24 Granada Facts & Facts About the Alhambra (100% true)

Facts on Granada to Learn All About It

Ready to learn all about Granada?

Facts are one of the best ways to learn more about something, and I personally love to read them! I’ve put together for you quite a bit of facts on Granada; I’ve split them into 4 categories:

• The best Granada facts
• Alhambra facts
• Fun facts about Granada, Spain
• General facts of Granada

Let’s dive in straight away with our first category!

The Best Granada Facts

The first part will consist of general facts about Granada, mostly regarding history but also interesting facts about the city:

1. Granada is very popular among tourists from all around the world, every year

Granada is a city in the South of Spain, in Andalusia. Its monuments are very unique, and there are tons of things to see in the city. The Moors influenced it a lot, and it was conquered by Christians later, creating an interesting mix of culture and influences.

More than 2.5 million tourists visit Granada every year, from all around the world. The most popular sites are The Alhambra, the Gardens of the Generalife, and the Albaicín, which are all UNESCO World Heritage sites.

2. The symbol of Granada is the pomegranate

The pomegranate is a red fruit, made of clusters of seeds on the inside, and a thick citrus peel on the outside. It originates from the Mediterranean region and was introduced to Spanish America in the end of the 16th century. You can find pomegranates growing from October to February in the Northern Hemisphere, and from March to May in the Southern Hemisphere.

In Spanish, pomegranate is called “granada”, and is therefore logically the heraldic symbol of the city of Granada.

3. Granada used to be in Muslim territory for hundreds of years

Throughout history, there have been a lot of Muslims, “the Moors”, living in current Spain. They came from the South in 711, and their major strongholds in Spain were Toledo, Seville, and… Granada. They ruled the area for over 700 years before the Christian forces took back the country.

Through centuries and still to this day, you can definitely tell that the Moors had a huge influence on the region as a whole but more specifically on Granada. Lots of monuments bear their unique architectural style and culture.

4. The Granada Cathedral is Spain’s first Renaissance church

In “Plaza de las Pasiegas”, you can find the magnificent Granada Cathedral. At the time it was built, during the 16th century, there were no other churches in Spain that matched its unique style. That means that the Cathedral is actually the first Renaissance church in the whole country.

It took almost 200 years to build this masterpiece, but it truly introduced a new era of architecture in Spain. Baroque elements were added to the facade later on, and the interior is made of extremely large halls bathing in light.

5. Granada was the last stronghold of the Muslims during the “Reconquista”

As I have already told you, the Moors were basically in control of most of the country of Spain we know today for several hundreds of years, especially in the South of the country. They hugely contributed to the development of several cities as well as agriculture.

For 780 long years, the Reconquista took place in the Iberian Peninsula. Slowly but steadily, the Christian armies took control of Spain and forced the Moors out. Granada was the last stronghold to fall.

6. Granada lies more than 700 meters / 2300 feet above sea level

The capital of Spain, Madrid, lies unusually high at 667 meters / 2188 miles. Because of that, the air is fresh and dry, and the mountains around define the climate with their winds.

But Granada, one of the major cities of Andalusia in the South of Spain, lies even higher: more than 700 meters / 2300 feet above sea level! That means that summer days are extremely sunny, blazing and hot, autumn days are relatively clear and charming, and winter days can easily become very cold.

7. Skiing is very popular in Granada

You probably do not think about Spain as the ideal destination to go skiing, especially not Andalusia, which is rather reputed for its fantastic sunny days, giving the fruits they grow all year long their special juicy taste.

Well, in Granada, skiing is very popular. There is a ski station 35 km / 21.7 miles away from the city, and the Alpine World Ski Championships were held there in 1996. People even ski in the morning and sunbathe at the beach during the afternoon.

8. There was no bloodshed when the Alhambra was handed to the Christian forces

The Alhambra is the impregnable and iconic fortress of Granada, today the major attraction of the city, drawing millions of tourists every year. It has a huge history and is very visible from all around the city since it lies in the heights.

When the Reconquista came to an end, and the Moors gave up their last stronghold, Granada, The Alhambra, the last building to stand tall, was simply handed over to the Christians, without any bloodshed. The ruler, Boabdil, was given some land in exchange, and when he regretted what he did and was longing for Granada, his wife had some very famous harsh words: “Weep like a woman over what you could not defend as a man”.

9. There are three major industries in Granada

The first major industry in Granada is fishing. It is very widespread in Andalusia and in the whole Mediterranean, ideal for fishing. Most marinas even provide you with everything you need for a fishing day.

The second major industry is silk. Though it might not be the first thing that springs to mind, Spanish silk is actually very reputed and of amazing quality.

Finally, you have probably guessed it, a huge part of Granada’s economy is due to tourism. Millions of visitors travel to the city every year.

10. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains

The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range in Andalusia, right next to Granada. You can find the highest point of continental Spain, Mulhacén, at 3,479 meters / 11,414 feet above sea level.

There, lots of tourists love to go skiing. It is one of Europe’s most Southern areas in which you can ski all around the year, which is very unsettling in such a sunny and hot region.

11. There are approximately 230,000 people living in Granada

A bit more than 230,000 people live in the municipality of Granada, and if you include the entire urban area, there are almost 500,000 inhabitants. That makes Granada the 13th largest urban area in Spain. In Andalusia, Granada is 4th, behind Seville (690,000), Málaga (570,000), and Córdoba (325,000).

On the whole, the city is quite reputed, well known, draws tons of travelers and has amazing monuments but is not that populated: it is an ideal holiday destination.

12. The best attraction in Granada is definitely “The Alhambra”

The Alhambra, Granada’s famous fortress, sees around 3.2 million visitors between its walls every year, making it one of the most visited sites in Spain, and definitely the most visited one in Granada.

Its construction began during the 9th century, with only a small fortress, and it was improved throughout the years. In 1238, the first palaces were built and hosted many Moorish leaders like sultans, caliphs, and kings.

That’s it for the general facts and information about the city of Granada as a whole, but speaking of The Alhambra, I have several facts about it that I wanted to share with you, so keep reading!

Alhambra Facts

You know it, The Alhambra is critical for Granada’s tourism and is one of Spain’s most famous castles. It has a huge history and tells us a lot about the Middle Ages in Southern Spain.

Let’s dive a bit deeper into it thanks to the following Alhambra Palace facts. 

13. The name “Alhambra” actually comes from its color

The name of the city of Granada originates from “Gárnata”, meaning “hill of strangers” in Arabic. For The Alhambra more specifically, it comes once more from the Arabic word “al-Ḥamrāʼ”, which means “the red one”.

If you have seen how The Alhambra looks, with its unique and very red stone, you can easily understand why it was named that way. A theory says that the whole name was “al-Qal’at al-Ḥamrāʼ”, and it was simply shortened through time since Andalusian people do that very often.

14. The fortress of the Alhambra can tell you what time it is

The Alhambra is very important for us to understand the history of the land of Andalusia, and especially what happened throughout the centuries in Granada, but it can also tell us the time!

Its architects were undoubtedly geniuses, like the layout of the whole citadel shows: it is perfectly aligned to act as a giant sundial. Half of the rooms will have shades and the others will bathe in sunlight at noon.

15. The Alhambra is (almost) geometrically perfect

If you still don’t believe me when I insist on how impressive The Alhambra’s architects were, think about this: though the fortress is extremely old and very pleasant to the eye, its main element is actually math. The perfect geometry and engineering seen in the structures and in the decoration are simply stunning and beautiful.

It is said that the original architects left some imperfections in some places because only God could make it perfect.

16. There are poems all over the walls of The Alhambra

Inside The Alhambra, the walls can talk. Not literally, obviously, but lots of words are carved all over them, and you immediately notice it whenever you visit the interior of the fortress.

These inscriptions are a decoration made of poems and also parts of the Quran. Now that you think about it, it seems logical that all those Arabic words are carved since The Alhambra has seen more Arabic (800) than Spanish years (500).

17. The Alhambra is more than just a palace

Most people call the fortress of The Alhambra a “palace”. Though there are palaces, sure, it is actually a complex of several buildings, including gardens, a fortress, and passageways.

The Sultan used to live there, but his whole family as well, plus many workers. This majestic and huge site shows just how powerful the Moors were, and how excellent their architects used to be. To this day, The Alhambra is the only Muslim citadel standing almost as perfectly as it was since the beginning.

18. You can find a whispering gallery or secret chamber in the Alhambra

Underneath The Alhambra, you can find a very special place, called the whispering gallery.

Again due to the fortress’ architecture, this chamber of secrets was named that way because of the curvature of its ceiling. Whenever a sound is emitted, it travels to the opposite corner of the room. Whether people are walking, talking or sharing important secrets, you will hear everything that is going on in the whispering gallery.

19. If an earthquake ever happens in Granada, the Alhambra will be ready

Andalusia is a very seismic region. In 1884, a terrible earthquake shook the whole region, very poor at that time, and with no foundations in most of the houses. There were sadly many serious injuries and casualties.

However, if that ever happens in Granada, The Alhambra will stand tall. Its genius architects strike once more because the complex is made of antiseismic structures. It has already survived many earthquakes for over 800 years and will keep on doing so.

You now know everything about Granada’s amazing Alhambra! Keep reading for fun facts about the city:

Fun Facts About Granada, Spain

In this final part, I want to talk about some fun facts about Granada:

20. There is a statue of Christopher Columbus kneeling before a queen in Granada

This might sound weird to you, but Christopher Columbus, the famous leader of the expedition towards the Americas, was looking for sponsors at the same time the Reconquista of Granada happened. He wanted people to help him fund the expedition.

Since Spanish monarchs agreed and helped him reach his goals, they later built a statue of him kneeling before Queen Isabella. You can find it at the end of the “Gran Via de Colón” (Colón is Spanish for Columbus).

Hajotthu / CC BY

21. The weather is very hot in Granada in general

Since Granada is so far up in the clouds, very high above sea level, its weather is very hot in general, and its summers are very dry.

The temperature often reaches more than 40 °C (104 °F) during summer, even reaching 45.7 °C (113 °F) in 2017. However, since the humidity is very low in the city, high temperatures are not as unbearable as in other cities. Frosts are common during winter, but if the sun is up you can easily walk down the street in a shirt.

22. There are houses that reflect the idea of inner paradise in Granada

You will find a lot of “Carmens” in Granada. Those are hillside townhouses, with private gardens.

Once again, just like many of the city’s features, Carmens take their roots in Moorish times, they express the Islamic idea of paradise and are a reflection of heaven. Some of them are open to visitors, the most famous one being “Carmen de la Victoria”, in “The Albaicin”. It is a wonderfully peaceful multi-level garden with mosaic floors and colorful flora.

Albacin district

23. There used to be hundreds of public baths in Granada

In Moorish Granada, people spent a lot of time in the hammam, which is a public bathhouse. They went there for both their hygiene and their social standing.

Baths were important places to meet people and were a religious symbol. Hundreds of them were spread through the city of Granada, and very few of them remain complete to this day. The most famous one is “El Bañuelo on Carrera del Darro”, dating from the 11th century.

24. Granada hosts Lorca’s house, who was forgotten for decades but later acknowledged

Federico Garcia Lorca was the most important literary figure in Spain during the 20th century. He was murdered by Fascists in 1936 in Granada, right before the Civil War began, because of both his political and sexual orientations.

His name was banned during Francisco Franco’s terrible dictatorship and was forgotten until Franco died in 1975. Then, his art was finally acknowledged, and his family’s summerhouse can be visited in Granada.

Barquisimeto – Ciudad Crepuscular / CC BY-NC-ND

And that’s it for all the Granada facts & facts about Alhambra palace! I hope you enjoyed this list!

If you want to learn more general information about the city or the country as a whole, feel free to keep reading:

General Facts of Granada

You’ll find below a few general facts of Granada, to learn more about this Spanish city:

• Name: Granada
• Province: Granada
• Region: Andalusia
• Land area: 88.02 km² / 33.98 sq mi
• Population: 230,000
• Name of inhabitants: Granadan
• Website: Granada

Granada Flag

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The Full List of 24 Granada Facts

1. Granada is very popular among tourists from all around the world, every year
2. The symbol of Granada is the pomegranate
3. Granada used to be in Muslim territory for hundreds of years
4. The Granada Cathedral is Spain’s first Renaissance church
5. Granada was the last stronghold of the Muslims during the “Reconquista”
6. Granada lies more than 700 meters / 2300 feet above sea level
7. Skiing is very popular in Granada
8. There was no bloodshed when the Alhambra was handed to the Christian forces
9. There are three major industries in Granada
10. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains
11. There are approximately 230,000 people living in Granada
12. The best attraction in Granada is definitely “The Alhambra”
13. The name “Alhambra” actually comes from its color
14. The fortress of the Alhambra can tell you what time it is
15. The Alhambra is (almost) geometrically perfect
16. There are poems all over the walls of The Alhambra
17. The Alhambra is more than just a palace
18. You can find a whispering gallery or secret chamber in the Alhambra
19. If an earthquake ever happens in Granada, the Alhambra will be ready
20. There is a statue of Christopher Columbus kneeling before a queen in Granada
21. The weather is very hot in Granada in general
22. There are houses that reflect the idea of inner paradise in Granada
23. There used to be hundreds of public baths in Granada
24. Granada hosts Lorca’s house, who was forgotten for decades but later acknowledged

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