History of The Alhambra of Granada | Sahir Studio

                       The Alhambra of Granada

We had been told of Granada as the most beautiful city in Spain, and indeed the stay in this little paradise never ceases to enchant us. It presents itself as the center where the origins and contacts with Arab culture are most evident: the Moorish palaces and the sparkle of lights and colors give Granada an unprecedented charm, which would leave any tourist astonished.

Conquered by the Arabs in 711, it became the seat of the Berber emirate of the Zairites only in 1031. The two Islamic dynasties of the Almoravids and the Almoads subjected it to their dominion in 1090, and made it rich and prestigious both from a cultural and artistic point of view. cheap. The Christian Reconquista instead decreed a rapid impoverishment.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee declared the Alhambra and the Generalife of Granada Cultural Heritage of Humanity in its session on November 2, 1984.

She was named one of 21 shortlisted candidates to be named one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

Located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, Granada has enjoyed important artistic and cultural influences.

The synthesis of architectural grandeur lies in the Alhambra, the hill where the Nazarite sultans resided.

The Alhambra is an Andalusian palace complex in Granada. Etymologically, Alhambra in Arabic is "al-Hamrā '" (the Red, الحمراء), since its full name was Qalˁat al-hamrā' (Red Fortress).

According to some versions, the name came from the pink color of the walls surrounding the Alhambra. The Alhambra is a real walled city (medina) that occupies most of the Sabika hill, while for its part Granada enjoyed another system of protective walls. Therefore the Alhambra could function autonomously with respect to Granada. In the Alhambra there were all the proper services needed by the inhabitants who lived there: mosques, schools, shops and more.

In 1238 he entered Granada from the Elvira Gate, to occupy the Palace of the Rooster of the Wind, Muhammad ibn Nasr (also known as Nazar), called al-Hamar, "The Red", because he had a reddish beard, founder of the Nasrid dynasty.

When Muhammad ibn Nasr triumphantly entered Granada, the population welcomed him with the cry of Welcome to the victor by the grace of God (marhaban li-l-Nāsir), to which he replied saying: There is no other winner but God (wa lā ghālib illā Allāh). This is the motto of the Nasrid coat of arms and is written throughout the Alhambra.

Muhammad ibn Nasr had the first nucleus of the palace built. His son Muhammad II, who was a friend of Alfonso X of Castile, fortified it.

The Granada style in the Alhambra represents the supreme point reached by Andalusian art, which was not realized until the mid-fourteenth century with Yusuf I and Muhammad V in 1333 and 1354.

In 1492, with the conquest of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs, the Alhambra became the royal palace of the Castilian kings and this saved the complex from the destruction suffered instead by many other Islamic monuments for the rancorous revenge wanted by the Church and on the one hand important of the nobility.

 

Description

A masterpiece of Arab art, it is one of the few Islamic monumental complexes that has come down to us intact: it offers all the information about it, in particular it allows the sale of tickets that can only be purchased through strict booking.

Founded as a military area, the Alhambra became the royal residence and court of Granada in the mid-13th century, following the construction of the palace of King Mohammed ibn Yusuf ben Nasr , known as Alhamar. In the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries the fortress was transformed into a citadel full of high walls and defense towers, and was equipped with two main areas: the military area, called Alcazaba, and the Medina or palatine city, where it is possible to admire the famous Palacios Nazaries and the remains of noble or popular dwellings of the time.

The Alhambra is a fragile and refined jewel. You have to enjoy it by immersing yourself in it, walking quietly and calmly on its patios, admiring the precious stalactites that hang from the ceilings, listening to the delicate gurgle of the waters of its fountains. A visit must not, therefore, be limited to the pure visual aspect, but rather must push you to smell the scents of its gardens, to sit in the sun contemplating the beauty of the landscape and of an art symbol of measure and wisdom.

One way to access the enclosure is through the Porta de las Granadas (exiting from plaza Nueva), another access is through the Cuesta de los Chinos (at the end of the "paseo de los Tristes"):

The central street, if you exit the Puerta de las Granadas, is for public transport, and reaches the Palace of Charles V. Proceeding you can get to the Gate of Justice (justice for the simplest cases) [according to other authors this gate is called della Esplanade, and in justice was never exercised] which dates back to the time of Yūsuf I (1348).

In the center you can see the relief of a hand and, above the second arch, the relief of a key. This symbology has given rise to many explanations, although none of them have been definitive. One possible is to read everything as a metaphor for knowledge (the hand must hold the key that opens the door of knowledge).

It leads to an esplanade called Piazza degli Aljibes, due to the fact that there are tanks underneath. To the right is the Porta del Vino, which connects the Alcazaba with the area of ​​the palaces (the two best known and best preserved are the Palazzo de Comares and the Palazzo dei Leoni).

The Alcazaba includes:

• The Garden of the Adarves: at the end there is a small balcony from which you can have a good view.

• The Torre della Vela (ie the vigil): it is a watchtower which can be accessed. From it you can see Granada, the Sacromonte and the Albaicín.

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• The Torre del Homenaje.

• The Quebrada Tower.

• The Adarguero Tower. These last three towers overlook the great esplanade.

Behind the Porta del Vino, leaving the Carlos V Palace on the right, you enter the area of ​​the palaces.

 

Palaces

They are from the first third of the XIV century. Going down the stairs there is the entrance. The following dependencies are encountered:

Mexuar:

It is the oldest room. It was intended for hearings and the administration of justice in important cases. It housed an elevated room, enclosed by jealousies from which the sultan could listen without being seen. There were no side windows. It had an open roof in its central part. At the bottom, a small house from which you can see the Albaycín. Top with a written frieze. It is an oratory. Then you enter a patio with a fountain in the center and a room on the left. And the:

Patio del Mexuar or Cuarto Dorado:

With an original cedar wood eaves, decoration of pine cones and shells. Below, windows closed by jealousies. Two rectangular facades bordered by a ceramic border. It is the official entrance to the building. The room is decorated with Gothic paintings and shields and emblems of the Catholic Monarchs. Carrying on:

Patio de la Alberca or de los Arrayanes:

It is the central enclosure of the Comares Palace. The myrtles (arrayane (s) in Spanish, from the Arabic al-rayhān) are planted on both sides of the basin, which occupies a large part of the patio. In this patio we can observe one of the constants of the Alhambra: the presence of water. Not only to be enjoyed as such but also in its mirror function. The imposing Torre de Comares is reflected in this pool. A gallery runs along the long side of the patio and from it one enters the antechamber called:

Sala de la Barca:

It acts as an antechamber to the throne room or salón de Comares and was used as a reception room and oratory. On the lower frieze there is the word Baraka which means blessing or greeting.

Salón de Comares:

The largest and highest room in the building. Inside stands the:

Torre de Comares:

On the sides there are 9 rooms and windows closed in ancient times by wooden doors and stained glass windows called cumarias (hence the name Comares). The interior walls are decorated in stucco with motifs of shells, flowers, stars and writings. The central hall is decorated with gilded reliefs on a light background.

The lower plinth is decorated with azulejos, the typical Spanish majolica tiles. The original ground was of glazed ceramic, white and blue in color with family shields and ornamental motifs. The roof is a representation of the Universe, probably one of the best of the Middle Ages. Made of cedar wood, with inlays of different colors that form stars superimposed on different levels. At the highest point, in the center, there is a chair (عرش) on which God (Allah) is seated according to what is said in the Koran.

Starting from this point, the geometric figures that divide the roof into seven parts are repeated, representing the number of heavens above the earthly world (7 is one of the symbol-numbers par excellence). Among the heavens stands the Throne (كرس), which is the symbol of eternal creation. This symbolic use of the Koranic cosmology, with many allusions to the chair, the throne and the king who sits on it, is the clear intention of legitimizing the sovereign as the representative (Khalīfa, from which the word Caliph comes) of God on Earth. This thesis was proven by the fact that the room was actually the throne room, which was located in the center, in correspondence with the divine seat depicted on the ceiling.

The symbolism of the room does not end there: the 4 diagonals of the roof represent the four rivers of Paradise and the World Tree (or Axis Mundi) which, having its roots in the divine seat, expands its branches throughout the Universe. The 9 rooms, three on each of the three sides, plus another 3 omitted to make room for the Baraka (Blessing) Room, are a reference to the twelve zodiacal houses. The walls are also decorated with Koranic verses and poems carved in plaster.

The central room was for Sultan Yūsuf I, who built the Palacio de Comares. The interiors were heated in winter by braziers and were lit with oil lamps. Going out again into the Patio de los Arrayanes, on the right side of the courtyard a small arch leads to the private area of ​​the monarch: the Harem (Haram means "reserved place"). The Palacio de los Leones (Palace of the Lions) is accessed through:

Sala de los mocárabes (Mozarabs):

Takes the name of the internal vault which is decorated with muqarnas, a particular decoration typical of Islamic architecture with a shape similar to stalactites. The one we see today was restored in the 17th century. The interior walls worked in plaster, are engraved with religious inscriptions and coats of arms of the Nasrid dynasty.

A series of arches with muqarnas lead the way to:

Dated 1377, it was built by Muhammad V, the son of Yūsuf I. The plan is rectangular, the internal courtyard is surrounded by a portico with 124 columns of white Almería marble, with a thin shaft and cubic capital inlaid with inscriptions. Around the private rooms of the Sultan and his wives, they do not have windows that give outwards, but are open to the internal garden as the Muslim idea of ​​Paradise wants. Curtains were drawn between the columns to let the light through. The gray lead plates are shock absorbers for earthquakes. The two temples on opposite sides of the garden echo the tents of the Bedouins. They are square in plan, decorated with wooden domes resting on muqarnas plumes. The gutter is a 19th century insertion.

Fuente de los Leones:

The latest studies say that the lions in this fountain come from the house of the Jewish vizier Samuel Ben Nagrela, who gave them to the Sultan, are from the 11th century and represent the Twelve tribes of Israel. Two of the lions, which have engraved a triangle on their foreheads, indicate the chosen tribes: that of Judah and that of Levi. On the perimeter of the basin are inscribed the verses of the minister and poet Ibn Zamrāk describing the fountain itself: "(...) To this transparent basin, inlaid pearl, / for the decorated pearl rims, / the silver goes among the daisies, / fluid, also white and pure / as hard as it is apparently flowing / that it is difficult to know which of them really flows (...) "

Sala de los Abencerrajes:

This room, without windows to the outside, was the private room of the Sultan. The walls are richly decorated: the stucco and the colors are original. The tiles on the walls are from the Sevillian factory, from the 16th century and represent the zodiac. The dome is decorated with muqarnas; in the center of the floor a small fountain was used to reflect the decorations of the dome also on the ground. Depending on the hours of the day, the light that penetrated inside the room gave an always different, enchanting and magical color.

Sala de los Reyes:

The "Hall of the Kings" occupies the entire eastern side of the courtyard and is so named for the paintings that decorate the vault of the central apartment. It is the largest room in the Harem, divided into 3 equal rooms and two smaller ones that could have served as wardrobes, due to their location and lack of lighting. This place was probably intended for family celebrations.

In the central vault, the paintings represent the first 10 rulers of Granada, since the founding of the sultanate, the one with the red beard is assumed to be Muhammad ibn Nasr, known as al-Hamar (the Red), founder of the Nasrid dynasty. On the side vaults of the decorations depict knights and ladies, made at the end of the fourteenth century: during his reign, Peter I of Castile asked the Sultan of Granada for help to restore his castle (the Alcázar of Seville), this led to a real and its artistic "interchange" between the two kingdoms.

The pictorial decorations are made with a very complex technique:

1. The armor of the vault was an ellipse made of well brushed wood to make the surface porous.

2. Over the concave surface was spread some leather wet with glue and water and then nailed with small tin nails, to avoid oxidation.

3. A coat of plaster, reeds and finally 2 cm of toasted glue painted red was spread over the leather. On this prepared surface one drew with an awl.

Sala de las Dos Hermanas:

The "Hall of the Two Sisters" is located on the opposite side of the Sala de los Abencerrajes. You pass through an inlaid wooden door, one of the most beautiful in the building. The two sisters are the 2 white marble slabs resting on the ground at the sides of the central fountain, equal in size, color and weight. They are the largest in the Alhambra. The room has a balcony overlooking the city and has direct communication with the bathrooms.

This place too, like the rest of the Alhambra, has poems written along the walls. In this room we find one that says: "Unparalleled, there is a radiant dome in it / with evident and hidden charm" (...) "We have never seen such a green garden, / As in the sweetest and most aromatic collection" .

In each harem apartment there are 2 small doors: one leads to the other Harem, the other is the bathroom. There are no kitchens since the braziers were used on the spot or they cooked outdoors. At the back of the room is the Balcony of Lin-dar-Aixa, overlooking the valley of the Darro river and you could see the city in the distance. On the balcony we can read another poem: "I am the fresh eye of this garden" (...) "In me, Granada is seen, from its throne".

Cuarto del Emperador:

"The Emperor's Apartment", was built so that he could live here during his stay in Granada, on his honeymoon. There is a marble slab in memory of the writer Washington Irving, who lived here and wrote his Tales of the Alhambra, in 1829.

El Peinador de la Reina:

"The Queen's toilet" is an Arab tower which was initially called Abu l-Hajjāj, used by the Sultan for celebrations. It changed its name after Isabella of Castile resided here.

Patio de la reja o de los Cipreses:

It is a courtyard built in the time of Charles V.

The Baths:

The jewel of the Arab house. Bathing is a religious obligation for Muslims, due to the washings that precede the salāt. The structure is a copy of the ancient Roman baths and is divided into 3 rooms:

1. Dressing room: bed room for rest. Here we undressed, then went to the bathroom and then returned here to rest. Sometimes they even brought food on the spot. In the upper gallery, musicians and singers played.

2. Massage room, divided into two galleries with arches.

3. Steam room, the smallest. The vaults are open with star-shaped skylights that were once covered with colored crystals, but not hermetically so that the steam could escape and at the same time, the air could enter to cool the environment.

The Palace of Charles V: With

a square plan and a circular internal courtyard, surprising for the year of its construction in 1527, it responds to characteristics that could place it in full Mannerism. Doric columns in the first floor and Ionic columns in the second. Friezes with bull heads (called Bucranio), of Greco-Roman tradition.

The façade is imposing, grandiose, of a purely Renaissance style. The first body is in the Tuscan style with the typical rustication. In the second, characteristic elements of the Baroque decoration appear. Above the main door, two winged statues of women reclining inside the pediment. Above, 3 medallions framed in green marble. On the sides, scenes of Hercules. The iron rings of the lower part are just decorations, they have no use. The building was designed by Pedro Machuca.

The Convent of San Francesco

Currently the structure is owned by the Spanish state which has made it the seat of the "Parador de Granada", a luxury hotel managed directly by the state which, like all the other "paradores de turismo" (see http: / /www.parador.es/) is usually housed in buildings of great historical value.

Originally it was a noble house of the Arab period, later it was donated to the Franciscans, becoming the first convent of Granada (in fact it is also called "Parador de San Francisco". In the patio / inner courtyard, in oriental style, with the typical "mocárabes" you can enjoy a coffee or dinner in the excellent restaurant.

Secano or Alhambra alta:

There are still some excavations that are bringing it to light. It was a popular quarter of the ancient Muslims of al-Andalus, there are also preserved the ruins of a noble palace (of the Abencerrajes).

Torre de los Siete Suelos:

Of the seven floors only 4 have been found (they are all under the ground). This tower is famous above all because some adventures of the Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving take place inside.

Torre de la Cautiva:

It is a sumptuous construction from the period of Yūsuf I. From the poems on the walls we read: "In its plinth, made of tiles (azulejos), / and in the ground, there are prodigious treasures".

Torre de las Infantas:

Built in 1445, it is the best preserved of all the towers. Good example of the lifestyle of the inhabitants of al-Andalus, with all their comforts. It is a small house with pews at the entrance for the eunuchs, an internal courtyard surrounded by alcoves, a fountain in the center; the upper floor was reserved for women. Above the terrace, the finely decorated roof collapsed during an earthquake. It was the residence of the sisters Zaida and Zoraida.

 

Generalife

Linked to the Alhambra complex, it was erected in the 13th century on the "hill of the sun" and is enriched by splendid decorations from the time of Ismail I. The gardens, with the jets of water from the fountains, the scent of bushes, cypresses , of myrtles, instill in the visitor a sense of relaxation and calm. The hanging gardens show the design desired during the Arab domination. In our wanderings we discover a fig tree, and we begin to nibble on some, while the red juice soaks our hands and clothes. The fruits are soft and fragrant, and we taste them with intimate satisfaction. In front of us a panorama of amazing beauty takes our breath away, and the magic of Arab art and culture envelops us gently.

The Palacio de Generalife (Arabic: Jannat al-'Arif - Garden of the Architect) was the summer residence of the Nasrid sultans of Granada.

The palace and its gardens were built during the reign of Muhammad III (1302-1309) and redecorated by Abu I-Walid Isma'il (1313-1324).

The complex consists of the Patio de la Acequia (Court of the Aquatic Garden), which contained a long swimming pool surrounded by flower beds, fountains, colonnades and pavilions, and the Jardín de la Sultana (Garden of the Sultana or Court of the Cypresses). Some believe that the former is the best example of the medieval gardens of al-Andalus. At first the palace was connected to the Alhambra through a covered walkway that crossed the ravine that divided them. The Generalife garden is one of the oldest surviving Moor gardens.

The present gardens were started in 1931 and completed by Francisco Prieto Moreno in 1951. The paths are paved in a typical Granada style with a mosaic of pebbles: the white ones come from the Darro river and the black ones from the Genil river.

 

The Albaicin district

In Arabic it means the falconers' quarter : it stands on the sides of the homonymous hill and was inhabited by the Moors after the Christian conquest, until the latter were expelled from the city in the seventeenth century. It is currently one of the largest Arab neighborhoods in Europe. The houses retain the flavor of ancient Islamic art and wisdom.

Albayzín (also called Albaicín or El Albaicín) is a district of the present city of Granada, Spain, which has preserved the narrow streets dating back to the past medieval Moorish rule. In 1984 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO together with the Alhambra and Generalife palaces.

It stands on a hill opposite the Alhambra and many tourists visit it mainly for the spectacular view of the Alhambra which can be enjoyed from the Church of San Nicola.

Points of interest within the neighborhood include the remains of an Arab Baths Complex, the archaeological museum of Granada, and the church of San Salvador, built on the rubble of a Mora mosque. Albayzin also contains some Moorish houses and a number of restaurants, as well as numerous streets whose shops have been inspired by North African ones.

 

The history

Its best period was the one following the period in which al-Andalus was first an Emirate and then Umayyad Caliphate, based in Cordoba. With the reinos de taifas (mulūk al-tawāʾif in Arabic), the city - which hosted a rich and active Jewish community, mainly based in the Realejo district, so much so that the city was called "Gharnāta al-Yahūd", Grenade of the Jews - was governed from 1013 in a progressively independent way by the Ziridi, a dynasty founded by Zāwī ibn Zīrī, a Berber who came from North Africa to participate in the wars triggered in al-Andalus by the collapse of the Caliphate.

During the Arab rule, Granada was one of the major trading cities for the exchange of precious stones, skins, weapons and gunpowder. Some of these objects also came from the Far East, such as China and Mongolia, although the first importers of objects from these territories were the ancient Romans, in their period of great prosperity.

During the Almoravid and Almohad domination, Granada lost its independence, forced to bow to the will of the lords who came from North Africa, but regained its role when, in 1238, Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf ibn Nāẓar (or Naṣr) entered the city from Puerta de Elvira to occupy the Rooster of the Wind Palace and link the fate of his Nasrid dynasty to the Sultanate of Granada. The Nasrids gave the city twenty sultans, until its fall in January 1492.

The Nasrids transformed their capital into one of the most brilliant centers of the entire Iberian Peninsula, both from an economic and social point of view as well as from a purely cultural one.

It was the last realm to be "reconquered" by the Christians who, for a long period, allowed it to survive, albeit in a state of substantial feuding, to the crown of Castile, until, in 1492, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon forced the last Sultan Abū ʿAbd Allāh (the "Boabdil" of the Christian chronicles of the time) to surrender and exile. There is a place called "Sospiro del Moro" in the Sierra Nevada from where, before proceeding towards the coast, the panorama of the city is seen for the last time, and here according to tradition Boabdil stopped to regret his lost kingdom .

According to tradition, the latter's mother scolded him saying: "You cry like a woman because you didn't know how to defend your kingdom like a man".

The fact that the "very Catholic" kings had decided to elect the palace of the sultans of the Alhambra as their royal seat in Granada (from the Arabic al-Ḥamrāʾ, or "the Red", perhaps due to the pink color of the structures walls or, perhaps, the reddish color of the first sultan's beard), preserved the building from the devastating damnatio memoriae of the victors. Today the Alhambra is considered one of the World Heritage Sites. Charles V also built his palace in the middle of the Alhambra, but it was not finished.

At the end of the 16th century, with Philip II in power, the bloody rebellion of the Moriscos (Christians converted to Islam) broke out and Philip II's half-brother, Don Giovanni of Austria, winner of Lepanto, was forced to intervene. very harsh: the leader of the insurgents Abén Humeya (whose Christian name was Fernando de Córdoba y Válor while the Arab one was Muḥammad ibn Umayya. He (1520-1569) was betrayed and assassinated by Abén Abó (Ibn ˁAbbād or Ibn ʿAbbās) who, in turn, he was beheaded by the Christians who exhibited his head on the Royal Gate.

The Moriscos were definitively expelled from his reign by Philip III and there was a period of serious crisis in the national economy (originating from the collapse of the agricultural sector), followed in the 17th and 18th centuries by a period of great splendor (caused by gold and from the silver of the Americas) and the construction of the great works of the Baroque and the following period were started and completed.

In the following centuries, Granada was no longer at the center of the country's cultural life until, in 1829, Washington Irving arrived in the city, residing at the Alhambra and writing "Tales of the Alhambra" which attracted many writers, artists and romantic travelers like Alexandre Dumas, Honoré Daumier, Delacroix and others. In 1889 the restoration of the Alhambra began and it was opened to the public with Alfonso XIII. Since then Granada has increased its fame with Federico Garcia Lorca, Salvador Dalì, Andres Segovia and Manuel de Falla, who lived there at the same time, turning the Andalusian city into one of the world's major centers of literature and music.

It was a palace, citadel and fotezza, residence of the Nazarite sultans and high officials, court servants and elite soldiers (13th to 15th century). The current buildings of the Alhambra date back to the 14th century.

In 1238 Mohamed Ben Nasar created the Nazarite dynasty. The dynasty gave twenty kings until 1492 when the Sultan Boabdìl the Small handed the city to the Catholic Monarchs.

During three centuries of prosperity, the Islamic culture of Granada developed and left astonishing architectural works of great artistic value such as the Alhambra. The Nazarite reign lasted 250 years only for the benevolence of the Christian kings, to whom he had turned his vassalage.

•  Nazarite Royal Palaces : in the lower and northern part of the hill. Constructions gathered around the Courtyard of the Myrtles and that of the Lions (Patio de los Arroyanes and de los Leones). There are three nuclei with different functions: there is the Mexuar or Golden Room where there was the hall of justice for the meetings of the emirs with their ministers called to council; the Serrallo (Serraglio) or cuarto de Comares, intended as the official residence of the king; in the Harem , the third nucleus, there were his private residences.

The Golden Room connects the Mexuar with the Serrallo; the center is occupied by a source which is the replica of the original, moved from the Doraxa garden in the 16th century.

The cuarto de Comares, the main part of the palace, built by Sultan Abul-Hachach-Yusuf I. Its facade is extremely beautiful. In the center is the Cortile dei Mirti , with harmonious shapes, with a pond; around the mansions of the Comares palace. In the north gallery is the Comares Tower : here the poems written on the walls of the Alhambra begin, created by Mohammad Aben Zemrec. Immediately after, there is the Sala de la Barca (from the Arabic barahka = luck, blessing), with a wooden coffered ceiling. On the main floor of the Comares tower is the hall of the Ambassadors where Boabdil decided to hand over Granada to the Catholic kings.

From this tower, through the Patio de la Alberca , you enter the Courtyard of the Lions

which is part of the Harem dependencies. Built in the time of Mohammed V, in the fourteenth century, for the beauty of the ornaments it has been classified as the best example of Arab-Granada art. The colonnade that surrounds it is made up of 142 white marble columns with cubic capitals; its arches are semicircular, Moorish and stalactite; the stucco decorations: in the center is the source of the Lions, from which the name derives.

The Sala de los Abencerrajes (Sala degli Abencerragi) and the Sala de los Reyes , contain pointed arches with a very rich interweaving of ornaments.

The Sala de las Dos Hermanas , residence of the sultana, with the beautiful balcony of Daraxa and the Sala de las Ajimeces (room with mullioned windows) are on the northern side of the courtyard.

The most impressive corner in the Harem is the Mirador de Daraxa , today a small room called the sala de los Secretos , because the vault that covers it allows the transmission of sounds. Very close is the emperor's room .

From the nearby garden of Daraxa you enter the Partal Gardens and from there to the Tower of the Ladies , as well as the tower known as Mezquita de El Partal. 

From the Partal Gardens you pass to the Generalife.

•  Generalife. From the Arabic djennat al arif = the hanging gardens, dating back to the 14th century, surrounded by terraced gardens, jets of water and fountains.It was the summer residence of the Nazarite rulers. Walking along the Cypress and Oleander walks (de las Adelfas) you reach the palace: a small building consisting of two pavilions joined by a gallery and some of the rooms. In the center is the Patio de la Acequia (Canal Courtyard).

•  Medina

•  Alcazaba (citadel): it is, together with the Vermilion Towers, the oldest building in the complex; it dates back to the 13th century and was built on the pre-existing remains of buildings intended for defense. In these dependencies several towers rise; the most famous is the Torre della Vela in which the Catholic Kings installed a bell which with its beats indicated the irrigation cycles of the fertile Granada plain. This tower is in the highest position in the entire Alhambra.

 

Climate

Despite the proximity to the sea, the climate is dry and continental. Rain is rare and the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada prevent the sea from mitigating the climate. For this reason, in winter temperatures often drop below freezing and in summer they almost always exceed thirty degrees. There is also a large temperature difference between day and night, often with a difference of fifteen degrees. The hours of sunshine during the year are 2662.

 

Culture

One of his most illustrious sons was the great poet Federico García Lorca, killed by the Francoists during the civil war.

Granada is also one of the Spanish cities most visited by tourists for its monuments, its festivals, for the characteristic gypsy clubs in the Sacromonte caves where flamenco and gypsy zambra are sung and danced.

The most famous monument is the Alhambra, which consists of three parts: Alcazaba (from the Arabic al-Qaṣaba, "fortified residence"), the Royal House or Alcazar (from the Arabic al-Qaṣr, "the Palace") with gardens and Alhambra alta or District of the People's Artisans, whose extension is 104,000 square meters. The fortress was flanked by three hundred towers, four of which are still gateways to the enclosure today, two almost parallel streets crossed the citadel and only one is preserved.

Interesting are several rooms with the characteristic arabesque geometric decorations, both in the public palace (Mexuar) and in the private one (Diwan or Serraglio), even if some are a little transformed by the Christian kings. The courtyards are characteristic, one of which is called "courtyard of the myrtles", due to the myrtle plants that surround the interior full of water, and another, in the center of the harem, called "of the lions" due to the central fountain whose basin it is supported by twelve lions. Other buildings house bathrooms with different rooms, and then courtyards, gardens, fountains, small channels through which the water flows, make this complex unique.

The palace of Charles V, from 1527, is located inside the structure of the Alhambra, symbolizing Christian superiority over the defeated Muslims, inside you can admire its suggestive circular arcaded courtyard, inspired by Renaissance palaces.

Another notable building is the Cathedral with the Royal Chapel adjoining, in whose crypt are the tombs of the Catholic Kings Ferdinand and Isabella, of Giovanna la Pazza (doña Juana la Loca), of Philip the Beautiful and of the infant Miguel. The Cathedral is full of very ornate chapels and altars and many works by famous painters.

The Generalife (from the Arabic Jannat al-ʿArīf, "Garden of the superintendent") which is not only a recreational villa, but also a set of gardens, vegetable gardens, cattle ranch and hunting lodge for the sultans and their guests, built and equipped with plants around 1315. It is located above the Alhambra and extends into the mountains.

A typical Islamic-Gypsy quarter of Granada is the Albaycín, with narrow and narrow streets, courtyards with trees and flowers, terraces, cisterns and ponds. This neighborhood owes its name to the recolonization of the city by the Christians, it was in fact by order of the Christian kings, that the inhabitants of the first city reconquered by Isabella the Catholic, moved to Granada to repopulate it with Christians; this city is called Baeza.

The district faces the Alhambra on the other side of the Dauro River (Duero), so called because gold nuggets were found there in ancient times. Above the Muslim quarter is the Sacromonte, a district in which numerous caves long inhabited by gypsies are excavated, very ornate and rich in crafts and local color.

 

Currently Granada is one of the most important student centers in all of Spain, where many students from all over Spain and all over Europe converge through the Erasmus university program. There were about 80,000 students from outside the city during the academic year. Erasmus students in Granada in the 2015/2016 academic year were about 1300, of which almost 800 were Italian.

In the 2016/2017 academic year, the trend is confirmed by the participation of 1700 Erasmus students, helped in everyday life by student associations for the organization of cultural trips to Andalusia (ASEE) and theme parties in characteristic places as well as Botellón.

 

Alhambra Tickets

How to buy the ticket .

The purchase of tickets varies according to the different modes of individual or group tourism.

1. Individual tourism:

Direct sale - With this system you can only buy tickets for the same day of the visit, at the ticket office of the Patronato, located in the Entrance Pavilion of the Monument, in the time slot indicated in the corresponding Timetable section.

Advance sale - It is made with a maximum advance of one year and a minimum of one day compared to the day of the visit.

Tickets can be collected at the Alhambra Patronato's ticket office on the same day of the visit, and the ticket identification number, together with an identity document or passport, must be presented.

It is not possible to obtain tickets without prior presentation of the identification number of the same. Its loss, theft or misplacement exempts the Patronage of the Alhambra from any responsibility.

2. Tourism organized in groups (Nazariti Viaggi and authorized agents):

For the purchase of tickets, groups will always be subject to the booking procedure. Reservations will necessarily be made through an agent authorized by the Patronato, with a maximum limit of one year and a minimum of one day with respect to the day of the visit.