If there is one thing that amazes us about Granada’s Alhambra, it’s the incredible, extremely rich history. This dates to the thirteenth century, the period in which the construction of the outer walls and aqueduct were completed, although its total construction was prolonged through various centuries. However, occupation of the space dates to Roman times.

The magic of the Alhambra comes from the fact that different cultures have occupied it, which went on to shape Granada’s identity. The most diverse events have taken place within its walls, from treachery and assassinations, such as that of the Abencerrages knights, to weddings, affairs and infidelities, as well as meetings between different Nasrid and Christian kings.

Therefore, both Muslims and Christians who have occupied the Alhambra, and the stories that have taken place within its walls, have given it that peculiar character that has turned it into a unique world monument. Many of these stories have inspired the work of various artists and travellers from the Romanticism period onwards. Washington Irving, Manuel de Falla, Francois René de Chateubriand and Loreena McKennitt can be highlighted.

The Alhambra is an incomparably beautiful architectural complex. Despite having typical elements from Andalusian and Nasrid architecture, its style has its own elements such as the capital on its columns with Arabic calligraphy or hollows simulating caves, typical of Muslim culture. Moreover, it has a renaissance style palace which was added by Carlos V following Arabic expulsion.

The result is a complex of surprising palaces and patios that conquest the hearts of its visitors. The Alhambra’s architects took care in decorating every nook and cranny, so you’ll enjoy many details and designs in each room.

One of the Alhambra’s most impressive decorative elements is the Mozarabs dome. Mozarabs domes are made up of overlapping cells or cavities that create an amazing effect. During your tour around Granada’s Alhambra, we recommend that you pay attention to the rooms in the Hall of The Two Sisters (Sala de las Dos Hermanas) and the Hall of the Abencerrages (Sala de los Abencerrajes).

There are few palaces more beautiful that those within the walls of the Alhambra. The palatine city has a total of four palaces. On one hand, there are the Nasrid Palaces: the Mexuar, the Comares Palace (Palacio de Comares) and the Palace of the Lions (Palacio de los Leones), from the Arabic period. On the other hand, there is the renaissance-style Palace of Charles V, which was added following orders from the emperor and whose construction was not completed until the middle of the twentieth century.

While visiting the Alhambra, you can’t miss a walk through the Comares Palace, one of the monument’s biggest gems. The Court of the Myrtles (Patio de Arrayanes), which the palace complex surrounds, stands out due to its pond flanked by two rows of hedges. This is one of the most well-known images of the Alhambra.

Its numerous centuries of history and its exotic, majestic appearance has made Granada’s Alhambra the ideal place to proliferate all kinds of legends and popular proverbs which have been spread between the locals and visitors to the city.

If you opt to do guided tour of Granada’s Alhambra with Walker, our tour guides will tell you the most famous legends and you will be able to enjoy the surroundings where they took place. Many legends circulate about the Comares Tower (Torre de Comares), the highest of all the Alhambra’s palaces. Legends say that it was there that Christopher Columbus convinced the Catholic Kings to fund his expedition to the Indies through the west, which led him to discover America.

The majority of the Alhambra’s visitors don’t realise that its walls are covered in beautiful poems hidden under calligraphic decorations. These poems were created by three poets from Granada’s Court: Ibn al-Yayyab, Ibn al-Jatib and, the most significant of all, Ibn Zamrak.

On the Comares Palace’s stunning door, these words hidden among its winding design can be read:

«Soy corona en la frente de mi puerta:
envidia al Occidente en mí el Oriente.
Al-Gani billah mándame que aprisa
paso dé a la victoria apenas llame.
Siempre estoy esperando ver el rostro
del rey, alba que muestra el horizonte.
¡A sus obras Dios haga tan hermosas
como son su temple y su figura!»
									

«I am the crown on the front of my door:
the East envies the West in me.
Al-Gani billah quickly send me 
to step towards victory as soon as you call.
I am forever waiting to see the face
of the King, a dawn that shows the horizon,
May God make his work as beautiful
as his temple and his figure!»
									

Since it’s located on the peak of the al-Sabika hill, the viewpoints and towers provide very impressive views of Granada. This is because the Nasrid Palaces complex was designed not only to be a luxury royal residence, but also to be a Military Fortress, allowing its governors to dominate the whole city.

Therefore, don’t forget to bring a good camera with you on your trip. From the Alhambra you’ll have privileged views of the city of Granada and its famous Albaicín quarter, as well as the Sacromonte caves which are located on the slopes of the San Miguel hill. You can also see the snow-covered peaks of Sierra Nevada.

The Alhambra’s gardens and courts are one of the main reasons why you should visit on your next trip to Granada. The monumental ensemble of the Alhambra is home to Al-Andalus’ most beautiful gardens and courts and are impeccably preserved.

The garden is the most important part of Arabic palatial constructions since it served to recreate the desire for Mohammedan paradise. Muslims imagine paradise as a beautiful garden filled with pleasures, delights, light and water, and this is exactly what is recreated in the Alhambra's gardens and courts.

In the words of professor Chueca Goitia, "the more you look at the Alhambra, the more you feel that the Arabs’ ideal was living in a garden".

The importance and influence of Granada’s Alhambra and Generalife has been recognised throughout history. That’s why the monumental ensemble of the Alhambra and Generalife was awarded the distinction as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984.

Before receiving this distinction, the Alhambra’s Alcázar and its garden and dependencies were declared a "National, Historic and Artistic Monument" by the Kingdom of Spain in 1870. This distinction went on to be expanded in the twentieth century when the Alhambra and Generalife gardens were awarded the distinction of "Historical Gardens". These distinctions allowed its renovation and conservation to take it to its current magnificent condition.

The Alhambra’s beauty and exoticism has been and is to this day a source of information for numerous artists, painters and poets. Therefore, the Alhambra has had various influences on Spanish and foreign culture.

Regarding music, the composition "Noches en los jardines de España" by composer Manuel de Falla stands out. Other more recent influences are the guitar composition "Recuerdos de la Alhambra" by Francisco Tárrega, the record "Poemas de la Alhambra" by musicians Eduardo Paniagua and Serghini, or the concert "Nights from the Alhambra" by singer Loreena McKennitt.

In terms of literature, the American romantic writer Washington Irving’s character and his piece of work "Cuentos de la Alhambra" have to be highlighted. Washington Irving was a strong defender of the Alhambra and one of the pioneers of its renovation in the nineteenth century, a period in which the Alhambra was abandoned by the authorities.

Visiting Granada’s Alhambra certainly allows you to experience the most magical, splendid essence of Al-Andalus. This was a very important period in Spanish culture which, thanks to a mix of the three cultures which lived together in Al-Ándalus (Arabs, Jews and Christians), Spain reached a privileged cultural and artistical level.