Granada (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡɾaˈnaða]) is a city in western Nicaragua and the capital of the Granada Department. With an estimated population of 123,697 ( 2012 ), it is Nicaragua 's sixth most populous city. Granada is historically one of Nicaragua 's most important cities, economically and politically. It has a rich colonial heritage, seen in its architecture and structure.
Granada had a thriving Indigenous population. In 1524, the city was renamed Granada, by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba, ostensibly the first European city in mainland America. Unlike other cities that claim the same distinction, the city of Granada was not only the settlement of the conquest, but also a city registered in official records of the Crown of Aragon, and the Kingdom of Castile in Spain.
Granada is also known as La Gran Sultana, in reflection of its Moorish and Andalusian appearance, unlike its sister city and historical rival León, which displays Castilian trends.
It was named by Hernández de Córdoba after the ancient Spanish city of Granada. This was done in honor of the defeat of the last Moorish stronghold, which had been Spanish Granada, by the Catholic King and Queen of Spain.