Granada, Spain

There is a city in the Kingdom of Spain where beauty and temperament go hand in hand. A city where the murmur of fountains and the sound of guitars, the clatter of castanets and the currents of dancers mixed with the scent of flowers and pomegranates, create an unearthly atmosphere. This example of an oriental city is Granada, an important tourist center known for its historic Muslim, Jewish and Christian architecture. The city of Granada is one of the main university centers in Spain, attracting students from all over the country.
Founded as a Celtiberian settlement in the 7th century BC, developed as a Greek colony during the Roman era, the city of Granada received its present name at a time when the European community was settling in a separate suburb called Garnata al-Yahud. In 713, the Moors finally asserted their power, led by Tariq ibn Ziyad.
Called by the Moors Ilbir and by the Christians Elvira, the city of Granada became the center of one of the provinces of the Caliphate of Cordoba. But the civil wars in the caliphate in the early eleventh century led to the destruction of the city of Granada in 1010. As the years passed, the city of Granada developed as the capital of the independent state of the Zyrids, and in 1232 it became the capital of one of the longest-lasting dynasties in al-Andalus.
These are years of prosperity, greatness, wealth and poetry. Granada is experiencing its apogee - arts and science are flourishing amidst splendor and religious tolerance, and this is attracting the great minds of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Eight centuries of Muslim rule were overthrown, strewn with adversity and struggle, ups and downs, but it was not until 1570, when the last Moorish baptisms left the city of Granada, that it said goodbye to the city founders.
Granada is a city blessed with its geographical location - the city of Granada is located in the Autonomous Region of Andalusia, nestled between the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where the rivers Henil and Daro meet, and the coast Costa del Sol. The fascinating magic of the Granada's development over the centuries, marking its appearance with historical and cultural monuments, politely communicating with the "new time" in the city of Granada, attracts over two million tourists a year.
But not only tourists and visitors. A number of writers and artists have also bought a ticket to Granada, driven by their irresistible desire to recreate one of Granada's wonders - an impressive historical monument of Muslim architecture. The focus is on the pearl of Granada - a Moorish residence in the past, the Alhambra Palace (Alhambra) today rises like a halo over the city.
Granada's city government really knows how and has tried to preserve what has survived to this day. Reminiscent of the Renaissance, the city has a huge cathedral, the San Jeronimo Monastery and the Royal Hospital, and the heart of the Granada is the small Plaza de Isabel la Cattolica.
Construction of the Cathedral of Granada began in 1521 in the Gothic style and ended in 1714 as a Renaissance monument, impressive in size and radiance. It is ranked among the greatest achievements of the Spanish Renaissance, along with the El Escorial Palace near Madrid. It was designed by Hill and Diego de Siloe, and its facade is the work of local artist and architect Alonso Cano. Part of it is the Royal Chapel, which houses the relics of Catholic kings.
Granada is not devoid of monasteries - the jewel of the Renaissance of the XVI century Monasterio de San Jeronimo, as well as the Cartesian monastery of La Cartuja of the XVII century - the largest Baroque monument in Granada.
With a rich cultural program and an unearthly atmosphere, filled with memories of the past and enjoying the appearance of the present, the city of Granada is a well-developed, lively and modern city. Come to see, visit to feel ..... This would be called by anyone who has already been to this muse Granada, where in 1881 the famous Picasso was born and cried for the very first time.