The Alhambra is a historic palace and fortress here in Granada. It was built in the mid-13th century by the Nasrid dynasty who were the last Muslim rulers in Spain. It was a royal palace to the Nasrids with 5 palaces being built during the dynasty. 3 of them are still standing as during the Napoleonic war, the French destroyed palaces and the houses outside the palace where nobility lived. It also was a military stronghold, and a symbol of Islamic architecture and culture in medieval Spain.
There are beautiful entrances into the Alhambra.
The name “Alhambra” means “The Red One” in Arabic, because of the reddish color of its walls. What is amazing is the intricate Islamic art, including beautiful tile work, calligraphy, carved stucco, and serene courtyards like the Court of the Lions. The use of red and blue colors as well as the placement of water for cooling and to move water through the complex was amazing. The whole of the Alhambra is like a poetry book with the inscriptions throughout providing a lesson.
The court of the lions.
Here are some pictures of the tiles and the artwork of the ceilings which are crafted to utilize the light throughout the day and to create the illusion of the stars.
After the Christian conquest in 1492, the Alhambra was taken over by the Catholic Monarchs and later altered by various rulers, including Charles V, who added a Renaissance-style palace which was never finished (and paid for by local tradesmen, which did not go over very well.)
The views from the Alhambra are amazing.
These would be soldier houses in the Kasbah.
Ruins of one of the palaces.
There were also extensive gardens to provide not only beauty, but also to provide food for those living in the Alhambra. The water features help to bring the water up for irrigation.
