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What are the Carmenes of Granada?
Granada is a unique city, where we can enjoy wonderful landscapes, the imposing Alhambra and its Cármenes. Most of you may not be familiar with them, but these typical dwellings (peculiar house) have a lot of importance in history, as well as being very characteristic.
This type of house is characterised by having a green space attached to the house. This space is both a garden and an orchard, it is usually walled and surrounded by lush vegetation. We usually find this type of house in the hillside areas of the city, which is why they stand out in neighbourhoods such as the Albaicín and the Realejo. Generally, it is not a luxury finca, but rather a small, unified finca.
The etymological origin of this word is Nasrid, due to the years that the Arabs settled in the kingdom of Granada. It comes from the word “karm”, whose broader meaning is “vineyard”, although it was also used to designate some rustic estates located outside the walls of the ancient city of Granada.
Which are the best Cármenes in Granada?
Within the city, and above all, in the neighbourhoods we have mentioned above, we can find different Cármenes, although it should be noted that they are private and not all of them are open to the public. Fortunately, there are others that can be visited, such as the Campo de los Mártires, the Aljibe del Rey and the Chapiteles, among others.
Campo de los Mártires
Called by the Nasrids Campo de Ahbul, by the Christians Campo de los Cautivos, and nowadays known as Campo de los Mártires, it is a very representative place because it is the place from where Boabdil handed over the city to the Catholic Monarchs.
This Carmen has been listed as an Asset of Cultural Interest since 1943. It is approximately seven hectares in which we can find orchards, English and French gardens, the Isla Lago, a small palace, and a wonderful Nasrid courtyard. One of the entrances to this Carmen is through the Puerta de las Granadas.
El Aljibe del Rey
Located in the Albaicín neighbourhood, it occupies some two thousand square metres of gardens, orchards, and a main building with several adjoining buildings.
As its name suggests, the most outstanding feature of this place is the inner courtyard located over its water tank, which is the largest in the area with a capacity of more than 300 cubic metres. This building is currently used for cultural activities.
El Carmen los Chapiteles
It was built during the years when the Arabs occupied Granada, but after the Reconquest it became the property of Don Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba in the 14th century. He was the head of the army of the Catholic Monarchs and received the Carmen de los Chapiteles as a gift for his great work during the capture of Granada.
Inside, we find different relics in an incredible state of preservation and other original craftsmanship that will make us better understand the history at the same time, that delight our eyes. It is currently used for holding events.
When can we visit them?
El Carmen del Campo de los Mártires can be visited all year round, but at different times. During the spring and summer season, from 1 April to 14 October, it will be open from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 18:00 to 20:00 from Monday to Friday, while Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays it will be open uninterruptedly from 10:00 to 20:00. During the winter, from 15 October to 31 March, it will be open from 10:00 to 14:00 hours and from 16:00 to 18:00 hours from Monday to Friday, while Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays it will be open continuously from 10:00 to 18:00 hours. It is in Paseo de los Mártires and admission is free for everyone. For more information, please contact the following telephone number: 958 849 103.
The Carmen del Aljibe del Rey is in the heart of the Albaicín quarter between the Zirí wall and the Placeta del Cristo de las Azucenas, it is also the current headquarters of the AguaGranada Foundation and houses the Water Interpretation Centre. It can be visited in groups of a maximum of 6 people. There are different shifts for these visits. There are four shifts available from Monday to Friday, the first at 10:00 hours, the second at 11:00 hours, the third at 12:00 hours, and the last at 13:00 hours. Admission is completely free and there is no need to book.
At OWAY TOURS we offer different guided visits and tours. Follow the links for more information:
