The Alhambra reopened to most visitors on Wednesday, a day after a swarm of earthquakes shook Granada and forced Spain's most visited monument to shut its gates. Inspectors combed through the Nasrid Palaces, the Generalife gardens and the surrounding grounds overnight and found no structural damage, clearing the way for tourists to return.
Not every corner of the complex has reopened. The Alcazaba, the fortress that forms the oldest part of the site and dates back to the ninth century, remains closed until further notice as a precaution while the seismic activity in the region continues. Officials have not set a date for when it might reopen.
Inside the parts of the Alhambra that are open, staff have adjusted the visitor routes through the Nasrid Palaces and the Generalife so that crowds can be moved out quickly if another tremor strikes. Site management said the changes are meant to ease evacuation rather than to limit what visitors can see.
The Alhambra was not the only historic site affected. Granada Cathedral closed part of its tower and vaults after masonry fragments fell from the walls, and engineers are still assessing the interior. The Church of San Miguel Bajo lost tiles and pieces of its cornice into the square below, and the Monastery of San Jeronimo reported small stone fragments falling inside its upper cloister. Several other churches across the city, including the Basilica of Nuestra Senora de las Angustias, also reported interior damage and are undergoing checks.
A UNESCO spokesperson said the organization is following the situation in Granada closely and is ready to offer technical support if Spain requests it, though no such request had been made as of Wednesday. The Alhambra has held World Heritage status since 1984 and draws millions of visitors each year.
The quakes that triggered the closures are part of a seismic swarm that has rattled the province for days, following a magnitude 5.0 tremor that struck the area early Saturday and a magnitude 4.8 quake on Tuesday that injured three people. Regional officials have asked residents and visitors to stay alert, warning that aftershocks could continue for some time.