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60-517: This part of the city became important in the Zirid period in the 11th century when the city's Great Mosque (replaced by the cathedral today) was built here. Initially, this area was only lightly urbanized and was occupied initially by an almunia (semi-rural estate) owned by the ruling Zirids. The construction of the Great Mosque may have been intended to promote the city's growth in this direction, and it

120-604: A Sanhaja Berber clan. The Taifa of Granada was considered to be the wealthiest out of all of the taifa kingdoms . It was eventually conquered by the Almoravids in 1090, putting an end to Zirid rule in Granada. The Zirids were a Sanhaja Berber clan from the central Maghreb (present-day Algeria ), who served the Fatimid Caliphate and created a dynasty that thereafter ruled parts of North Africa on their behalf. The dynasty

180-569: A caravanserai (the Funduq al-Jadida ) nearby, as well as remodeling the Alcaicería as a whole. A large part of the district around the Great Mosque was occupied by souqs (markets) and commercial establishments. To the northeast of the mosque was a square known as Raḥbat Masjid al-A'ẓam ("Square of the Great Mosque"), where perfumers and notaries were located. Between this square and the Darro River to

240-747: A fortress on the Sabika hill, was first built under the Zirids. Although it was later rebuilt and incorporated into the Alhambra of the Nasrids , traces of the original Zirid fortress remain. Downhill from the former citadel and near the Darro River is the Bañuelo , a public baths complex originally known as the Hammam al-Yawza . It is traditionally dated to the time of the Zirids in

300-533: A myth, given the predominant Berber Y haplogroup is E, and the predominant Arab Y haplogroup is J . The historian Al-Idrīsī presents one example of the Himyarite myth as following: He then traced the origin of the Ṣanhādja and Lamṭa tribes to their common male ancestor Lamṭ, son of Za‘zā‘, who was from the children (min awlād) of Ḥimyar, and thus attributed to both of them the South Arabian roots. The similar origin

360-536: A period known as the fitna of al-Andalus . Zawi initially played a role, along with other Berber factions, in the siege of Córdoba between 1010 and 1013. By the end of the siege they succeeded in installing their own puppet caliph in Córdoba, Sulayman al-Musta'in , but by this point Zawi and other factions probably understood that the dominance of Córdoba was at an end and they sought political fortunes elsewhere in al-Andalus. The new caliph granted Zawi and his faction

420-879: A political memoir about his reign and his dynasty, called the Tibyān , which has provided modern historians with a great deal of information about this period. Under Zirid rule the population of Granada was diverse. Political tensions arose between three main groups: the Andalusi Arabs, the Jewish community, and the Sanhaja Berbers. People of various other backgrounds were also present, including muwalladūn (Muslims of Iberian descent), those descended from other tribes in North Africa, and slaves of both black and white ethnicities. Many people likely moved from Cordoba to Granada during

480-411: A troublemaker. However, his son and successor, 'Abd al-Malik al-Muẓaffar (r. 1002–1008), seeking able military commanders, granted Zawi and his followers permission to come to Córdoba, where they subsequently became an important part of al-Muzaffar's army. The new Zirid arrivals were probably also accompanied by their families from North Africa. The Caliphate of Córdoba fragmented after 1008 during

540-565: Is also ascribed to the “brother” of Ṣanhādj and Lamṭ by maternal line, Hawwār, whose forefather was al-Muṣawwir, son of al-Muthannā, son of Kalā‘, son of Ayman, son of Sa‘īd, son of Ḥimyar. According to a legend, his and his tribe’s abode was in Hejaz, but they left it in search of lost camels, so that crossed the Nile and reached the Maghrib, where al-Muṣawwir married Tāzikāy, the mother of Ṣanhādj and Lamṭ. After

600-501: Is here that first major markets of the city developed during this period. As the city expanded during the Nasrid period, the area became less central but the new rulers re-invested in it and it became the commercial heart of the city. It is from this time that the Alcaicería dates. The Nasrid emir Yusuf I (r. 1333–1354) raised its profile by building a madrasa (the Madrasa al-Yusufiyya ) and

660-461: Is plausible when considering the situation of al-Andalus at the time and the similar stories of other Andalusi cities inviting new rulers to protect them during the Taifas period. Soon after settling in the area, Zawi moved his capital from Madinat Ilbira (a site near modern Atarfe ) to the more defensible Granada ( Gharnāṭa ) nearby. Granada had been hitherto a small settlement on the right bank of

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720-420: The fitna , seeking to escape the conflict. Historical evidence suggests that a Christian population still existed in the city, though it eventually disappeared in the 12th century. The Arabs had largely settled in the region of Granada during Umayyad rule, mostly originating from the jund (soldiers) of Damascus in the early days of al-Andalus. During the second half of the 9th century, many of them moved from

780-439: The kūra (province) of Ilbira (or Elvira) to settle in 1013. According to the narrative provided by the later memoirs of Abdallah ibn Buluggin (the last Zirid king of Granada), the Zirids settled there at the request of the local population who sought protection from outside attackers but were unable to organize themselves. Historian Hugh Kennedy notes that while Abdallah's memoirs seek to legitimize Zirid rule, this narrative

840-547: The 1080s, as Alfonso's forces began encroaching into al-Andalus and the Berber Almoravids of North Africa began to intervene in the Iberian Peninsula as a result. In 1089, during the second Almoravid expedition to the peninsula, 'Abdallah was coerced into aiding the unsuccessful Almoravid siege of Aledo . After this, he tried to play both sides: keeping up the payments to Alfonso VI while also keeping up relations with

900-444: The 11th century, during the reign of Badis ibn Habus or Abdallah , based on an early study by Leopoldo Torres Balbás . (Although more recent studies have argued that the building dates from the 12th century or later. ) The Zirids are also believed to have constructed the Great Mosque ( congregational mosque ) of Granada, whose site is now occupied by the present-day Cathedral . One Arabic historical text records that its minbar

960-507: The Alcaicería passed on to the Spanish crown, which continued to manage it as a guarded market. Its official name was the Real Sitio y Fuerte de la Alcaicería ("Royal Site and Stronghold of the Alcaicería"). A plan of the market drawn in 1787 by Tomás López Maño documents its layout. The plan shows that it was made up of various perpendicular streets and that it contained up to 152 shops. The market

1020-571: The Almoravids. Finally, Granada was captured by the Almoravids in September 1090 ( Rajab 483 AH ), putting an end to the independent kingdom. 'Abdallah, understanding the military superiority of the Almoravids, surrendered the city to them without a fight. The Almoravids detained him and confiscated all his properties, but he was allowed to retire in exile in Aghmat (in present-day Morocco ), where he wrote

1080-486: The Castilian contingent of Seville being led by Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar , later known as El Cid. The constant warfare also led to raised taxes, which added to general discontent. There were frequent rebellions, even by high-ranking officials and governors. The ruler of Almeria, al-Mu'tasim, exploited Granada's weakness again by reclaiming Baeza with the aid of its Zirid governor, Ibn Malhan. The kingdom's affairs worsened in

1140-568: The Darro river, and Zawi's move to this location resulted in the foundation of a new city and an independent polity that lasted 77 years. In 1018, the Umayyad pretender Abd al-Rahman IV , known as al-Murtaḍā, laid siege to Granada but his forces were decisively defeated by the Zirids. Soon after, in 1019 or 1020, Zawi left al-Andalus for North Africa, resuming his ambitions within the Zirid state there, which

1200-707: The Great Mosque and covered an area of almost 4,600 square metres (50,000 sq ft), enclosed today by the Libreros, Oficios, Tinte, and Zacatín streets and the Bibarrambla Square. To the south of the market, one of the bridges over the Darro, al-Qanṭara al-Jadīda ("the New Bridge"), led to the state-owned Funduq al-Jadida. After the Christian conquest of the city by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492, ownership of

1260-639: The Muslim world in North Africa and the Middle East, sending gifts and sponsoring scholars. He paid to send oil to the synagogues of Jerusalem, which was seen as a "royal" virtue. The Granadan Jewish community was in close contact with the Jewish city of Lucena , the most important center for the study of Jewish law. Difficulties and tensions remained present nonetheless for Jews as a minority group within Al-Andalus. Abdallah ibn Buluggin's memoirs claim that one reason

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1320-725: The Sanhaja as a grouping made up of three separate confederations, not as a single confederation. The distinction is usually made with a diacritical point placed above or below that is present in the Arabic text and often lost in English. Berber tribes such as the Sanhadja or Kutama are often attributed Himyarite origins by Arab historians (which the Sanhadja likely adopted themselves for political legitimacy), but other genealogical sources and modern genetic testing reveal this supposed origin to likely be

1380-478: The Zirid kings chose a Jewish vizier was that they preferred to entrust a Jewish aristocrat with power than an Andalusi Arab who may have had loyalties with other Muslim factions. As a non-Muslim dhimmi , Samuel could not officially rise to the position of king in a Muslim state, which also made him a desirable candidate for the otherwise powerful position of vizier. The Jewish community was led by elder patriarchs, among whom political rivalries existed at times. At

1440-507: The Zirid kings of Granada. 'Abdallah's older brother Tamim, the governor of Malaga, declared himself independent. In 1081–1082 Tamim even attacked his brother's territory by land and sea, but he was eventually defeated and then reconciled with his brother. Around this time, the Taifa kingdoms of al-Andalus, including Granada, also became increasingly dependent on the Christian kings of the northern Iberian Peninsula for military aid, particularly

1500-703: The Zirid state during this period as a "Jewish kingdom in all but name" with the Muslim ruler as a figurehead with no real power. The power and status of the Granadan Jews at this time was not only unique in al-Andalus, but in the entire Islamic world. While the Banu Naghrela (or Banu Nagrilla) family of Samuel ha-Nagid reached the highest office in the kingdom's administration, the Banū 'Ezra family also promoted and sponsored arts and sciences during this century. Samuel also cultivated relations with Jewish communities throughout

1560-634: The Zirids also defeated the Abbadids of Seville in battle near Ecija, in turn gaining some territory to the west. The Zirids formally recognized as caliphs the Hammudids , a dynasty descended from Sulayman al-Musta'in and the rulers of the Taifa of Málaga . Badis nonetheless annexed Málaga in 1056 after Hammudid rule collapsed there, appointing his own son, Buluggin Sayf ad-Dawla, as governor. The reign of Badis thus became

1620-613: The Zirids, known as the al-Qasaba al-Qadima ("Old Citadel"), was located on the hill that is now the Albaicín neighborhood, but it has not been preserved. The surviving Aljibe del Rey (" Cistern of the King"), the largest medieval cistern in the neighbourhood, was originally built to serve this citadel. Nearby, the inner northern walls of the city, which run along the top of the Albaicín today, also date from this period. The Alcazaba of Granada ,

1680-569: The additional feminine singular circumfix ta--t , or Iẓnagen or Iẓnajen with the additional masculine plural circumfix i--en , or Tiẓnagen or Tiẓnajen with the additional feminine plural circumfix ti--en ) are thought to be a romanized distortion of Zenata and Sanhaja from Arabic. The descendants of the Sanhaja and their languages are still found today in the Middle Atlas mountains, eastern Morocco, northern Morocco (Rif), western Algeria, Kabylia and Kabyle territories. The Zenaga,

1740-669: The apogee of Taifa Granada's political and economic power. Under the kings Habbus and Badis, the Jewish administrator known as Isma'il ibn Nagrilla (in Arabic ) or Samuel ha-Nagid (in Hebrew ) progressively became the most powerful political figure in the state. Isma'il was a highly educated member of the former elites of Cordoba who had fled that city after the outbreak of the fitna . He eventually found his way to Granada, where Habbus appointed him his secretary in 1020 and entrusted him with many important responsibilities, including tax collection. He

1800-505: The area before the arrival of the Arab Maqil tribes in the 12th century, which was finally subjected to domination by Arab-descended warrior castes in the 17th century Char Bouba war . According to Mercer, the words Zenaga or Znaga (from the Berber root ẓnag or ẓnaj , giving the noun Aẓnag or Aẓnaj with the additional masculine singular prefix a- , or Taẓnagt or Taẓnajt with

1860-461: The area to store goods and to provide accommodation for foreign merchants. Among these other markets, the Alcaicería ( al-qaysariyya ) itself was a distinct bazaar that was owned by the Nasrids directly and which was locked and watched at night. It was in this market that silk and other select valuable goods were sold, which the Nasrid authorities taxed at a higher rate. It was located to the southwest of

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1920-450: The arrival of the Almoravids, led to the eventual disintegration of the Jewish community in Granada. A small but significant Jewish minority still existed in the city during the Nasrid period (13th to 15th centuries), until the final expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492. The architecture of the Taifa kingdoms in al-Andalus perpetuated and elaborated the architectural styles developed under

1980-889: The arrival of the religion of Islam, the Sanhaja spread out to the borders of the Sudan as far as the Senegal River and the Niger. Sanhaja Berbers were a large part of the Berber population. From the 9th century, Sanhaja tribes were established in the Middle Atlas range, in the Rif Mountains and on the Atlantic coast of Morocco as well as large parts of the Sanhaja, such as the Kutâma, were settled in central and eastern parts Algeria ( Kabylia , Setif, Algiers, Msila) and also in northern Niger. The Kutama created

2040-503: The balance of power was in favour of the Zirids, who conducted several military campaigns to the west. In one such campaign, Habus assembled a coalition of armies from Granada, Almeria, and the Zanata principality of Ecija . They attacked Seville directly on or around 30 August 1036, occupying the nearby towns of Aznalcazar and Tocina and burning down the Triana neighbourhood of the city. By

2100-552: The caliphs of Cordoba, but it also integrated new ideas and techniques from further abroad. The architecture of the Zirids in al-Andalus was influenced by earlier architecture from Cordoba and also seems to have been influenced by the architecture of the Hammadids in North Africa. Several structures in southern Spain today have been dated, or tentatively dated, to the time of the Zirid Taifa kingdom. The original palace and citadel of

2160-463: The city of Ilbira ( Madinat Ilbira ) to Granada due to their conflicts with the muwalladūn in Ilbira. The Sanhaja Berbers arrived with the Zirids in the 11th century and made up much of the army and the ruling elites, though they were a minority within the wider population. The memoirs of Abdallah ibn Buluggin state that Jews, who were already settled in the city prior to the arrival of the Zirids, made up

2220-457: The date of his death. In Granada, Zawi's nephew Habbus ibn Maksan was invited by the qadi of the city, Abu 'Abdallah ibn Abi Zamanin, to take control of the new kingdom instead of one of Zawi's sons. Under the reign of Habbus (1019–1038), the Taifa of Granada was consolidated and evolved into one of the most important political forces of al-Andalus. Habbus organised the military by dividing his kingdom into smaller provinces, each of which

2280-599: The empire of the Fatimids conquering all North African countries and parts of the Middle East. The Sanhaja dynasties of the Zirids and Hammâdids controlled Ifriqiya until the 12th century and established their rule in all of the countries in the Maghreb region. In the mid-11th century, a group of Sanhaja chieftains returning from the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) invited the theologian Ibn Yasin to preach among their tribes. Ibn Yasin united

2340-429: The end of Habus ibn Maksan's reign in 1038, Samuel, who supported the accession of Badis to the throne, was confronted by another powerful Jewish figure, Yosef Ben Migash, who supported Badis' brother Buluggin instead. When Buluggin died soon after, the Jewish patriarchs who supported him fled to Seville, leaving Samuel as the uncontested leader of the Jewish patriarchs in Granada. The massacre of 1066, followed later by

2400-441: The end of his reign, Habbus had thus secured a kingdom occupying the former provinces of Ilbira, Jaén, and Cabra. Habbus was succeeded by his son, Badis Ibn Habbus (r. 1038–1073), but his reign started with succession troubles. Various factions opposed him and supported either his cousin, Yaddayr ibn Hubasa, or his youngest brother, Buluggin. He managed to foil a coup attempt thanks to the warnings of his allies. Zuhayr al-'Amiri,

2460-521: The king of Castile and Léon , Alfonso VI . One of Alfonso's main strategies, as described in Abdallah ibn Buluggin's memoirs, was to goad both Seville and Granada into attacking and weakening each other, all while forcing both sides to pay parias (a tax or tribute) to him. The Zirids were defeated in the Battle of Cabra in 1079 against the forces of Seville. Both sides were aided by Castilian knights, with

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2520-480: The king, Badis, remained ineffective. When Badis' elder son Buluggin was killed by poison in Yusuf's palace, Yusuf was widely suspected of plotting the murder. In 1066, Yusuf secretly invited al-Mu'tasim, the ruler of the neighbouring Taifa kingdom of Almería , to take control of the city and install him as client king in place of the Zirids. Yusuf's plan was to open the gates of the city when al-Mu'tasim's army arrived, but

2580-406: The kingdom weakened, exacerbated by frequent wars with the Taifa of Seville and other neighbours. When Badis died in 1073, his grandson, 'Abdallah ibn Buluggin, was chosen by an assembly of Sanhaja dynastic officials and shaykh s to be his successor, despite 'Abdallah being between 7 and 9 years of age. A regent named Simaja was appointed to the young king, the only vizier of Berber origin to serve

2640-451: The largest Berber tribal confederations, along with the Zanata and Masmuda confederations. Many tribes in Algeria, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, Tunisia and Western Sahara bore and still carry this ethnonym, especially in its Berber form. Other names for the population include Zenaga , Znaga , Sanhája , Sanhâdja and Senhaja . Ibn Khaldun and others defined

2700-431: The majority of Granada's population in the early Zirid period. Granada first became an Islamic city under the Zirids, and so it was also in this period that Islamic scholarship first developed in the city. Generally, during Granada's Islamic history, most of the ulama (Islamic jurists and scholars) appeared to be of Arab origin and few names of Berber origin are recorded among them, suggesting that Islamic knowledge

2760-444: The plan failed when al-Mu'tasim grew uncertain and decided to turn back his army at the last moment. When Yusuf's plot was subsequently revealed, it provoked a violent retaliation from other factions and from the general population still loyal to the Zirids, resulting in the 1066 Granada massacre , in which Yusuf and his allies were killed and deadly retaliations were extended against the city's Jewish population. After these events,

2820-575: The remaining rebels westwards and sought new opportunity in al-Andalus under the Umayyad Caliphs of Córdoba , the former enemies of the Fatimids and Zirids. The hajib of Caliph Hisham II (r. 976–1009) and de facto ruler of the Caliphate of Córdoba at the time, Ibn Abi ʿAmir al-Mansur (also known as Almanzor), initially refused to allow Zawi's immigration to al-Andalus, believing his reputation as

2880-439: The ruler of Almeria , attempted to exploit these internal dissensions in 1038 by refusing to renew the alliance he had concluded with Habbus and by invading Granada's territory. He managed to advance as far as al-Funt ( Deifontes ), a farmstead north of Granada, but here he was met and defeated by an army from Granada. The Zirids annexed much of his former territory and turned Almeria into a vassal state for several years. In 1039,

2940-507: The ruling classes, also played a relatively important role in politics. The Zirid Taifa period was the golden age of the Jewish aristocracy in Granada and for Andalusi Jews more generally. As scholar David William Foster puts it, "the peak of Sephardic Judaism as a political as well as cultural reality is found in eleventh-century Granada." Under the Zirid kings a Jew, Samuel ha-Nagid (Isma'il ibn Nagrilla), commanded an army, something not seen again until modern Israel . Foster characterizes

3000-484: The south was the most important market of the city, known as al-Saqqāṭīn , which despite its name (literally meaning "the secondhand clothes sellers") was home to many types of businesses including silversmiths , shoemakers , and haberdasheries . Closer to the river were the markets that sold food, with shops grouped together by category. Various caravanserais ( funduq in Arabic or later alhóndiga in Spanish) were built in

3060-520: The tribes in the alliance of the Almoravids in the middle of the 11th century. This confederacy subsequently established Morocco, and conquered western Algeria and Al-Andalus (part of present-day Spain). The Sanhaja tribes would remain in roles as either exploited semi-sedentary agriculturalists and fishermen, or higher up on the social ladder, as religious (Marabout or Zawiya) tribes. Though often Arabized in culture and language, they are believed to be descended from Sanhaja Berber population present in

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3120-402: Was a Muslim kingdom that was formed in al-Andalus (in present-day Spain) in 1013 following the deposition of Caliph Hisham II in 1009. The kingdom was centered on Granada , its capital, and it also extended its control to Málaga for a period. Four kings succeeded each other during its nearly 80 years of existence, all of them belonging to an offshoot of the Zirid dynasty of North Africa ,

3180-445: Was charged with recruiting a jund militia which contributed to the Zirid army. He is also credited with building the Zirid citadel in Granada, located in what is now the Albaicín neighbourhood. Habbus invaded Cabra and Jaén around 1028–1029, expanding his territory northwards, while also imposing his influence on the Taifa of Almeria to the east. Granada's greatest rival was the Taifa of Seville , but at this early stage,

3240-607: Was completed in the year 1055. In the Albaicín, the bell tower of what is now the Church of San José was originally a minaret and is traditionally dated to the Zirid period. It belonged to a mosque known as the al-Murābiṭīn Mosque (the Mosque of the Marabouts or "Almoravid" Mosque). Beyond Granada, the Alcazaba of Malaga was also built during the Taifa period in the 11th century, though it

3300-537: Was destroyed by fire in 1843 and rebuilt on a much smaller scale, using a different Neo-Moorish style that emulated Nasrid architecture. The reconstruction reduced the Alcaicería in size and removed many of its smaller internal streets so that larger apartment blocs could be created. 37°10′33.2″N 3°35′54.2″W  /  37.175889°N 3.598389°W  / 37.175889; -3.598389 Taifa of Granada The Taifa of Granada ( Arabic : طائفة غرناطة , Ta'ifat Gharnata ) or Zirid Kingdom of Granada

3360-499: Was founded by Ziri ibn Manad , who was succeeded by his son Buluggin after 971, ruling from Kairouan in Ifriqiya (present-day Tunisia ). In 999, many of Buluggin's brothers, including Zawi ibn Ziri , rebelled against his grandson, Badis ibn al-Mansur , due to their exclusion from power by Buluggin and his descendants. The rebels, based in 'Ashir , were defeated in battle and most of the brothers were killed except for Zawi. Zawi led

3420-400: Was often associated with Arab identity or descent. The Zirid state in Granada retained important Berber characteristics. For example, a jamā'a , or tribal assembly, was responsible for electing the next ruler from the Zirid dynasty and co-ruled alongside him. Significantly, the language of the court was a Berber language , and this was also spoken in daily life. Women, or at least women of

3480-403: Was one of the allies who warned Badis of the coup attempt against him at the start of his reign and he thus became the king's most trusted advisor. Under Badis, Isma'il even took charge of the army. After Isma'il's death in 1056, his son Yusuf (Joseph) took over his position but lacked his father's political skill and prudence, quickly making enemies among other factions within the state while

3540-530: Was significantly remodelled under the later Nasrids. The limited elements that have survived from the 11th century were likely built by both the Zirids and by the Hammudids from whom they conquered the city. The four Zirid kings of Granada were: 37°10′N 3°35′W  /  37.167°N 3.583°W  / 37.167; -3.583 Sanhaja The Sanhaja ( Arabic : صنهاجة , Ṣanhaja or زناگة Znaga ; Berber languages : Aẓnag , pl. Iẓnagen , and also Aẓnaj , pl. Iẓnajen ) were once one of

3600-518: Was under the rule of the young al-Muizz ibn Badis but embroiled in an internal struggle with Hammad ibn Buluggin , a family member who had declared his independence from the Zirids of Kairouan in 1015 and founded the Hammadid dynasty . Zawi's fate is not known for certain: according to Ibn Hayyan he died of the plague years later, while Abdallah ibn Buluggin's memoirs claim he was poisoned not long after arriving in North Africa, but neither source gives

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