Perched above Granada, Spain, The Alhambra is easily identified as a stronghold; a rigidly symmetrical guardian of the city. From afar, perched at the base of the Sierra Nevada, The Alhambra presents few details. However, approach the fortress from the rear and you’ll notice terraces of ornate gardens interspersed with pools of running water.
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The Alhambra is the result of wars between Christianity and Islam. Moors from North Africa are responsible for much of its construction. As is typical of Moorish architecture, the palace ’s facade is both imposing and utilitarian. Step within the walls though and you’ll be greeted by intricate detail and enduring beauty.
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The structure can be divided into three main sections: the Alcazaba, or fortress; the Casa Real, or Royal Palace; and the Generalife, which was the summer palace and lies beyond the primary defensive walls.
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The Royal Palace is the most superb of the three, made up of vast rooms decorated with bright tiles and exquisitely carved masonry, the patterns based on stylized quotes from the Koran.
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The numerous pools and aquifer-lined stairwells all receive their water from the snow-capped Sierra Nevada. The Moors, after the severe aridity of North Africa, must have thought this region of Spain a true paradise on Earth. Their focus on water as a form of decoration tells much of their respect for its life-giving properties. All in all, the Alhambra is an unusual example in the final European stages, with influences that combine and create one of the most impressive citadels in Western Europe.
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It was built as the fortified residence of the Sultan of Granada, Mohammed V in the 15th Century. The fort was made from red clay, and Alhambra (al-Hamra) means “red one” in Arabic, though the buildings were once whitewashed.
Granada was one of the Moorish Arab states that eventually became part of Spain.
Alhambra shows the Islamic ingenuity of the Middle Ages.