Palace of Dar al-Horra

Translated from arab the “home of the honest”, located in the hearth of the old medina Gharnata, today Albaicin quarter, formed part of the large palace of Zirid King Badis, It was so-named for having been the official residence of Aixa la-Horra, wife of Muley Hacén and mother of the last Emir of Granada, Muhammad XII (Boabdil).

After the conquest, it eventually being converted into a Franciscan convent by Queen Isabel, inhabited from 1507 to this day by nuns. Due to being a cloistered monastery, it has maintained its former Islamic forms and part of its former Nasrid decoration intact. The inscriptions carved into the plaster of the viewpoint enhance the private nature of the house with words and phrases of celebration such as “Blessing”, “Happiness”, “Health is perpetual” and “Joy continues”.

The building is centered by a rectangular patio, with a small pool toward the south side, with porticoes on the north and south sides.

The main rooms, with high ceilings, are behind the arcades of the patio. The one on the south side was used as a church for years. The upper floor retains the style of Islamic houses and has wonderful views over the former Axarea quarter, with its mosque converted into a church of San Cristóbal and the Zirid wall.

Its small garden is irrigated with water from the Aynadanar canal, from the large Aljibe del Rey cistern, located nearby.