Funduq al-Jadida

Granada, Spain

The New Funduq (Arabic al-funduq al-jadida) was constructed in the fourteenth-century, and is the only surviving example of this building type in Spain. The funduq, or khan, was a common feature of medieval Islamic cities, and was usually composed of at least two floors of rooms arranged around a central courtyard. Funduqs provided traveling merchants with accommodation and storage space for goods and animals.

The entrance façade of the Funduq al-Jadida is elaborately ornamented with a monumental portal and richly carved stucco surfaces. The richness of the façade ornamentation probably reflects its royal patronage - first owned by the Nasrid rulers and then by the Castilian crown following the conquest of Granada in 1492. The monumental entrance also advertises the building's presence at the end of a narrow alley that branches from one of Granada's main thoroughfares. The projecting bay of the portal creates a shallow vestibule, ornamented with a muqarnas vault, which leads to the interior courtyard. In contrast to the conspicuous decoration of the façade, the interior courtyard is characterised by unornamented brick, wood, stucco, and stone. Brick and stone piers support galleries that permit access to rooms on three floors. A stone water basin is located in the center of the courtyard.

Later in its history the Funduq al-Jadida was used to store grain, and in the seventeenth-century was used as an office for weighing coal. This latter function is commemorated in the name by which the Funduq al-Jadida is known today: the Corral del Carbon. It is now used for cultural events and is preserved as a cultural landmark.

Sources:

Orihuela Uzal, Antonio. 1995. "Granada, Capital del Reino Nazarí." In La Arquitectura del Islam Occidental. 204-206

Robertson, Ian. 1980. Spain, the mainland. In Blue guide. Chicago : Rand McNally, p. 490.

Spain 5th ed. 1976. Nagel's encyclopedia-guide. Geneva: Nagel Publishers, p. 818.

Torres Balbas, L. 1946. "Las alhóndigas y el Corral del Carbón." In al-Andalus 11: 447-80.

"Corral de Carbón- History"- The Alhmabra Websit. http://www.alhambra.info/alhambra_guia_granada/guia_granada_monumental_historia_en.asp?monumento=Corralcarbon&page=2  [Accessed January 9, 2014]