The Alhambra

On a hill overlooking Granada, the Alhambra—a sprawling palace-citadel that comprised royal residential quarters, court complexes flanked by official chambers, a bath, and a mosque—was begun in the thirteenth century by Ibn al-Ahmar, founder of the Nasrid dynasty, and was continued by his successors in the fourteenth century. Its most celebrated portions—a series of courtyards surrounded by rooms—are a varied repetoire of Moorish arched, columnar, and domical forms. The romantic imagination of centuries of visitors has been captivated by the special combination of the slender columnar arcades, fountains, and light-reflecting water basins found in those courtyards.

The Alhambra became a Christian court in 1492 when the Catholic Monarchs (Ferdinand and Isabel) reconquered the city of Granada. However, during the 18th and 19th centuries, the Alhambra fell into neglect and was occupied by thieves and beggars, until 1870 when the Alhambra was declared a national monument. Today, the Alhambra is a world heritage site, protected, restored, cared for and preserved for the pleasure and admiration of all.