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| Photo Section >Granada> | Scenes of the Alhambra (click pictures to enlarge) |
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The Moorish castle known as the "Alhambra" is without a doubt Granada's most famous historical site. It is located on top of a hill on the left bank of the river Darro, to the west of the city of Granada and in front of the old Albaicin area.The complex is surrounded by ramparts and has an irregular shape. It has a view over the whole city and the surrounding meadow, which means that it is probable that other buildings had been on the same site before the Moslems arrived. |
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| The Alhambra at dusk The Alhambra from below |
The earliest known historical documents that mention the Alhambra date from the 9th century. The castle of the Alhambra was added to the city's area within the ramparts in the 9th century, which implied that the castle became a military fortress with a view over the entire city. Nonetheless, it was not until the arrival of the first king of the Nasrid dynasty, Mohammed ben Al-Hamar (Mohammed I, 1238-1273), in the 13th century, that the royal residence was established in the Alhambra. This event marked the beginning of the Alhambra's most glorious period. | View from
the other side |
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Yusuf I (1333-1353) and
Mohammed V (1353-1391) are
responsible for most of the constructions of the Alhambra that we can see
and admire today. King
Ferdinand and Queen Isabella took possession of the Alhambra after they
conquered the Moors and expelled them from Spain in 1492, the year that
Columbus discovered America: and as a matter of fact, it was this Queen
Isabella that sponsored his voyage. |
| Part of
the Alhambra was blown up by the French in the war between Napoleon and
Spain in the early 19th century; it was not until later in that century
that the process of repairing, restoring and preserving the
complex started, and this process has continued up to the present day.
(To the right: the
Alhambra fortess, with the Sierra Nevada |
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If you click on the picture at left to enlarge, you will clearly see the
remains of a moorish wall, about half-way up the hill, that surrounded the
houses of the people who lived just below the walls of the fortress. Today,
these houses are long gone, and trees cover the hill. To the right: An inner
patio of the Alhambra with a pond. Questions about Granada, or about Spain in general? Write to me at dbolton99b@yahoo.es , and I'll be glad to answer them. |
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Three more scenes
from inside the Alhambra. When you visit it, do not forget your camera: believe me, you will be able to take many dozens of beautiful pictures there! (click pictures to enlarge) |
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| Next: The "Semana Santa" (Holy Week) in Granada |
| Other Photo pages: Home My Neighbourhood San Jerónimo The Cathedral Area The "Semana Santa" (Holy Week) |