|
One of the most brilliant jewels of universal
architecture is the Alhambra, a series of palaces and gardens built under the
Nazari Dynasty in the 14th C. This mighty compound of buildings - including the
summer palace called Generalife, with its fountains and gardens - stands at the
foot of Spain's highest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada, and overlooks the
city below and the fertile plain of Granada.
At the centre of the Alhambra stands the massive Palace
of Charles V, an outstanding example of Spanish Renaissance architecture. Other
major Christian monuments found in the city are the Cathedral, including the
Royal Chapel where Isabel and Ferdinand lie buried, the Monastery of La Cartuja
and many churches built by Moorish craftsmen after the Reconquest, in Granada's
unique "mudéjar" style.
 The hill facing the Alhambra is the old Moorish casbah
or "medina",
called the Albaicin, a fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and whitewashed
houses with secluded inner gardens, known as "cármenes". The Plaza
de San Nicolas, at the highest point of the Albaicin, is famous for its magnificent
view of the Moorish palace.
The Sacromonte hill, which overlooks the city from the North,
is famous for its cave dwellings, once the home of Granada's large gypsy community.
The name Granada is ancient and mysterious. It may mean "great castle",
for the Roman fortress which once stood on the Albaicin Hill.
When the Moors
came here, the town was largely inhabited by Jews, for which they called it Garnat-al-Yahud
- Granada of the Jews. The Jews are said to have been one of the first peoples
to settle in Spain, even before the Romans.
|
