| Granada (elevation: 738 meters) is one
of the most beautiful cities in Andalucia.
NATURAL WORLD
The city is located is located in the eastern part of Andalucia
at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains and at the confluence
of the Darro and Genil Rivers. It is only 60 kilometers from the
Mediterranean sea.
CULTURAL WORLD
Granada is the birthplace of the poet Federico García Lorca.
It is also an important university town with more than 60,000 students.
The Alhambra
is a palace and fortress complex of the Moorish monarchs and occupies
a hilly terrace on the southeastern side of the city. It was built
over several centuries and was the home of Arabic Sultans who ruled
the province. It is currently a museum showcasing Islamic architecture
and received more than 8,000 visitors a day, making it Spain's most
visited monument.
HISTORY
The history, monuments and architecture of Granada have been particularly
influenced by the Moors who first settled in Granada in 711. Before
this period Granada had been colonized by the Romans and was a Visigoth
town at the time of the Moors invasion.
In the 9th century Granada became one of the most important Moorish
towns in Spain and with the Nazari Dynasty founded in 1238 Granada
reached its splendor. Granada was the last Arab city in Spain to
fall to the Christians in 1492.
SIERRA NEVADA
The Sierra Nevada is a dramatic, rugged and extensive mountain
range, the highest in Europe after the Alps and the most significant
section of the Cordillera Penibética. There are torrential
rivers, sheer-sided gorges, stony scree slopes, glacial lakes between
snowy summits and, in the foothills of the Alpujarras, cultivated
terraces of almond trees and vegetables.
This is also Europe's southernmost ski resort. Mulhacén peak,
the highest on the Iberian Peninsula, rises 3,478 meters, an altitude
which guarantees abundant, top quality snow.
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