Albaicín is an endearing maze of narrow streets, a neighbourhood born after the construction of the Zirid wall in the 11th century. According to archaeological research, it was the first Muslim settlement in the city. The name was used to designate the neighbourhood inhabited by the falconers of Granada. Apart from the obvious Arab ambience, the quarter owes its appeal to the interesting melange of influences that it boasts as a result of the various transformations of the city. Here passers-by can see next to each other churches built on old mosques with former minarets as bell towers, and Renaissance palaces with a romantic touch next to Nasrid cisterns or beautiful Carmen buildings. In 1984 the area was declared a World Heritage Site along with the imposing Alhambra.