The magnificent Alhambra Palace in Granada must be one of my most favourite places to visit in Spain and its located ( in my humble opinion ) in arguably the most beautiful Andalusian city, Granada.
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The Alhambra got its name from an Arabic word meaning Reddish due to its colour and is located on top of the "Al-Sabika" hillside with magnificent views over the neighbourhoods of Albaicin, Alcazaba, Granada itself and for miles around the flat plains ( La Vega ) to the south of the city.
The complex is of course located in a strategic position in the area and other remains have been located on the site well before the Muslims arrived. The earliest recordings of the Alhambra date back to the 9th Century and refer to Sawwar ben Hamdun who had to seek refuge there in the year 889.
Buildings, towers, churches, ramparts, gates etc where added and some demolished by the various Caliphas, kings and othe residents of the Alhambra during its long history. Mohammed ben Al-Hamar made it the royal residence in 1238 which marked its most glorious period.
In later times after the catholic conquests had ousted the Muslims, King Charles V ordered the demolition of part of the complex t0 make way for a new palace. They in turn abandoned the palace for good in the 18th Century with part of the complex being blown up during the French domination.
It was not until the 19th that the restoration of the Alhambra began with its remarkable results culminating in what we see today. It is quite incredible that during the 18th Century when the palace was abandoned the whole complex was a free for all with locals and travellers, beggars and thieves lived and slept in and around the palace area , amazing to think in that time how so much of the Alhambras treasures actually survived . One has to wonder though how much of its treasures and other priceless artifacts where removed and taken away to far of lands.
One of the most celebrated portions of the palace is undoubtedly the "Lions Courtyard" a series of courtyards surrounded by rooms which present a varied repertoire of Moorish arched, columnar, and domical forms. The vast amount and intricacy of carved inscriptions on walls and ceilings are quite breathtaking. Visitors over the centuries has been captivated by the special combination of the slender columnar arcades, fountains, and light-reflecting water basins found in those courtyards.
Usefull Links for the Alhambra Palace: Flickr for lots of great photos, and good web site located at http://www.alhambradegranada.org/
The LIONS COURTYARD
" If you see only one city in Spain it should be GRANADA . For here, extraordinarily well preserved and in a tremendous natural setting, stands the Alhambra - the most exciting, sensual and romantic of all European monuments. It was the palace-fortress of the Nasrid sultans, rulers of the last Spanish Moorish kingdom, and in its construction Moorish art reached a spectacular and serene climax. But the building seems to go further than this, revealing something of the whole brilliance and spirit of Moorish life and culture. There's a haunting passage in Jan Morris's book, Spain , which the palace embodies: "Life itself, which was seen elsewhere in Europe as a kind of probationary preparation for death, was interpreted [by the Moors] as something glorious in itself, to be ennobled by learning and enlivened by every kind of pleasure."
Rough Guides
Gary
