Archives.
*Casa de Porras: Mansion at Placeta de los Porras, built in the 16th century in a mix of Renaissance and Morisco/Mudéjar architecture, with a
Plateresque
Plateresque, meaning "in the manner of a silversmith" (''plata'' being silver in Spanish), was an artistic movement, especially architectural, developed in Spain and its territories, which appeared between the late Gothic and early Renaissance ...
external façade.
*Casa de los Mascarones: A 16th to 17th-century house on Calle Pages, named after the
mascarones that decorate the building. In the 17th century it was inhabited by the poet Pedro Soto de Rojas and the sculptor José de Mora.
Cisterns (''aljibes'')
A network of numerous cisterns, dating from as a far back as the 11th century, are still extant throughout the neighbourhood. The openings to some of the cisterns are visible at street level. Among the most notable examples are:
* Aljibe del Rey: The Aljibe del Rey ("King's Cistern"), originally known in Arabic as the ''al-Jubb al-Qadīm'' (“the Old Cistern”), is the largest medieval cistern in the Albaicin, with a capacity of 300 cubic metres.
It dates from the 11th century and was used in part to serve the Zirid citadel (''al-Qaṣaba al-Qadīma''). It is now located under a public square called Placeta Cristo de las Azucenas.
A nearby historic house, Carmen Aljibe del Rey, was recently reconstructed and now serves as the Water Interpretation Centre, with access to the cistern. A street-side opening to the cistern is located on the exterior corner of the building, but it dates from a modern reconstruction.
* Aljibe de Trillo: The Aljibe de Trillo is a 14th-century Nasrid cistern, with an arched opening situated on the street of the same name (named after a local poet). It has a capacity of 50 cubic metres and is a good example of a cistern from the Nasrid period.
* Aljibe de San Miguel (Bajo): This 13th-century Nasrid cistern was part of a former mosque, now the Church of San Miguel Bajo. The arched opening of the cistern is visible on the side of the church, next to the public square called Placeta de San Miguel Bajo.
* Aljibe de San Cristóbal: This medieval cistern is visible next to the Church of San Cristobal, which was built on top of a former mosque. The cistern has a large arched entrance below street level that is accessible via a staircase. It was restored in 1989.
Other
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Royal Chancellery of Granada
The Royal Chancellery of Granada'' (Spanish - La Real Chancillería de Granada'' or ''Real Audiencia y Chancillería de Granada'') was a court established by Isabel I of Castile in 1505 when she moved the Royal Audience and Chancellery of Ciudad R ...
: Established in 1505 by the Catholic Monarchs, this
chancery had jurisdiction over the southern half of Spain. Its various elements were built over several decades, with its exterior façade, designed in a Mannerist style by Francisco del Castillo, being completed in 1587. It is located on Plaza Nueva.
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Great Mosque of Granada (''Mezquita Mayor de Granada''): Built in 2003, it is the first mosque constructed in Granada after the city came under Catholic control in 1492.
Albaicín in art
File:Arroyo Fernandez Balcon.jpg, A balcony in the Albayzín by painter M. Arroyo Fernandez in 1891, stored at Biblioteca Provincial de Granada
File:Recuerdos y bellezas de España - bajo la real proteccion de la reina y el rey; Obra destinada á dar á conocer sus monumentos y antiguedades en láminas dibujadas del natural y litografiadas por F.J. (14582207687).jpg, Casa del Chapiz in the Albaicín by Francesc Pi i Margall
Francesc Pi i Margall (Spanish: Francisco Pi y Margall) (29 April 1824 – 29 November 1901) was a Spanish federalist and republican politician and theorist who served as president of the short-lived First Spanish Republic in 1873. He was a ...
and Francesc Xavier Parcerisa in 1850, published in the work Recuerdos y bellezas de España
File:Manuel Ruiz Sanchez Morales Procesion del Viatico.jpg, Procession of the Viaticum on the street of Zafra, the Albaicín by Manuel Ruiz Sanchez Morales (1853-1922), stored at Biblioteca Provincial de Granada
File:Torre de San Lorenzo en el Albaicín, Granada, en El Museo Universal.jpg, Tower of San Lorenzo in the Albaicín. Drawing by Federico Ruiz (1837-1868), engraving by Edward Skill (1831-1873), published in the Spanish magazine El Museo Universal
Notes
References
Citations
Sources
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External links
Albayzín on ArchNet retrieved October 24, 2006
World Heritage page on Albayzín retrieved October 24, 2006
Albayzín in turgranada.esOfficial Site for tourism of the province of Granada
Itineraries by the district of the Albaicin (in Spanish)
Webcam Albayzín - Granada/Alhambra
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Granada
Islam in Spain
Moorish architecture in Spain
Restaurant districts and streets in Spain
World Heritage Sites in Spain