A Whistle Stop Tour Of Granada And The Alhambra In Southern Spain

The gardens of the Alhambra

The gardens of the Alhambra and the park in which is sits are absolutely stunning in the spring time, which is when I visited. Awash with wildflowers, the more formal gardens are full of roses and orange trees, pines, multicoloured poppies and cottage garden flowers. The gardens are known as the Palacio de Generalife or ‘Garden of the Architect’ and they have their own clever irrigation system bringing water down in channels from the mountains.

The gardens can be reached by taking the Stairway of the Lions (Escalera de los Leones), so called because of the two ceramic figures atop the door. The stairway dates back to the 19th century, when the steep steps were mounted to the top of the Generalife High Gardens.

The Gardens, spread across several terraces in the palatial area of the Generalife and protecting the palace at its highest point, offer a marvellous view of the entire site.

Tiny fountains with jets can be seen in the nearby parterres, with lovely specimens of magnolia trees, scented shrubs, and a carefully laid out selection of evergreen and deciduous trees that protect against the cold winds from the north creating a pleasant microclimate.

The theme of the Alhambra was ‘Paradise on Earth’, and it certainly has that feel to it. It would certainly have been a palace suitable for sultans. On a practical note, make sure you get your tickets in advance if you intend to visit as they are limited in number and are often sold out, particularly for the Nasrid Palaces.

The Muralla Ziri apartments

In my very short stay in Granada on my way back to Malaga, I stayed in the Muralla Ziri Apartments in the oldest part of the city — the Albayzin. The Albayzin is itself a World Heritage Site and represents the last remaining part of the old Berber city. The apartments are situated in original 17th century and 19th century house buildings, which are actually restored from scratch, converted from family homes.

These charming, well appointed apartments have all the modern conveniences, but also lots of personal and original touches, beautiful books and ornaments. The owner of the houses was an architect and student of Islamic art and this is reflected in the decor and special touches around the place.

The apartments are situated in two houses in the same street and there is a shared terrace which has an amazing view of the Alhambra. In fact this view is the very one that the Arabs would have had of the Alhambra back in those ancient times. There are eleven apartments with different features sizes available at the Muralla Ziri Apartments including a charming suite with a hot tub. The penthouse, which is unique and has three bedrooms, a hot tub and a private terrace with its own views of the Alhambra. They all have air conditioning, a flat screen TV, well equipped kitchenettes (except the suite) and good Wi-Fi.

Some parts of the apartment building actually date back to the Ziri period and the 11th century and parts of the first wall of Granada have also been discovered within the house. The Ziries or Ziri was a clan of the Sinhaya of Berber origin, and they were the first founders of the Kingdom of Granada in 1013.

The Albayzin area

The apartments are in the Albayzin area of the old city of Granada, within walking distance of the Alhambra (although this does involve a steep climb) and there are lots of tea houses, tapas bars and souvenir shops in the surrounding narrow streets. I enjoyed a delicious lamb and plum tagine with a very large glass of sangria in the springtime sun after my walk around the imposing and very famous walled fortress.

The Albaycin (also spelled Albayzin) is like a different world within Granada. This is due to the strong Muslim influence in this area. It was the place where the first Siri court was built in the eleventh century.

The city descended from Saint Nicholas to the banks of the River Darro. The Albaycin featured luxurious homes and public baths and at the height of the splendour the Albaycin enjoyed in the last years of Nazarid dominance, the quarter comprised a population of more than forty thousand inhabitants and thirty mosques.

The streets are very narrow and small with clean houses, plus numerous wells, some of which are still in the Albaycin.

The Arabs who were practising Muslim were expelled once again by the Christians and the mosques were demolished and on the same sites churches were raised.

The Moors left behind their homes, which were then used by wealthy Christians.

This is a great district to explore with its winding narrow streets, and you can experience the buzzing atmosphere of its bars and terraces and watch a red sunset over the Alhambra.