Alhambra Palace & Generalife An Islamic World Heritage Alhambra Palace & Generalife are definitely Granada highlights, keep reading and discover why. The name Alhambra comes from an Arabic root which means "red castle", perhaps due to the hue of the towers and walls that surround the entire hill which by sunlight is transformed into gold. But there is another more poetic version, its said that the construction of the Alhambra fortress was done "by the light of torches", the reflections of which gave the walls their particular coloration. Created originally for military purposes, the Alhambra was an fortress, a palace and a smal city. There is no reference to the Alhambra as being a residence of kings until the 13th century even though the fortress had existed since the 9th century. The first kings of Granada, the Zirites, had their castles and palaces on the hill of the Albaicin, and nothing remains of them. The Nasrites were probably the emirs who built the Alhambra, starting in 1238. The founder of the dynasty, Muhammed Al-Ahmar, began with the restoration of the old fortress. His work was completed by his son Muhammed II, whose immediate successors continued with the repairs. The construction of the palaces dates back to the 14th century and is the work of two great kings: Yusuf I and Muhammed V. To the first we owe, among others, the Chamber of Comares, the Gate of Justice, the Baths and some towers. His son, Muhammed V, completed the beautification of the palaces with the Chamber of the Lions, as well as other rooms and fortifications. The Alhambra became a Christian court in 1492 when the Catholic Monarchs conquered the city of Granada. Later, various structures were built for prominent civilians also military garrisons, a church and a Franciscan monastery. Emperor Charles
Alhambra Palace & Generalife An Islamic World Heritage Alhambra Palace & Generalife are definitely Granada highlights, keep reading and discover why. The name Alhambra comes from an Arabic root which means “red castle“, perhaps due to the hue of the towers and walls that surround the entire hill which by sunlight is transformed into gold.
