Alhambra of Granada, an Andalusi palatine city

The Alhambra of Granada is an outstanding Andalusi palatine city, fortress and residence of the Nasrid sultans, preserving a complex of palaces, towers, gardens and walls perched on the Sabika hill.

Foundation and Nasrid Era

• 9th century: watchtowers and small structures existed; in 1238 Sultan Muhammad I Al-Ahmar built the new Alcazaba and Nasrid palaces.
• Under Yusuf I (1333–1354) major walls and water cisterns were completed; Muhammad V (1362–1391) erected the famed Comares Palace (now the Court of the Myrtles) and the Palace of the Lions.
• The complex comprised three areas: the Alcazaba (military), the Mexuar and Nazari Palaces (government) and the Generalife (residence and leisure gardens).

Post-1492 Transformations

• After the Christian Conquest in 1492, the Catholic Monarchs commissioned restorations and Mudejar workshops.
• In 1526 Emperor Charles V built his Renaissance palace (now the Alhambra Museum) housing a premier collection of Hispano-Islamic art.
• Napoleon’s army blew up parts of the walls in 1812; following neglect, the site became state-owned in 1868.
• Since 1984 a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is one of Spain’s top tourist attractions.

Ultimately, the Alhambra fuses Islamic and Renaissance art, hydraulic engineering and unique topography, creating a historical palimpsest still marveling visitors with its harmony, stucco and tile ornamentation, and timeless gardens.