Page 46 - A History of the World in 25 Cities
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Nestled at the bottom of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the country we now call Spain, the Islamic city kingdom of Granada was full of fruit trees, ornate gardens and shimmering fountains. Gleaming above the bustling streets and bazaars was the gorgeous Alhambra, home of the ruling sultan and his family.
In the 1400s there were 137 mosques in the city of Granada. This one was the grandest.
This mighty fortress guarded Granada and was also home to the sultans before the Alhambra was completed.
Silk was traded here, along with spices, vegetables and dried and fresh fruit, clothing, pottery, carpets, and enslaved people captured in battles with Christian armies.
People met friends and made business deals in the city’s many tea shops.
There were lots of these buildings in Granada in the 1400s. They served as roadside inns, markets and stores for the neighbourhood’s
grain and goods.
People went to wash, socialise and relax in hammams.