t The winding road leading through the Puerto de la Ragua
t The winding road leading through the Puerto de la Ragua
experience Granada and Almería
The Christian reconquista worked its way steadily southwards over hundreds of years and by 1248 had reclaimed almost the entire peninsula, apart from the Emirate of Granada, which then included Almería and Málaga. Ruled by the Nasrid dynasty from 1230, this last remaining Moorish stronghold paid tribute – mostly in the form of African gold – to the Crown of Castile to be left to its own devices. This peaceful coexistence continued until 1482, when the Catholic Monarchs wrestled Alhama de Granada from the Emirate. Over the next ten years, the Christian foces pushed further into the territory and in 1492 Granada became part of Fernando and Isabel’s kingdom.
Shortly after the conquest, spurred on by their victory, the Catholic Monarchs issued the Alhambra Decree, which ordered Jews and Muslims across Spain to either convert to Christianity or be exiled. This accelerated the Christianization of what had been a Muslim region for almost 800 years, but Granada and Almería still retain an indelible Moorish feel today, partly due to the proliferation of Mudéjar architecture in this area.
While the city of Granada, in particular, thrives off a tourism industry built on its Islamic history, Almería’s economy has been revitalized by a new form of agriculture. Plastic greenhouses now cover hectares of the province, producing fruit and vegetables all year round.