History of Granada - Phoenician, Roman, Nasrid Kingdom, and Christian Periods

Legend has it that Granada owes its name toone of Noah's daughters, called "Grana", although it seems more likely that it comes from "Hizn Garnata" (castle of the pomegranate), the ancient Roman city located in El Albaicín.


In the history of Granada its name appears documented before the Arab conquest in the Jewish quarter of "Garnata", currently El Realejo.

Whatever the case may be, a visit to the city's Archaeological Museum will reveal to you the great variety of cultures that have passed through this land, populated ever since prehistoric times.

Historical Chronology of Granada

Here is the concise chronological summary of Granada's history that we have prepared.

Next, we take a look at the most significant moments in the history of Granada.


The oldest archaeological site discovered in the province of Granada is more than 600,000 years old, and is located in the Altiplano area (in the districts of Baza and Huéscar).

Eight Historical Periods in the History of Granada

The following are the eight historical periods that have shaped the evolution of Granada.

Phoenician Colonization

In Granada Phoenician settlements were established on the Costa Tropical, where they prospered thanks to fishing and trade with the East.

Almuñécar (or Eks, or Sex, as the Phoenicians called it) was a major colony, probably one of the most important in the Mediterranean, as of the 5th century BC.

They specialized in the capture and marketing of fish and its byproducts, an industry later exploited by the Romans, who focused on salting.

Some of its basins have been excavated and can be visited in what is now the Parque de Majuelo.

Two important Phoenician necropolises have also been found: Laurita and Puente Noy.

The Iberians

Iberian settlements were concentrated to the north of Granada, where were about 30 oppida (fortified towns) and 33 small settlements in what was then called Illiberri.

In Baza and Galera several necropolises have been discovered containing very interesting objects.

In one of them, the tomb of the famous Lady of Baza was found.

History of Granada in Roman Times

Each oppidum reacted differently to the Roman conquest. Some were voluntarily abandoned, while others were destroyed by the Roman army.

In the province of Granada, Romanization was not very intense, except in its three most important cities: Illiberri (Granada), Acci (Guadix) and Sex (Almuñécar).

In the case of Illiberri, it allied with Rome and obtained status as a tributary city. Receiving the name Florentina (florid, or fruitful), it paid taxes to Rome in exchange for the use of the territory.

Phoenician coastal cities, like Sex, received greater recognition, as federated cities.

Roman villas were found throughout the province's plains and countryside. These were the estates and temporary residences of wealthy figures. They were mainly dedicated to the production of olive oil.

In the village of Salar one can visit an important Roman villa that was recently discovered. With excavation still ongoing, two very important Capitoline Venuses have been found there.

Three Roman senators and a consul hailed from Granada, and the first council held in Spain took place in Granada, in 306: the Council of Elvira.

Al Andalus and the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada

In the history of Granada, the Caliphate period (ninth to tenth century) takes us to Medina Elvira.

Located 12 km from Granada, it was an important cultural center.

The construction of its main mosque (aljama), by order of Abd al-Rahman I, the first independent emir of Al Andalus, gave it city status.

In 1010 Medina Elvira declined, as did the Caliphate of Cordoba, at which point its inhabitants moved to Garnata (Granada) where the Zirid Dynasty welcomed them.

The Zirí dynasty had its court in the Albayzín between 1013 and 1090. There remain remnants of its walls and ancient palaces in the neighborhood.

The eleventh and thirteenth centuries were a time of invasions of the Peninsula from North Africa, with two Berber dynasties taking control of the city.

First came the Almoravids, who put an end to the Zirid Dynasty, followed by the Almohads, in 1148, these being what have been called the "Taifa kingdoms".

Finally, in 1246 Muhammad I, or Ibn Al-Ahmar, founded the Kingdom of Granada, which extended from Tarifa to Murcia. Thus began an era of great splendor in Granada’s history.

In the 14th century, under the reigns of Yusuf I and Muhammad V, emblematic spaces were built in La Alhambra and El Generalife, such as the Throne Room and the Palace and Patio of the Lions.

This is what is known as the Alhambra’s Golden Age.

The Nasrid Dynasty remained on the throne for 260 years, as vassals of Castile.

Granada was the last Muslim stronghold on the Iberian Peninsula, and held out until 1492, when the Catholic Monarchs entered the Alhambra.

More information on the history of Granada: History of the Alhambra.

The Catholic Monarchs in Granada

On January 2, 1492 the Catholic Monarchs entered Granada and received the keys to La Alhambra from Boabdil, the last Nasrid sultan.

The change of power took place peacefully after a long siege launched from Santa Fe, the base of the Christian camp.

In this town, about 11 km from Granada, Christopher Columbus met with Queen Isabella the Catholic and obtained her support for his voyage to the Americas. Their agreement was set down in the Capitulations of Santa Fe.

In the Plaza Isabel la Católica, in Granada’s historic center, you will find a bronze monument by the sculptor Mariano Benlliure commemorating this watershed moment in the history of Spain.

A new era in the History of Granada began, with the construction of great Christian monuments in the city coinciding with the late Gothic and early Spanish Renaissance.

The Catholic Monarchs made numerous renovations to La Alhambra in order to inhabit it, and promoted the construction of a multitude of churches, convents and monasteries throughout the city.

The minarets were soon replaced by bell towers.

Although the capitulations signed with Boabdil called for respect for the city’s Muslims, relationships between the two peoples deteriorated.

Emperor Charles V in the History of Granada

Emperor Charles V honored the Catholic Monarchs’ last will by burying his grandparents in a tomb in the Royal Chapel of Granada once the colossal work was finished.

He also finished many of the works they had started, and carried out other important ones, such as the Palace of Charles V and the Royal Hospital.

He lived in the Alhambra with his wife for 6 months in 1526, halcyon days during his reign, thereby turning Granada once again into the capital and court of an empire.

The Rebellion in Las Alpujarras

In 1568 there was an uprising of the Moors in the mountains of Las Alpujarras due to laws that Philip II enacted inhibiting their customs and ways of life.

They proclaimed Aben Humeya, a descendant of the Omeyas of Cordoba, King of Granada, and the revolt spread.

What came to be called the War of Las Alpujarras lasted until 1571, a last attempt by the Moors to regain their kingdom. They were ultimately defeated and expelled from the Kingdom of Granada, which led to the region’s depopulation and economic decline.

The History of Granada in the 17th and 18th Centuries

During the seventeenth century and part of the eighteenth the city continued to be revamped, with the widening of streets, the opening of squares and the construction of building palatial houses.

Great works of Granada's Baroque Era were completed: the façade of the Cathedral, El Monasterio de la Cartuja, El Monasterio de San Jerónimo (St. Jerome), and La Basilica de San Juan de Dios (St. John of God), among others.

A great decline ensued in the following years, and Granada fell into a state of neglect.

The 19th Century and the Romantic Travelers

Between 1810 and 1812 the Napoleonic troops occupied Granada, blowing up part of La Alhambra before their departure, leaving their mark in a sad chapter in the history of Granada.

When the writer Washington Irving arrived in Granada in 1829 he found La Alhambra totally abandoned.

There, he settled in the Emperor's Rooms and wroteTales of the Alhambra, a book that made him famous and generated interest in the city.

The book attracted a multitude of artists and Romantic-era travelers, such as Alexandre Dumas, Matisse and Delacroix.

With the arrival of Queen Isabella II to Granada in 1862, Granada flourished again.

Granada has inspired many illustrious figures who captured in their works the passion they felt for the city: García Lorca, Juán Ramón Jimenez, Manuel de Falla and Andrés Segovia, just to name a few.

10. Granada in the Modern Era

Today, Granada is a major center for tourism, academia, and culture. Tourism remains one of its primary sources of income, drawing millions of visitors each year, largely due to the Alhambra, the Albaicín neighborhood, the Carrera del Darro, the Cathedral and the Royal Chapel.

The city is famous for its lively nightlife and its tapas bars, where a free tapa is offered with every drink. Málaga also offers a wide variety of cultural activities, such as music, film, and theater festivals.

The University of Granada, one of the oldest and most prestigious in Spain, contributes significantly to the city's youthful atmosphere through its cultural and sporting events.

Flamenco is central to Granada's cultural identity, and Holy Week is a major event that attracts numerous visitors.

Furthermore, the proximity to the Sierra Nevada allows visitors to enjoy winter sports, while the Costa Tropical, just an hour away, offers the chance to experience both the mountains and the beach.

Map of the Historic Sites of Granada

On this map you will find the locations of Granada's most important historical sites so you can explore the Granada's history in each of its corners.


Also see: History of the Alhambra, History of the Alpujarra and History of Soportújar.

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