The Alhambra is a palace and fortress at Granada in Spain overlooking the River Darro. It stands on a hill below the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It was built by the Moors, a Muslim people, who occupied Spain in the Middle Ages. The Moors were the inhabitants of Mauretania, an African province of the Roman Empire. Today it is known as Morocco. The construction of Alhambra was begun in 1248 and completed in 1354.
In Arabic the word ‘Alhambra’ means ‘the red castle’. In this case it is probably derived from the colour of the bricks of which the outer walls are built. The palace was built during the reigns of Al Ahmar and his successors. The outer wall and its 13 towers enclose the palace and the gardens. Its lace-like mouldings on walls and ceilings contain words from the Koran, the holy book of Islam.
After the year 1492 when the Moors were driven out, much of the interior was effaced and the furniture was ruined. Charles V, who ruled Spain from 1516 to 1556, rebuilt its portions in the Renaissance style and destroyed part of the Alhambra to build an Italianate palace designed by Pedro de Machuca in 1526. In 1812 some of the towers were blown up by the French during the Napoleonic wars, and in 1821 an earthquake caused further damage. The restoration of the building was undertaken in 1828 and continues till today.
The principal courts of the palace include the court of the Myrtles and the court of the Lions. The latter has been named thus because in the centre is a fountain of lions, an alabaster basin supported by the figures of twelve white marble lions — emblems of strength and courage. The most important parts of the Alhambra are the ‘Hall of Ambassadors’, an especially grand reception room, and the ‘Hall of the Two Sisters’ with its outstanding example of stalactite work.
Of the outlying buildings, the most important is the Generalife. The villa probably dates back to the end of the 13th century.
