- Type
- Fortress
- Origins
- 1239 · 13th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Style
- Art of Al-Andalus
- Commissioned by
- Emirate of Granada
- Heritage
- part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (an old town or a valley, for example)
- Visiting
- probably – Wikidata lists it as a museum or gives tickets, opening hours or visitor numbers; check before you go
- Coordinates
- 37.1763°, -3.5882°
History
There was an earlier fort on the Sabika hill above Granada, but the Alhambra's glory came from the Nasrid dynasty, who from the 13th century built a walled citadel and royal residence here. Its high point came in the 14th century, when the most splendid palaces with their courtyards and lavishly decorated halls were created. In 1492 Boabdil, the last emir of Granada, surrendered the city to the Catholic Monarchs, ending the Reconquista. Emperor Charles V built a Renaissance palace within the walls, but in later centuries the complex declined, and during the Napoleonic wars some towers were blown up. The Romantics, among them Washington Irving, revived its fame, and it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.
What to see
The highlight is the Nasrid Palaces with the Court of the Myrtles and the Court of the Lions, where stucco work, inscriptions and honeycomb vaults create a remarkable play of light. Visitors also explore the Alcazaba with its lookout tower, the Renaissance Palace of Charles V and the Generalife gardens with their fountains and water channels. The best view of the whole complex is at sunset from the San Nicolás viewpoint in the Albaicín.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q47476
Popularity: articles about this site in 96 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).