Great Mosque of Granada

Few gardens in Granada can match the view offered by the Great Mosque from Plaza San Nicolás, in the heart of the Albaicín: below lies the Darro valley; opposite rises the Sabika hill crowned by the Alhambra, and in the distance stand the peaks of Sierra Nevada. Among pines, olive, pomegranate, orange and lemon trees, and beside two mosaic fountains with an unmistakably Andalusian flavour, visitors will find a peaceful haven from which to take in the city at leisure.

The building, opened in 2003, also carries a unique symbolic value: it is the first mosque built in Granada since 1492, after a hiatus of five centuries. The complex is arranged in three quite distinct parts: the garden, the prayer hall and the Centre for Islamic Studies.

The prayer hall opts for understated decoration that brings together nods to great places of worship across the Islamic world. The mihrab, which marks the direction of Mecca, reproduces that of the Mosque of Córdoba; the coloured marble panels are identical to those of Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, and the large windows of the qibla wall copy those of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. The hand-carved Atlas cedar panels bear a verse from the Qur'an naming divine attributes, while the fountain and mosaics in the entrance courtyard are the work of craftsmen from Fez, faithful to the designs and techniques of Muslim Granada a thousand years ago.

From outside, the eye is drawn to the minaret, a tower whose proportions and silhouette are very much in keeping with the Albaicín. Beneath its eaves, an inscription in Kufic calligraphy sets out the Muslim declaration of faith.

The Centre for Islamic Studies rounds off the visit with a library of texts and audiovisual materials in Arabic, Spanish and English, a conference hall seating 140 and an exhibition room. It hosts talks, Arabic classes and courses on the Islamic legacy in Spain, and on the ground floor, next to reception, there is a shop selling books, crafts and souvenirs.