Travel Reports

Moorish Architecture And Flamenco In Granada, Spain - Sightseeing In Andalucia’s Secret Capital

Visit Granada and follow in the tracks of its ancient Muslim sultans and kings. Discover true masterpieces of Moorish Medieval architecture which reflect the century-long influence of Arab architecture in Andalusian construction style and which highlight the great skill and proficiency of Islamic craftmanhip.

Enjoy a trip to the Alhambra, a Moorish mosque, palace and fortress complex located at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, one of the most famous and spectacular pieces of Islamic architecture. Discover the incredible intricacy and ingenuity of Moorish art. Wander through the elaborate arches, graceful colums and the exquisitely ornamented arcades in the Gardens of the Generalife (”Palacio de Generalife”) and the Court of the Lions (”Patio de los Leones”). Explore the Arabic inscriptions on the walls, the ceilings decorated with elegant arabesques and beautiful mosaics and the colorful painted tiles (”Azulejos”) panelling the walls in the Nasrid Palaces (”Palacio Árabe”, “Palacio Nazaries” or “Casa Real”).

In 1984, the Alhambra was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Alhambra is open to the public, but only for a limited number of visitors per day. If you plan a visit you should definitely reserve tickets in advance. Tickets can be bought over the internet, or from any branch of the Banco Bilbao Vizcaya.

Stroll through narrow winding streets of the nearby district of the Albaicín, the ancient Jewish and Arab quarter of Granada. Some original Moorish and Morisco constructions have remained in the Albaicín. When you walk through the twisted alleys such as Calle Calderería and pass by spice merchants shops the irresistible and exhilarating smell of exotic Arab spices such as cumin, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, anis, pepper, sesame, ginger, chilli and saffron makes you feel set back in time to the era of ancient Arab bazars and you can almost feel the Medieval Moorish history come alife once more.

Flamenco lovers should take a walk through the close-by district of Sacromonte, the traditional Gipsy (”Gitano”) quarter of Granada located on the hill of Albaicín. Sacramonte is the major center of flamenco and Gitano culture and became famous for its Gipsy inhabitants who dug their cave houses (”zambras”) into the hillside and formed a large community as cave-dwellers. With the revival of flamenco culture in recent years, Sacromonte today has become a tourist attraction which gives the visitor an insight into Gitano and flamenco culture. Nowadays the former cave houses serve as venues for very impressive live flamenco dance and music shows. Immerse yourself into the rich tradition of Gipsy folklore and visit a zambra dance show performed in one of the flamenco caves in Camino del Sacromonte, the main street of Sacromonte. The zambra (”zambra mora”, “zambra gitana”) is an ancient flamenco dance which is believed do have developed from strong Moorish influences. It is performed by the Roma people in Sacromonte during Gipsy weddings. A visit to Granada would not be complete without enjoying such a live authentic flamenco dancing peformance.

Granada awaits the tourist with many more noteworthy examples of Medieval Christian and Arab architecture. The cathedral of Granada (”La Catedral de Granada”, “Catedral de la Anunciación”) at Plaza Pasiega was built in the 16th and 17th century as a symbolic monument of the Christian conquest of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada. It impresses the visitor with its extravagant Spanish Renaissance, Gothic and Baroque style. The San José Church (”La Cuesta de San José”) in the quarter of the Albaicín was built on the site of the Almorabitín, an ancient Morabite mosque dating from the 10th century. The 16th century church fascinates the traveller with its original minaret (”El Alminar de San José”).