Puerta de Elvira, Islamic city gate in Granada, Spain
Description
Puerta de Elvira is an Islamic city gate featuring a horseshoe arch made of sandstone stones and two defensive towers built from rammed earth. The structure sits where several old routes that connected Granada to the north meet and cross.
History
The gate was built in the 11th century during the Zirid dynasty and was greatly strengthened in the 14th century under Nasrid rule. This later work made it the main entrance to the city.
Culture
The gate marks where Elvira Street begins at the edge of the Albaicín district, showing how Islamic and Christian Granada met. You can see how the city shifted and changed at this exact location.
Practical
The best way to reach it is by walking along Elvira Street directly from Granada's center toward the gate. The area is flat and easy to explore, and the nearby streets and Albaicín district invite further wandering.
Did you know?
A large Muslim cemetery called Ibn Malik once stretched beyond the gate and was later partly replaced by the Royal Hospital. This shift from burial ground to healing place shows how the city's uses have changed over time.
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