Page 49 - A History of the World in 25 Cities

The Muslim rulers built luxurious bathhouses, where they washed and also met for a chat and something to drink. The baths were covered
in patterned tiles, with star-shaped multi- coloured glass skylights that lit the rooms
in gorgeous colours. Granada’s streets were lined with almond and orange trees, and houses often had lovely gardens.
The most beautiful of all were in the Alhambra palace complex, where water flowed into pools and cascaded from
fountains amongst the flower beds.
Unlike Granada’s clean, tree-lined streets, the streets
of most European cities in the Middle Ages were foul- smelling and filthy, with the rivers used as a sewer. If they were sick, most Europeans had to hope for the best, while Granada’s citizens were treated by skilled doctors.
Muhammed XII became the last sultan, or king, of Granada in 1482. He tried to expand his kingdom, but the rulers of the Christian kingdoms on either side had been united by marriage and had become too powerful. Muhammed was captured and imprisoned for three years. He was granted his freedom when he agreed to accept the rule of the invading Christian king and queen.
King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile married in 1469 and joined their kingdoms. Their army besieged the city of Granada for eight months before Muhammed XII surrendered, ending 700 years of Muslim rule in Spain in 1492. The new Christian rulers didn’t keep their promise to let Muslim and Jewish people live alongside Christians in Granada. Many Islamic buildings were destroyed, and the Islamic Great Mosque was turned into a Christian cathedral.
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