After the Christian conquest the complex of the Alhambra was used as prison, then in 1526 Carl V assigned it as own residence, he ordered the demolition of a part making to construct the Palacio de Carlos V, example of Spanish renaissance architecture, where today are accommodates the Museum de Arte Hispano-Musulman and the Museum de Bellas Artes (Spanish paintings).
The Generalife, the 14th century residence of campaign of the emirs lies little under the walls of the Alcazar, are here beautiful gardens, some hanging, several fountains and a wonderful panoramas can be admired towardas the Sierra Nevada range and the city, remarkable are the hydraulic works that allowed the irrigation of the garden.
In the city are other valuables monuments, between which to point out the enormous gothic Cathedral, built in the place of the Mezquita Mayor, between 1523 and 1703. Are here the Capilla Mayor built by Diego de Siloe and the gothic Capilla Real where there are the tombs of Isabella and Ferdinand carved from the Tuscan Domenico Fancelli. Between the churches, beyond to the Cathedral are interesting the churches of Santa Ana (in Mudejar style, 1537-1563), San Salvador (in Mudejar style, 16th century), Santo Domingo (1532), San José and San Jeronimo (1496-1547).
On the hill in front of the Alhambra lies the Albaicin, the old casbah or “Arabic medina”, a fascinating maze of narrow street and alleys flanked from white houses with inner small gardens, in the higher point of the hill lies the Plaza de San Nicolas from where one had a wonderful view on the citadel of the Alhambra. Although many Moorish palaces have been destroyed after the reconquista, Granada has still the most complete group of houses and palaces with Arabic architectures of Europe. In fact palaces as the Dar al Horra, or the Alcazar Genil, or houses as the Horno de Oro house, the Chapiz house, or the Abén Humeya house, are only the most famous. Public baths as El Bañuelo or the baths of the Alhambra, and the publics complex of Arabic fountains and wells (aljibes), are unique examples in Europe.
To the north of the city it's the hill of the Sacromonte, famous for the gipsy habitations built in the caverns. Little outside of the city, on a hill, it's the Monastery of the Cartuja, with a magnificent baroque interior.
