Granada is thought to have originally been an Iberian foundation. In A.D. 711, after the defeat of the Visigoths, it fell into the hands of the Arabs, who called it Gharnatha and built a castle on the Alhambra hill. Therefore, Granada flourished under the occupation by the Moors which began in the 8th century. In 1238 it became the seat of the kingdom of Granada, last refuge of the Moors whom the Christian reconquest had driven south; the kingdom occupied the present provinces of Almería and Málaga and parts of Jaén and Cádiz.

During the reign of Boabdil (Muhammad XI) Granada was conquered by Ferdinand II and Isabella I. In fact, in 1492 the 'Reyes Católicos de España' reconquered the city expelling the Moors, all buildings which followed were in a Gothic and Renassaince style. With the surrender of the city of Granada, the Moors lost their last hold in Spain, and the kingdom was united with Castile. The city became an archiepiscopal see and, in 1531, the seat of a university.

Thereafter the town remained in Christian hands and enjoyed a fresh period of prosperity during the Renaissance. In the 17th century it went through a decadant phase from which it recovered and in the 19th century it filled with artists, architects, poets and musicians who gained their inspiration from Granada's streets, and beautiful buildings. The town's recovery also began with the renovation of the irrigation system in the vega and the introduction of new crops in the early 20th century.

Although many Muslim buildings were destroyed by the Christian era in Granada those that are remaining make the most complete group of Moorish housing architecture in Europe. The most important Moorish and Catholic architectural sites in Granada are:

The Alhambra and Generalife
The Palace of Charles V
Granada's Cathedral
Capilla Real. Royal Chapel, with the tombs of Isabella and Ferdinand, the Catholic Kings
El Albayzín, or Albaicín: The ancient Arab quarter, containing many original houses from the 16th century
The Charterhouse: One of the most impressive pieces of ornamental Baroque in Spain
Calle Calderería: An Albayzin street where you can taste Arab typical food, especially teas and desserts from North Africa
El Cármen de los Mártires: A lovely palace with a beautiful botanic garden near the Alhambra.