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The Alhambra Spain
The Alhambra in Granada Spain is so much more than architecture and history, it is an overwhelming feeling. From the moment you start climbing the small hill which leads us to what I would like the gates to heaven or to our final resting place to look like, our bodies are invaded with new feelings and emotions. It is probable that many of us who are interested in the Alhambra, have seen beautiful pictures of it, but when you are coming closer, the magnificence of its physical aspect seeming to touch the deep Grenadine sky together with originality is breathtaking. Every day since its beginning as a castle in the 9th century, the Alhambra has lived memorable moments, both historic and passionate ones, and these sensations lived years ago are the ones which reach our most inner soul, causing us to tingling, trembling and even flurry.
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Built during the Moslem Nasrid dynasty commencing in the 13th Century, the Alhambra was built as a heavily fortified citadel with 23 towers and 4 gates. Inside were amongst other things: dwellings; offices; the Mint; mosques; garrisons; baths; and the magnificent 'Palaces' - the Comares complex and the Lion Court complex. It is these Palaces and Courtyards which are the Jewels in the Crown of this imposing structure and where the following photographs were taken.
The design and structure to be found here are, beyond doubt, the finest examples of Islamic architectural art to be found outside of the Islamic world. The perfection of the architecture, the detail of the faience mosaic and the complexity of design features are unequalled. That so much has remained and in such remarkable condition is a testament to the quality of the craftsmanship and to the dedication of those who have sought to preserve these historic complexes.
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| Alhambra History |
Alhambra Architechture |
The history of the Alhambra is linked with the geographical place where it is located: Granada. On a rocky hill that is difficult to access, on the banks of the River Darro, protected by mountains and surrounded by woods, among the oldest quarters in the city, the Alhambra rises up like an imposing castle with reddish tones in its ramparts that prevent the outside world from seeing the delicate beauty they enclose.
Originally designed as a military area, the Alhambra became the residence of royalty and of the court of Granada in the middle of the thirteenth century, after the establishment of the Nasrid kingdom and the construction of the first palace, by the founder king Mohammed ibn Yusuf ben Nasr, better known as Alhamar.
Throughout the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the fortress became a citadel with high ramparts and defensive towers, which house two main areas: the military area, or Alcazaba, the barracks of the royal guard, and the medina or court city, the location of the famous Nasrid Palaces and the remains of the houses of noblemen and plebeians who lived there. The Charles V Palace (which was built after the city was taken by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492) is also in the medina.
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 The Alhambra in Spain is an example of landscape architecture as an art form. The Alhambra gardens Spain merge nature with architecture through the use of running water, pools, windows framing vistas, ever-present gardens, and carefully placed lookout points. This meeting of nature and sublime architecture was suggestive of the paradise described in the Quran.
The highlights of any tour of the Alhambra palace Spain, include the fabulously decorated emirs' palace, the Generalife (the Alhambra's meticulous gardens) and the Palacio Nazaries.
With 2 million visitors a year, the Alhambra is Spain's most popular tourist attraction. And while many of the open areas surrounding the Alhambra can be viewed without a ticket, the highlights of the complex: the Palacio Nazaries, the Jardine del Partal, and the Generalife, can only be entered during visiting hours and with a ticket.
Because only a limited number of tickets are sold each day (from 5600 to 6000 according to the season) you should queue around 7am to be sure of getting one.
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Alhambra Construction
Alhambra was started as late as 13th century, but Alhambra consists of palaces built by several rulers, each had his own. The carrying idea behind several of the buildings of Alhambra is nothing less than an attempt to create a duplica of Paradise on earth. The romantic design is made up of a mixture of slender columnar arcades, fountains, and light-reflecting water basins. Most prominent is the Lion Court.
Granada was lost to the Christians in 1492, and when the Reyos Católicos, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella died some years later, Granada was chosen for their burial. Perhaps the Muslim dreams of Paradise moved even the cold hearts of the two?
The Alhambra consists of 3 parts: The Royal Palace, which is the most famous, which in itself consists of 3 parts: The Mexuar, the Serallo and the Harem, where the Lions' Court is the centre. In addition to the Alhambra comes the gardens of Generalife and the fortress of Alcazaba. |
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| Opening time |
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November to February
- Daytime:
Monday to Sunday: 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The ticket office: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Night-time:
Friday and Saturday: 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The ticket office: 7.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.
March to October
- Daytime:
Monday to Sunday: 8.30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The ticket office: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Night-time:
Every day from 10 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. except Sunday and Monday.
The ticket office: 9.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.
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| Getting There
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| Taxi or City Microbus: There is a rank and a bus stop in Plaza Nueva.
The 30 and 32 Lines of the city bus have the following stops in the Alhambra complex: 1 The Ticket Offices (Entrance Pavilion), 2 Torre de las Cabezas [Tower of the Heads], near the Charles V Palace and the Nasrid Palaces, and 3, the Puerta de la Justicia [Gate of Justice], the nearest to the Alcazaba. |
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