The Alhambra

Granada has its usual quotient of churches, and museums typical for a southern European city. However, Granada has the Alhambra which is considered by some to be one of the 10 wonders of the world and the Unesco World Heritage site.

The Alhambra, a Moorish citadel and palace is one of the most famous items of the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian historical legacy. It is a massive castle constructed over many centuries consisting of gardens, fortifications and sumptuous palaces. The Nasrid sultans and kings who once ruled the province were responsible for building most of the palaces there.

Generalife

The name means ‘Architect’s Garden’. Summer palace and country estate of the Nasrid sultans of Granada was built in the fourteenth century. It is considered of the oldest surviving Moorish gardens. Originally the palace was linked to the Alhambra by a covered walkway across the ravine that now divides them.

The complex consists of the Patio de la Acequia (Court of the Water Channel or Water-Garden Courtyard), which has a long pool framed by flowerbeds, fountains, colonnades and pavilions.

In Jardín de la Sultana (Sultana's Garden or Courtyard of the Cypress) you can admire the trunk of a 700-year-old cypress tree.

The Albaicín

The Albaicín is the old Arabic quarter located on the hill opposite the Alhambra. It is characterised by cobble stoned streets with white washed houses. Despite several centuries of neglect and architectural barbarities allowed by the town council it still retains a a strong Arabic feeling.

Alpujarras

It is a mountainous district in Southern Spain, which stretches south from the Sierra Nevada mountains near Granada in the autonomous region of Andalusia. The western part of the region lies in the province of Granada and the eastern part in the province of Almería. In older sources the name is sometimes spelled Alpuxarras; it may derive from Arabic al Busherat meaning "the grass-land".

The region consists principally of valleys which descend at right angles from the crest of the Sierra Nevada on the north, to the Sierras Almijara, Contraviesa and Gádor, which separate it from the Mediterranean Sea, to the south.

The region is one of great natural beauty. Because of a warm southerly climate combined with a reliable supply of water for irrigation from the rivers running off the Sierra Nevada, the valleys of the western Alpujarras are among the most fertile in Spain, though the steep nature of the terrain means that they can only be cultivated in small fields, so that many modern agricultural techniques are impractical. They contain a rich abundance of fruit trees, especially grape vines, oranges, lemons, persimmons, figs and almonds. The eastern Alpujarra, in the province of Almería, is more arid, but still highly attractive.

Sierra Nevada

The name means "snowy range" in Spanish. It is a mountain range in the region of Andalusia in Spain. It contains the highest point of continental Spain, Mulhacén at 3,479 m.

Parts of the range have been included in the Sierra Nevada National Park. The range has also been declared a biosphere reserve. The Sierra Nevada Observatory is located on the northern slopes at 2800 m.

It is a popular tourist destination, as its high peaks make skiing possible in Europe's most southern ski resort in an area along the Mediterranean Sea.

University of Granada

The University of Granada was first founded by the Moors in 1349 and then founded officially in 1531 by the Emperor Carlos V, with support of Pope Clemente VII. The University is home to foreign students from around the world at the University's "Modern Language Center".

The university possesses university campuses in the Spanish cities of Granada, Ceuta and Melilla. Every year about 1,600 European students attend the university as part of the ERASMUS programme, making it the programme's most popular destination.

Brief history

The University of Granada first appeared in the year 1349, when Sultan Yusuf I created the Madrasah of Granada, a building which remained in use until 1499-1500, when it was assaulted by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain. As a consequence, the Madrasah's library was burnt down in a fire which was damaging to the book trade of the Moorish civilisation of the time. Once the university had disappeared the building was then donated to local government use by King Ferdinand II of Aragon. The city of Granada would not have a university again until 1526, under Charles V.