It’s sunset and I’m where I need to be in Granada; The breathtaking San Nicolás viewpoint overlooking the Alhambra citadel. Here, at the edge of the city’s exotic Moorish quarter, lovers, widows and tourists jostle for the best view of the illuminated hilltop castle, the Moorish kingdom’s last bastion in Spain. Spain, the most Catholic of countries, lived under Muslim rule for more than 700 years until Christians regained the land in 1492.

Granada today is a pleasant blend of both Muslim and Christian past. It has a Deep South feel; The once mighty places have a laid-back vibe that makes them seem past their prime. In the early evening, the community comes out and celebrates life in majestic yet inviting plazas. Dogs wag their tails to the rhythm of modern hippies and street musicians.

Granada’s dominant attraction, the Alhambra, reflects the region’s history of conquest and reconquest: the wild Alcazaba fortress and tower, the ostentatious Palacios Nazaries (where Washington Irving much later wrote Tales of the Alhambra), the elegant gardens of the Generalife and Charles V’s His palace shouted, “There it is!” A Christian Renaissance pile built in the shape of a The gesture after the Reconquista. This is what conquering civilizations do: they build their own palaces over the palaces of their enemies. The Alhambra is one of Europe’s top tourist attractions, but many tourists never get to see it because tickets are sold out. Savvy travelers book in advance.

Moorish grandeur was in full bloom at the Alhambra. Their visual culture was excellent, skillfully combining design and aesthetics. Rooms are decorated throughout with carved wooden ceilings, scalloped plaster, patterned ceramic tiles, filigree windows and lots of colour. And water, water everywhere. Water, so rare and precious in much of the Islamic world, was the purest symbol of life for the Moors. The Alhambra is adorned with water: standing still, cascading, masking secret conversations and trickling playfully.

Muslims avoid making pictures of living things; This is God’s work. But Arabic calligraphy, mostly poems and laudatory verses from the Quran, are everywhere. A single phrase – “Only God prevails” – is repeated 9,000 times in the Alhambra.

When Christian forces reestablished their rule here in 1492, their victory helped lay the foundations of Spain’s Golden Age. A generation later, King Charles V of Spain became the most powerful man in the world.

The Royal Chapel, the city’s most visited place by Christians, is the final resting place of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand, who reigned during the last reconquest. When the two married, they united their huge kingdoms of Castile and Aragon and founded modern Spain.

And thanks to this powerful new field, the Spanish royal family was able to finance many great explorers. Columbus presented the idea of ​​financing a sea voyage to the “East” to Isabel and Ferdinand in Granada.

Granada’s old market, Alcaicería, is near the chapel and was once filled with valuable goods such as salt, silver, spices and silk. Protected by 10 fortified gates, today it’s a tourist trap, but it’s still fun to explore these colorful shopping lanes and overpriced trinkets.

The hilly Albayzín, the city’s old Moorish quarter, has cozy teahouses, flowered terraces and a labyrinth of streets where you can sense the Arab heritage that permeates much of the area. There are approximately 2 million Muslims in Spain today, and there is a vital Muslim community in Granada. But the Moors are not the only culture that left their mark here.

Granada is home to approximately 50,000 Gypsies. (While it is called “Roma” in other places, “Gypsy” is preferred here.)

The Sacromonte hillside on the edge of town is the historic home of Granada’s Gypsy community. In the caves that originally hosted this community, musicians entertain tourists by strumming guitars and dancing zambra, similar to flamenco. For a fascinating glimpse into traditional Gypsy life, visit the Sacromonte Cave Museum: a series of whitewashed caves along a ridge with spectacular views of the Alhambra and exhibits celebrating this rich and proud culture.

A Spanish poet who encountered a blind beggar after visiting the Alhambra wrote: “Give him a coin, woman, for there is nothing worse in this life than being blind in Granada.” This city has so much to see, yet it reveals itself in unpredictable ways. It takes a poet to sort through the jumbled pieces of Granada and put them together.

This article is used with permission from Rick Steves’ Europe (www.ricksteves.com).