La Madrasa (The Prayer Room), Granada (must see)
On the Oficios Street, between the Granada Cathedral and the Alcaiceria, where gold, and silk were traded long ago, sits the Madrasa of Granada. Founded in 1349 by Yusuf I, Nasrid Emir of Granada, the Madrasa was a school of Islamic law and grammar. The syllabus also included Rhetoric and Medicine.
The Madrasa survived when the city was ceded to Ferdinand and Isabella. Then in 1500, after a Muslim rebellion, Gonzalo Jimenez de Cisneros, Inquisitor-General, attacked the Madrasa. The building was sacked, the irreplaceable library books were burned in the Plaza Bib-Rambla. No one was ready for the Spanish Inquisition.
Subsequently, the building was variously standing empty, used as a city hall, or taken over to serve as a textile warehouse, its noble purpose long forgotten. In 1860 The Mihrab inscription dedicating the mosque to the month of Muharram was found. After several restorations, the Madrasa was opened to the public in 2011.
The sole part of the original Madrasa surviving today is the Prayer Room. It has a high ceiling. Halfway up the walls the shape of the room changes to an octagonal form. The upper walls are covered with stucco decorations and calligraphy. There are 16 windows and a wooden cupola overhead.
Within the entrance an inscription reads, "If in your spirit you provide a place for the desire to study...you will find within it the beautiful tree of honor..." The Inquisition tried to erase this place, and it failed.
The Madrasa survived when the city was ceded to Ferdinand and Isabella. Then in 1500, after a Muslim rebellion, Gonzalo Jimenez de Cisneros, Inquisitor-General, attacked the Madrasa. The building was sacked, the irreplaceable library books were burned in the Plaza Bib-Rambla. No one was ready for the Spanish Inquisition.
Subsequently, the building was variously standing empty, used as a city hall, or taken over to serve as a textile warehouse, its noble purpose long forgotten. In 1860 The Mihrab inscription dedicating the mosque to the month of Muharram was found. After several restorations, the Madrasa was opened to the public in 2011.
The sole part of the original Madrasa surviving today is the Prayer Room. It has a high ceiling. Halfway up the walls the shape of the room changes to an octagonal form. The upper walls are covered with stucco decorations and calligraphy. There are 16 windows and a wooden cupola overhead.
Within the entrance an inscription reads, "If in your spirit you provide a place for the desire to study...you will find within it the beautiful tree of honor..." The Inquisition tried to erase this place, and it failed.
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La Madrasa (The Prayer Room) on Map
Sight Name: La Madrasa (The Prayer Room)
Sight Location: Granada, Spain (See walking tours in Granada)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Granada, Spain (See walking tours in Granada)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Granada, Spain
Create Your Own Walk in Granada
Creating your own self-guided walk in Granada is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Albayz铆n Walking Tour
The Moorish quarter of Albayc铆n is a world of its own inside Granada. Mainly, this is due to a strong Islamic vibe still present in the area. The city's oldest district was established by Arabs in the 11th century and to date has retained much of its original charm, manifested in the neat maze of narrow Medieval lanes, shady, intimate courtyards and squares, plus a multitude of well-kept,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Granada's Architectural Jewels
Over the course of centuries, Granada's architecture has been influenced by four major styles 鈥� Moorish, Renaissance, Gothic and Baroque. The city鈥檚 most impressive buildings date from the period of Arabic rule and the subsequent Catholic epoch which started after the Moors were displaced in 1492.
From the dazzling majesty of the Alhambra to the awe-inspiring churches and the subtly... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles
From the dazzling majesty of the Alhambra to the awe-inspiring churches and the subtly... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles
Granada Introduction Walking Tour
The story of the city of Granada does not properly begin until the Umayyad conquest of 711 AD. The Iberian peninsula fell under Moorish rule that would last 700 years and the Jewish settlement of Garnata al-Jahud grew to become Granada of Al-Andalus.
The long Reconquest of Spain finally ended when the Emirate of Granada was ceded by Mohammad XII to the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II of Aragon... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
The long Reconquest of Spain finally ended when the Emirate of Granada was ceded by Mohammad XII to the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II of Aragon... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
Alhambra Walking Tour
One of the first places a tourist wants to visit in Granada is Alhambra, the region鈥檚 most iconic sight. By far not a typically Spanish attraction, this enormous fortress encompasses palaces, gardens, courtyards, and is the greatest surviving relic of Andalusia鈥檚 800 years of Moorish rule. The sprawling complex sits forbiddingly atop the Darro valley, against a dramatic backdrop of the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles