PALACIO DE DAR AL-HORRA

Palacio de Dar al-Horra, “Home of the Honest”, located in the Alcazaba Cadima, formed part of the large palace of Zirid King Badis, although archeology has not yet provided convincing information to confirm this.

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, Boabdil.

After the conquest, it was transferred by the Catholic Monarchs to Hernando de Zafra, who made it his residence. In 1493 various agreements were signed in Dar al-Horra with the Mudejar nobility of Granada, convincing them go to Morocco with their deposed Emir.

Zafra tied to establish a convent of Dominican nuns in this building and adjacent buildings, although he did not succeed, it eventually being converted into a Franciscan convent by Queen Isabel, inhabited from 1507 to this day by nuns of the order of St Clare.

The building is centered by a rectangular patio, with a small pool toward the south side, with porticoes on the north and south sides. 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 main rooms, with high ceilings, are behind the arcades of the patio. The one on the south side was used as a church until the current church of Santa Isabel la Real was constructed

The upper floor retains the style of Islamic houses and has wonderful views over the 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, reaching it through the so-called Arch of the Nuns. The current public park, called Huerto de Carlos, was part of the convent garden until the nineteenth century expropriations.