Major sections within the Alhambra remain closed on Wednesday following an earthquake in the Spanish city of Granada on Tuesday, its second in four days.
Most of the Alhambra reopened this morning, although routes through the Nasrid Palaces and Generalife were altered to allow visitors to leave more quickly if further tremors occurred. The Alcazaba, the oldest section of the medieval palace and fortress complex, remains closed until further notice, according to local reports.
Parts of the Unesco World Heritage Site were evacuated and access was restricted after a 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck near the town of Gojar, about 10km south of Granada on Tuesday morning. It was followed by several tremors with magnitudes above 4.
Authorities have not reported physical damage to the Alhambra, which was inspected before reopening. The restrictions were introduced as a precaution while seismic activity continues.
A Unesco representative told The National: "Unesco is following the situation closely, and stands ready to provide any support and technical assistance should the State Party (Spain) request it. At this point such request has not taken place."
Tuesday's earthquakes left three people lightly injured, including a child who was taken to hospital, and caused further damage to buildings in Granada and its surrounding municipalities. About 600 residents were evacuated while their homes were inspected, with most of those affected living in Las Gabias.
Emergency services received more than 500 calls and treated 14 people, primarily for panic and anxiety, as residents moved into streets and open spaces. Large cracks, fallen masonry and damaged facades were reported across the affected area, although authorities said inspections had not identified widespread structural instability.
The tremors followed a 4.8-magnitude earthquake near Alhendin early on Saturday, which damaged homes, vehicles and several churches.
Granada Cathedral remains closed while its tower, vaults and exterior features are being examined. Fragments of material had fallen from its walls and vaults after Saturday’s earthquake, although initial inspections found no apparent major structural damage.
Construction of the cathedral began in the 16th century and continued into the early 18th century. Designed principally by Diego de Siloe, it is one of Spain’s most important examples of Renaissance architecture and is distinguished by its later Baroque facade.
Damage was also recorded at the Church of San Miguel Bajo in the Albaicin, where tiles and part of the exterior cornice fell from its tower into the adjoining square. The area was cordoned off following the first earthquake.
The 16th-century church was constructed over a former mosque and combines Gothic, Mudejar and Renaissance architecture. A 13th-century Nasrid cistern survives beside it, while the surrounding Albaicin was added to the Alhambra and Generalife’s Unesco World Heritage designation in 1994.
Small pieces of masonry also fell inside the church and along an upper cloister at the Monastery of San Jeronimo. Founded by the Catholic Monarchs, the Renaissance complex contains the tomb of Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba, the military commander known as the Great Captain.
The Archdiocese of Granada reported interior damage at five churches following Saturday’s earthquake: the Basilica of Nuestra Senora de las Angustias, Santa Maria Magdalena, San Miguel Bajo, Nuestra Senora de Gracia and Santos Justo y Pastor. The buildings were initially closed pending technical inspections, although detailed assessments of the damage have not yet been released.
The disruption follows an earthquake preparedness exercise held at the Alhambra in April last year. Organised under Spain’s National Plan for Emergencies and Risk Management in Cultural Heritage, the drill simulated damage to historic structures within the complex.
Members of Spain’s Military Emergency Unit, firefighters and conservation specialists practised supporting unstable architectural elements and protecting valuable objects that could not be removed. The exercise included simulated interventions at the Torre de Muhammad and Torre del Cubo.
Several of Granada’s monuments had previously required repairs after an earthquake swarm in 2021. That series of more than 1,000 tremors enlarged existing cracks at the cathedral and San Jeronimo, and led to work on parts of the Alhambra.
At least 10 more earthquakes were recorded around Granada overnight, the strongest a 3.4-magnitude tremor near Ogijares. The Andalusian authorities continued to operate the province’s earthquake plan as inspections of homes, public buildings and monuments progressed.
