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Stories, history and food traditions from Granada (Page 10)

Long-form editorial pieces written by resident correspondents: cultural deep-dives, the origins of local dishes, and the people and traditions that shape everyday life in Granada.

Calle Pedro Antonio de Alarcón in Granada at dusk — students on bar terraces, free tapa plates and beer glasses on outdoor tables, warm evening light on university quarter buildings

Granada's University District: Student Life, Bars & Culture

James Walker Updated

Granada's universidad quarter has 60,000 students, €2 beers on the main bar strip, free tapas, and a university founded in 1531. Here's how to explore it.

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The Court of the Myrtles reflecting pool in the Nasrid Palaces, Alhambra, Granada, a central element of the alhambra water system with the Comares Tower reflected in still water

The Alhambra's Water System: Engineering of the Nasrid Palaces

James Walker Updated

Every fountain in the Alhambra runs by gravity alone — no pumps. See how the 7km Acequia Real aqueduct and Nasrid engineers built water pressure by design.

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Hall of the Two Sisters in the Nasrid Palaces of the Alhambra, Granada, with muqarnas stalactite vault and arabesque stucco walls, built under Nasrid dynasty sultan Muhammad V

Nasrid Dynasty: Granada's 260-Year Islamic Kingdom

James Walker Updated

The Nasrid dynasty ruled Granada from 1232 to 1492 through 23 sultans, building the Alhambra while every other Moorish kingdom in Spain fell before them.

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The Torre de la Vela of the Alhambra's Alcazaba at dusk, Granada, the tower where Ferdinand's standard was raised on 2 January 1492, marking the end of the Reconquista

The Reconquista and the Fall of Granada in 1492

James Walker Updated

On 2 January 1492, Granada surrendered, ending 781 years of Moorish rule. The Reconquista, the siege of 1491, and the Granada Capitulations explained.

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Interior of the Alhambra's Nasrid Palaces, Granada — ornate muqarnas ceiling and horseshoe arches, the palace handed over by Boabdil, last Moorish king, in 1492

Boabdil: Last Moorish King of Granada

James Walker Updated

Boabdil (c.1460–1533) was Granada's last Nasrid sultan, who surrendered the city to Ferdinand and Isabella on 2 January 1492, ending 781 years of Moorish rule.

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Why Granada tapas are free — a bar counter in Granada showing jamón legs hanging from ceiling, free tapa plates and wine glasses lined up, traditional bodega interior in warm evening light

Why Granada Tapas Are Free: The History Behind the Tradition

Sarah Mills Updated

Granada is one of the last cities in Spain where every drink comes with a free tapa. The real history, the unwritten rules, and the best bars to find it.

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