Granada: A Nasrid Kingdom Turned Catholic Power
By Ari Levins
In the 11th century CE, the Caliphate of Córdoba collapsed and broke into numerous taifa kingdoms. One of these, the Taifa of Granada, would later become the last Islamic stronghold in the Iberian peninsula. Granada was built on La Vega de Granada, an incredibly fertile area that was able to sustain orchards and farms for the growing population. By the 13th century, Granada fell into the hands of the Nasrid Kingdom, the last Muslim kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula, which remained the leading power of Granada until 1492, the year in which King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castilla lay siege to the city and captured it, effectively ending the Reconquista period. For more than half a century before, Granada was under the influence of a Muslim authority, where Islamic architecture, culture, and faith penetrated deeply within the city walls. By 1492, Granada could hardly be called a Catholic city without diminishing the clear Islamic heritage that enveloped it. It was in Plaza de Santo Domingo, in the heart of the old Jewish quarter, facing Iglesia de Santo Domingo, with views of the old Muslim neighborhood of Albaicín, where we met Jesús, our tour guide for the next two days.
After meeting Jesús at the Plaza de Santo Domingo, we headed down the street further into the Jewish Quarter. Originally, the Nasrid Kingdoms created the streets of Granada to follow the access to water, but when Ferdinand and Isabella assumed control of the city, they began to create the streets to follow an ‘orderly’ grid-like pattern. Further, the Jewish Quarter of Granada today has no existing buildings from its past as the Catholic monarchs almost immediately began removing the Jewish population after 1492 and resettled the area with Catholic neighborhoods. After the Reconquista, Ferdinand and Isabella sought to erase the Islamic and Jewish footprint of Granada, and the streets we walk today are a quiet reminder of that. Another aspect of this removal policy that Jesús mentioned was with the Islamic architecture element called a covertismo. A key tenet of the Muslim faith is privacy, and a covertismo functioned to give people just that. Similar to a skybridge, the covertismo acted as a connection between two houses that would not require an individual to enter the street. However, during the years following the Reconquista, the Spanish monarchs saw this as a threat because people would be allowed to stay out of the public eye and could then continue practicing Islam, so the officials of Granada began removing these covertismos. Today, only one remains.
The amalgamation of cultures is incredibly noticeable in Granada and was specifically apparent in the next two sites that we visited. We first went to the Iglesia Imperial de San Matías which is a church in the mudéjar style. This style combines aspects from both the Catholic and Islamic faith and this church was no exception. Its façade was not heavily decorated and Islamic influences through tilework surrounded the only window. However, while there are clear cultural fusions, in recent years scholars have decided to move away from calling this style mudéjar, meaning ‘converted,’ as it was solely a Castilian art form. Furthermore, the Iglesia Imperial de San Matías was not converted from an Islamic building to a Catholic one, it was solely a Catholic creation.
The next location we visited was the Corral de Carbón, which was a building where communities of working-class people would live and trade. The ground floor of the Corral de Carbón would be used to store the animals of the merchants and then the merchants would live in the second level. This building fundamentally served the same purpose as the funduq that we previously visited in Rabat. These similarities remind us how once connected these two continents were culturally and architecturally. While the funduq in Rabat still functions similarly to how it would in the medieval period, today the Corral de Carbón is used as a theatre and houses offices for the Andalucian government.
After a quick stop at a gelateria and patisserie where they sold a typical Andalucian baked good called a pionono, the group headed to the last two stops of the day: La Capilla Real de Granada and La Catedral de Granada. The chapel, having been commissioned by Ferdinand and Isabella, is a gorgeous structure that commemorates their victory over the Nasrid Kingdom. From the art on the walls that depict Ferdinand and Isabella on horseback watching their troops battle victoriously against the Nasrids to the inscriptions on the effigies of the King and Queen, the capilla is a both a beautiful structure but also a tool for propaganda, legitimizing the Catholic power over the city. It was particularly interesting to see the lead coffins in which Ferdinand and Isabella, as well as their daughter Juana and her husband Felipe, were buried. There is something striking about standing inches from the remains of figures that shaped history. The same monarchs immortalized in paint and marble across Granada, were now below a stone staircase, confined in a coffin, like everyone else.
The last location of the day was the Cathedral of Granada, the largest renaissance-style cathedral in Spain. Built on top of an old mosque, this Cathedral was supposed to be one of the largest in the world, but the builders had to stop adding to the footprint as the foundation was becoming unstable and could not support the overwhelmingly heavy structure. Our guide Jesús mentioned that during the Spanish Civil War, many priests were killed due to the Catholic church being perceived as an oppressive and conservative establishment. Throughout the Cathedral of Granada there were plaques that commemorated the clergymen that were killed during this period, which is still a heavily controversial topic in recent Spanish history.
Exterior and Interior of the Cathedral of Granada. Photos by Ari Levins.
As our first day ended, I could not help but think back to our Nicola Gilmour reading for that day. In her article she mentioned that across Spanish history there has been different views on Spain’s Islamic past. Under Franco and his far-right government, he sought to eliminate Spain’s Islamic history and only focus on the Roman, Visigoth, and Christian history, effectively erasing eight hundred years of Islamic presence on the Peninsula. Gilmour later mentioned how during the second half of the 20th century, after Franco’s death, there was an extreme revival of Islamic scholarship in Spain. It was at this time that the term convivencia was popularized, leading to a romanticized view of this part of history. Even today, as both our guide, Jesús, and Nicola Gilmour stated, with the rise in immigration in Spain, people are becoming increasingly conservative, effectively reviving anti-Muslim speech and right-wing ideology. Therefore, the topic of Islamic memory in Spain is a complicated issue that changes between generations, an issue that is ever present within the Alhambra, our excursion for the next day.
Our second day with Jesús brought us to the Alhambra, the second most visited place in Spain only after La Sagrada Familia. The name ‘Alhambra’ can be translated to ‘red clay,’ as it is this reddish-brown stone that was used to build the original Almoravid fortress. Before entering the walled city, Jesús showed us the material of the walls that encircle the Alhambra. Much of the wall is made up of macabrillas which were the tombstones of Muslims, used as a material to build as it was cheaper than outsourcing new stone. It was strange to think how a place that celebrates the beauty of Islamic architecture, also at one point dehumanized the people that helped create the complex where we stand today.
Inside the Alhambra, its magnificence was captivating and jaw-dropping. The tile work and plaster work were incredibly detailed and beautiful, showcasing the height of Nasrid art. Across every room, poems and Qur’anic verses were etched into the walls, highlighting how interconnected faith and art were to the Nasrids. We learned that when building the Alhambra, one of the most arduous tasks was placing the marble door hinges properly. This difficult task gave birth to the modern phrase “sacarme de quisio,” which can be translated to “you’re driving me crazy” as this task was demanding and took great amounts of concentration.
We soon entered Court of the Myrtles which had the most extraordinary reflective pool. We were told that the pool had two distinct functions: showcase wealth and provide cool air. Since Granada faces drought and water is a scarce resource, the ability for the Nasrids to use water for purely aesthetic purposes shows how wealthy this kingdom was. Furthermore, during the summer when the water evaporates, it cools the surrounding air, acting like an air-conditioning system. We then entered the famed Patio of the Lions, named after the central fountain, where twelve lions guard the precious water supply. On the fountain is a poem inscribed by poet Ibn Zamrak who stunningly wrote that nobody could see how the water leaves the fountain, much like how a lover hides their tears for fear of betrayal.
After walking through the Nasrid Palace of the Alhambra, we then went to the Palace of Charles V, which is the first renaissance style palace in Granada. After Charles V visited Granada, he ordered a palace to be constructed on the same site as the Alhambra, where he then destroyed twelve buildings of the original Nasrid Palace to do so. The project began in 1527, and it took 136 years to build but was abandoned before it was ever finished due to a lack of royal revenue. It then lay abandoned for 300 years but was finally finished in 1953 as the Spanish government hoped it would increase tourism after World War II. The palace was never inhabited by anyone and acts a symbol of royal absolutist power. The frames that would house frescos were never painted and today the palace is used as a space for events, such as a stage for the Andalucian Music Festival. While Charles V destroyed parts of the Alhambra to build it, it shows too his appreciation for the Nasrid site as well. Charles V knew of the importance of the Alhambra and wanted to recreate it for himself by building his palace right next door and even connecting it to the main Nasrid Palace with a hallway.
We ended the day at the Generalife, home to the gardens and summer palace of the Nasrid Empire. Each section of the Generalife was a masterpiece. The gardens were perfectly manicured and flowing streams of man-made rivers complimented the scenery. From the Generalife, views of the Sierra Nevada and their snow-covered peaks were in sight as well as a beautiful panoramic view of the Palace of Charles V and the Nasrid Palace of the Alhambra. However beautiful the gardens may be, many scholars hope to one day excavate in the Generalife to uncover archeological remains from the medina that once sprawled over the same area.
View of the Sierra Nevada Mountains from Generalife (left). Gardens of the Palacio de Generalife (right). Photos by Ari Levins.
Over the past two days exploring Granada, it is evident how the city was formed due to the relationship between the Catholics and Muslims. From the urban planning of the city to the Alhambra, Granada is a landscape of cultural fusion across time. While perceptions of the Islamic past continue to change in Spain, no matter which side one stands, the presence of Islamic kingdoms led to something beautiful and unique to this city. A city that has been a focal point for the world since its founding.