Albayzin neighborhood

The Albayzín neighborhood is one of the oldest parts of the Muslim Granada, along with the Alhambra, the Realejo and the Bib-Arrambla suburb. The Albaycin was declared a World Heritage Site by the Unesco.

  The origin of its name has several versions, some argue that it was an area of Granada occupied by the banished Muslim from Baeza after the battle of Navas de Tolosa; others say it derives from al-bayyázín, "Arrabal de los halconeros" but what comes closest to its definition is high neighborhood and with a peculiar population and detached from the rest of the city, keeping in mind that there are other districts in Andalusia with the same name. The truth is that when the Catholic kings sought the surrender of the city,they did it differenciating Granada and this quarter "The mayors, caddies, scholars, lawyers, alfaquís, bailiff, squires, the elderly and good men, and ordinary people, young and large of the very great city of Granada and Albayzín".

It is a magical neighborhood that still retains its own urban planning from the Nazari period, with a network of narrow streets that run from San Nicolas to the river Darro and Calle Elvira, and in the Plaza Nueva.

  The traditional housing in Albaicín is called "Carmen", consisting of a building with a garden, orchard and surrounded by a wall that isolates it from the street. The neighborhood still retains some of the old drinking water pipes, made through the wells that are still used today.
 

The Albaicín has many monuments such as:
 

• Walls. One of the periods of the Zirid, which encircled the Alcazaba and the Arco de las Pesas or Puerta Nueva, the other Nazari with the doors of Fajalauza, Las Torres de la Alhacaba, the Monaita and the Gate of Elvira.
• Churches. La iglesia del Salvador which was built on the old mosque and San Cristobal, San Miguel Bajo, San Jose, San Gregorio, San Ildefonso and San Juan de los Reyes, ancient mosques and all of Santa Ana, San Pedro, San Cristobal and San Miguel alto.
• Palaces. The Palace of Dar al-Horra, El Bañuelo, El Alminar de Almorabitun, the aljibe de Trillo and la Real chancilleria.
• Houses. The houses of the Porras, del Almirante, del Castril, de la Lona, de los Córdova, Mascarones y la de Yanguas.

Enjoy a view of the Alhambra at the sunset from the Mirador de San Nicolas and stroll through the Albaicin. is meeting with art, history, culture, landscape and hopitality, all wrapped in an aura of reassurance magic and spiritual.