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Stronghold of the Iberian Peninsula’s last Muslim dynasty, Granada rises from the foothills of southern Spain’s Sierra Nevada. The glorious jewel of the city is the Alhambra, the opulent hilltop citadel that was home to sultans, high officials and courtiers from the 14th century until Granada’s surrender to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1492. The Alhambra’s obsessively ornamented palaces, pleasure gardens and fortifications reveal the affluence and splendor of medieval al-Andalus, the Moorish emirate that is now Spanish Andalusia. On another hilltop, the twisting alleyways of Albayzín, the ancient Moorish neighborhood, lead to Arab teashops and bakeries and intoxicating views of the Alhambra and the mountains beyond.
They say that if you see one Spanish city it should be Granada, a city so blessed with architectural and historical splendor that the entire city has been declared a national monument, mostly in homage to the Alhambra, a 14th century castle fortress like no other. The extraordinary fortress-palace represents the peak of Moorish art in Spain, set high on a mountain spur below the towering Sierra Nevada. The castle's very existence reminds visitors of Granada's long Arabic history, which lasted through two centuries of Christian reconquest in Spain before the country was finally conquered by Ferdinand and Isabella in January 1492, after a 10-year war. The Alhambra is made up of a series of fortresses, gardens and palaces, which look over the fertile valley plains with the town of Granada spread around its base. The oldest part of the fortress is the Alcazaba, with an impressive courtyard marked with imposing towers. After the Alcazaba was created, various rulers built palaces, chapels and other buildings regularly. Most are given an Arabic twist with brilliant tile and plaster decoration, rare Islamic ceiling paintings, and courtyards filled with orange trees and fountains. The Alhambra is indeed a marvel that has drawn millions of tourists to its beauty, especially after American diplomat Washington Irving gave the Alhambra a romantic image in his "Tales from the Alhambra," published in 1832. But Granada is more than just the Alhambra. It's said that visitors come to see the Alhambra and stay to see the city. Notable city sights include the Gothic Cathedral with religious paintings by Granada master Alonso Cana, the 16th century Noble Girls School, and the Plateresque Ecclesiastic Curia.