This became the settlement of Jews and Muslims when they were forced to leave the city during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs. The gitanos, a Romani population of nomadic gypsies from Europe and Africa, settled in with them in what is now known as the Sacromonte neighborhood.
It offers breath-taking scenery with beautiful panoramic views featuring the Alhambra towers, the Valparaíso Valley, and hillsides speckled with the iconic white houses of the Albaicín community.
Cave dwellings are interspersed throughout Sacromonte, the most famous being those dedicated to the Zambras. Zambra is an Arabic term to describe the prenuptial rite of the gypsies. These caves are spacious and adorned with shiny copper pots. This ideal setting for flamenco performances attracts tourists from around the world.
The caves are so important that they have their own museum, the Cuevas de Sacromonte. It is an open-air, ethnographic museum located at the top of the Barranco de los Negros. The museum features ten caves that replicate the living conditions of the inhabitants in those days.
Today, many gitano communities continue to live in this neighborhood and maintain their own Romani language, called Caló.
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