Puerta de la Tahona

City Gate in Granada

The Puerta de la Tahona or Gate of the Bakery was a internal access gate of the Alcazaba in the Alhambra Complex in Granada, Spain. It is located, hidden, under the terrace of the Torre del Cubo,  in the northeast corner of the Alcazaba.

What did the Puerta de la Tahona look like?

The Puerta de la Tahona was located next to a small tower, which would allow access for citizens, who, after entering the Alhambra compound through the Puerta de las Armas and crossing the Camino de Ronda or Calle del Foso, were heading either towards the Palacio Nazaríes or towards the Puerta del Vino.

Similar to the interior doors of the Puerta de las Armas it has two pointed brick horseshoe arches on each side, without decorations, although wider than the previous ones. It has an iron portcullis, the highest part fixed, while the lower one allows the two gates to be closed to prevent traffic through it.

On its upper part, the walkway continues until it comes from both the Torre de las Armas and the Torre de Mohamed and that leads into the Torre del Cubo. From its base we can see the wide wooden platform that supports part of the terrace of the Torre del Cubo.

Where did the name Puerta de la Tahona come from?

The Puerta de la Tahona gets its name from the arabic word aṭṭaḥuna or bakery. It was called this due to the nearby animal-drawn flour mill.

History of the Puerta de la Tahona?

Felipe II continued the policy undertaken by his father to  equip the Alhambra with the most advanced military engineering of the time, commissioning in 1586 Luis Machuca into building a bastion of artillery would strengthen the strategic enclave of the Tower of Homage.The construction of the Torre del Cubo lead to the enclosing of the old Puerta de la Tahona and its attached tower.

After the new access opened in the wall through the Puerta de los Carros, the Puerta de la Tahona was closed and the Puerta de las Armas ceased to be used as the main access to the Alhambra Complex. The  Puerta de la Justicia become the main gate and was supported by the nearby Puerta de los Carros.

At the beginning of the 20th century when more restoration work was being carried out on the Leventine wall of the Alcazaba, in the Torres del Homenaje, Quebrada; and the empty Torre del Adarguero; some houses were being removed from the Torre de las Armas and the excavation of the current Plaza de Los Aljibes up to the wall between the Torre del Cubo and the Torre de Mohamed. While undertaking these works, the architect Leopoldo Torres Balbás undertook the reconstruction of the Torre del Cubo, giving it access and fortifying its surface with a large wooden platform. It was not until 1954 when Jesús Bermúdez Pareja found the remains of the Gate. Later Francisco Prieto Moreno restored it, remaining as we can see it until now.

 

The Puerta de la Tahona appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Granada!

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Visiting Puerta de la Tahona

Hours:

For opening times of the Puerta de la Tahona see Alhambra Opening Times.

Access is normally restricted unless to building forms part of the Space of the Month program.


Price:

The Puerta de la Tahona is part of the Alhambra Complex and access it you need to purchase Alhambra Tickets or a Alhambra Guided Tour.

Duration: 5 minutes

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