2 January: Granada Day

Today is Granada Day, which commemorates Spain’s capture of the city from the Moors in 1492. 10 things you might not know about Granada.

1. It's the capital of Andalusia, in Spain, and is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
2. The population is around 232,000.
3. The city's name comes from the time it was occupied by the Moors and derives from an Arabic word meaning "Hill of Strangers." It became an important city when their ruler decided to live there instead of in al-Andalus because it was on higher ground and easier to defend.
4. In Spanish, the word "granada" means Pomegranate and so the pomegranate is the symbol of the city.
5. On 2 January 1492, Muhammad XII surrendered Granada to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. At first, the Muslims living there were told they could continue to practice their faith, but in time, they faced persecution, exile and even execution if they didn't convert. All the mosques were either demolished or turned into Christian churches.
6. Some Muslim architecture did survive – Granada has two UNESCO World Heritage sites which both date back to before 1492 – the Alhambra and the Generalife. The Alhambra (from the Arabic for "red palace") is a walled town and military stronghold dating back to the 11th century. It was where the Moorish rulers lived and later became the home of the Catholic monarchs. Hence it was here that Christopher Columbus made his request for Queen Isabella's support for the expedition that would result in the discovery of America. It is the most visited tourist attraction in Spain with about 6,000 visitors a day. The Generalife is a garden attached to the Alhambra as a place for the rulers to relax.
7. Other tourist attractions in Granada include the Cathedral, the Royal Chapel where the Catholic monarchs were buried, the Charterhouse, a monastery founded in 1506 parts of which are considered masterpieces of Baroque art. There's also a mosque in the city again now, the Mosque of Granada, inaugurated in 2003, and a museum dedicated to perfumes.
8. Another reason tourists might make for Granada is that there is Skiing to be had. 35km away there is a ski resort with 105km of piste and which hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships in 1996. The area is known for its high proportion of sunny days, even in winter.
9. Granada's twin cities include Aix-en-Provence, France, Marrkech in Morocco and Coral Gables in Florida, USA.
10. There are four rivers in Granada, the Genil, Darro, Dilar and Guadalfeo.

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