Sephardic culture in Granada

The city of Granada is rich in history, as different peoples, civilisations and religions have coexisted here and contributed to the development of the province. For this reason, it is important to know the history and legacy of the Sephardic culture in Granada.

Would you like to find out who the Sephardim are and what their influence has been in the region of Granada? Stay and read our article, we will show you everything you need to know below!

Who are the Sephardim?

The Sephardim, or also known as Sephardim, are the Jews and their descendants who were exiled from the territories belonging to the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon when, in 1492, the Catholic Monarchs ordered the expulsion of this group from the peninsula.

As a result, thousands of Jews moved to different parts of the world such as Italy, France, Portugal, the Ottoman Empire and Morocco. However, this process was repeated in most of the destinations where they decided to settle, and they had to continually leave their homes.

The Sephardim, in addition to their religion, preserved many of the customs they had adopted from their life in Spain, most of them maintaining the use of the Spanish language.

Although during the Middle Ages a high percentage of the population was Jewish, the demands of conversion to Christianity and the continuous exiles to which they were forced resulted in only 10% of the Jews of Sephardic origin surviving.

What has been the Sephardic influence in Granada?

One of the greatest assets of the city of Granada is the period in which Christian, Muslim and Jewish culture were combined, which meant that this province was endowed with countless representative and symbolic elements of each of these civilisations.

Thus, the Jews played a key role in the development of Granada, and the place of their settlement, the Barrio del Realejo, became one of the most emblematic areas of the city. It is worth noting that this name was acquired later, since when the Sephardim lived in this area it was known as ‘Granata al-Yahud’, or in other words, the Granada of the Jews.

Likewise, the Sephardim who lived in Granada made very valuable contributions on an intellectual, political and socio-economic level, with Yehuda Ibn Tibon, one of the most famous Grenadians for his work as a doctor, philosopher, translator and poet, being of particular note. For this reason, we can find a statue of this personage at the confluence of the streets Pavaneras, San Matías and La Colcha in Granada.

However, after the order of the Catholic Monarchs, in 1492 the Jewish quarter was razed to the ground, destroying all the buildings and Jewish references in the city.

As a reminder of this important culture, we can visit the Palacio de los Olvidados in Granada, a building that tries to give the Jews the relevance they deserve. Inside, you will have the opportunity to discover permanent exhibitions on the Inquisition and the history of Granada's converts, many of whom were Jews.

The Sephardim today

In 2015 a law was passed amending the Civil Code with the aim of officially granting Spanish nationality to the descendants of the Jews who were expelled from Spain, resulting in more than 125,000 applications for nationality from the Sephardim.

Why take a route to discover Sephardic Granada?

As you have seen throughout this article on Sephardic culture in Granada, it has been demonstrated that this people made a notable contribution to the city of Granada, endowing it with a historical fortune and an indelible mark.

If you would like to find out more about the Sephardic culture in the city of Granada, book a tour on the official website of the Archdiocese of Granada and discover the most interesting facts about the Jewish community in the history of Granada.