Granada. A city steeped in history.
Granada was settled long before modern times, long even before the Romans.
It had a long and checked history with primitive tribes, early day gypsies and Jews, the later settled both before and after the Romans. It is believed they occupied the town long before the Romans colonised half of Spain and most of Europe.
However it was the Arab/Moors who invaded the peninsular in the 8th century and aptly named the town Granada.
No one knows the exact meaning of the name but it is believed to be connected to the castle fortress built by the Romans.
In 1492 Granada fell to the Christians under the reign of Queen Isabella (of Castille) and her husband Ferdinand of Aragon.
The modern day city stands at the lower side of the Sierra Nevada whilst the magnificent Alhambra Palace sits commandingly between the mountains and the city and its lower plains.
The Alhambra was in fact a mini-city, a royal city with palaces a castle fortress and beautiful gardens. In fact some of the best architecture in the whole of Spain if not Europe and remains to this day a popular holiday destination and tourist attraction.
The city itself is divided into various quarters each with its own flavours and tourist attractions.
Areas of note are the Albaicin, full of narrow streets of whitewashed houses and full of Moorish influence. in fact it was after the fall of Cordoba that many of the Moorish citizens and the nobles and wealthy fled and relocated in Granada and in particular the area of Albaicin.
The Sacromonte hill also in the north is famous for its cave houses, once home to a large gypsy community.
Another area is known as Alcaiceria, which is full of narrow alleyways bursting with souvenir shops and bars and restaurants.
All the areas have lovely churches many of which have been rebuilt over previous foundations or indeed added to them giving a blend of interesting styles of architecture.
La Capella Real is also worth a visit as it is the Royal Chapel, the mausoleum of Isabella and Ferdinand (mentioned previously)
Overall Granada is a treasure of a city, full of its own treasures, the architecture of its beautiful buildings which are steeped in history and coupled with tourist trappings of Flamenco Dancers, wonderful food and drink and delightfully friendly people.