The Instagram account that's recreated Roman Granada

History

An Instagram account that promotes history and heritage has shared a video about what life was like in the city, then known as Iliberis, 2,000 years ago

Alberto Flores

Granada

Granada was a Roman city more than 2,000 years ago and now thanks to the Instagram account @relatosocultosydesconocidos, which specialises in the history ... and heritage of the city famous for the Alhambra Palace, anyone can watch a video that gives an insight into what the city was like back then: forums, markets, thermal baths, olive groves and a city that never stopped growing.

"Granada was Roman more than 2,000 years ago. It was called Iliberis, also known as Florentia Iliberritana, a municipality that had all kinds of services", say @relatosocultosydesconocidos in a minute-long video that has already accumulated almost 6,000 views with hundreds of 'likes'.

The main archaeological remains of Roman Granada are located under the historical Albaicín district and its name, Iliberis, translates as 'new city'. It was originally founded as an 'oppidum', a settlement with a fortification in the seventh century BC, but after the Roman conquest Julius Caesar granted it the status of a Latin municipality.

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This was the most prosperous period of Roman Granada, a period that filled the city with forums, temples and baths. In fact, the video recreation explains how the city had all kinds of services including streets, a forum full of commerce, markets, baths, olive groves and vineyards. "Farmers, artisans and merchants wove daily life together as the city grew between squares, workshops and work spaces," the video explains.

"Iliberis saw the growth of citizens integrated into the empire and was the site of the Council of Elvira", the latter was one of the first and most important assemblies of the Catholic Church and is famous for being the first recorded council of Western Christianity, held between 300 and 324.

Finally, the video explains that "Iliberis was the beginning of the Granada we know today".