Today we would visit one of Europe’s top sights: The Alhambra. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world. Although this wasn’t always the case - at one point the Alhambra had fallen into serious disrepair and all the glory of its palaces could have easily been lost to time. Luckily its fortunes reversed and today we can revel in its beauty and history.

The Alhambra is situated on Sabika Hill, a promontory overlooking the Plain of Granada across the Darro River from the hills of Albaicín. The fortress has a reddish hue from the local clay used in construction and its name derives from an Arabic phrase al-Ḥamrā; meaning “the red one”. The prior day we got a good look at the Alhambra from Albaicín and could appreciate its size. The site is ~2360 feet (720 m) in length, ~655 feet (200 m) at its widest, and covers an area of around 1.5 million square feet (140,00 m2). Calling it a palace is not entirely accurate as it was a complex that operated as its own self-contained city of 2,000 people, taking in Muslims as they were displaced from further north during the Reconquista. It contained at least six major palaces, a fort, a mosque, public baths (hammams), roads, houses, artisan workshops, and a sophisticated water supply system.

The Alhambra is the greatest building to exist on this site, but it wasn’t the first. Archaeologists have found remains of ancient foundations and a fortress from the Visigoth period likely existed here in the 9th century, as well as an 11th century palace. In the 13th century Muhammad I Ibn al-Ahmar became the first Nasrid emir and founder of the Emirate of Granada, which would be the last and longest reigning Muslim dynasty in the Iberian peninsula. When Muhammad I settled in Granada in 1238 he initially resided in an old citadel in what is now Albaicín and began construction of the Alhambra. The only elements preserved from the time of Muhammad I are some of the fortification walls, particularly the Alcazaba at the western end of the complex.

Work continued on the Alhambra with subsequent rulers and the most significant construction occurred during the 14th century, exemplifying Nasrid architecture. Some features of this Moorish architecture included the use of courtyards as the basic unit around which other rooms were organized, water features like fountains and pools, colorful geometric tiles, carved stucco, and muqarnas, which I found to be one of the most distinctive and unique decorative elements. Muqarnas are a three dimensional decoration used in vaulted ceilings that are also referred to as “stalactite vaulting” or “honeycomb vaulting”. After this time period the Alhambra didn’t undergo any significant construction or changes until the last Nasrid sultan surrendered in 1492 to the Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.

The Alhambra became property of the Spanish Crown after the Reconquista and the new rulers made changes to the palace complex. It was initially the Royal Court of Ferdinand and Isabella and in 1526 Charles V decided to convert it into a royal residence for his use. Portions of the Nasrid palaces were modified to serve as royal apartments or demolished to make way for his new palace built in a Renaissance style, although this was ultimately left unfinished nearly a century later. The 1710s marked a period of severe decline of the Alhambra. The Spanish state dedicated few resources to its upkeep and there seemed to be little interest in preventing the complex from falling into disrepair. The hits just kept coming as Napoleon’s army occupied the site during the Peninsular War in the 1810s and caused significant damage. Fortunately their attempts to dynamite the whole complex upon evacuation were thwarted by a Spanish soldier who disabled some fuses, although they still did manage to blow up eight towers. An earthquake in 1821 also caused damage.

The tide finally began to turn when restoration work started in 1828. What really kickstarted the renaissance was Washington Irving living in Granada and writing Tales of the Alhambra that was published in 1832. This sparked an international interest in Andalucía and brought attention to the Alhambra. Restoration wasn’t smooth sailing however, work was plagued by clashes between overseeing organizations and architects. Early restoration followed a theory of “stylistic restoration” that didn’t correspond to historical reality and added elements that weren’t accurate (such as adding domes that were thought to be “Arabic style”, but were inconsistent with true Nasrid architecture). These inaccuracies were corrected when an architect named Leopoldo Torres Balbás was appointed in the 1920s. Torres Balbás was a trained archaeologist and art historian with a philosophy of respect for the work of the past and helped restore lost elements of the complex such as opening up walled up arcades, excavating filled-in pools, and replacing missing tiles. He also carried out archaeological excavations that uncovered lost Nasrid palaces. His assistant continued his work into the 1970s and Alhambra was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Research, archaeological investigations, and restoration work are ongoing.

Alhambra has 8000 visitors a day and I knew it was important to book tickets in advance. There are four main parts to see at Alhambra: Palacios Nazaríes (the main attraction, the beautiful Moorish palaces), Alcazaba Fort, Generalife Palace and Gardens (a small summer palace and lovely gardens), and Palace of Charles V (a basic Renaissance palace, also the location of the Alhambra Museum). You can enter the grounds for free, as well as visit the Palace of Charles V without a ticket. The other sites require a ticket and Palacios Nazaríes requires a time slot reservation (you have to enter at your time slot, but can stay as long as you like). Alcazaba and Generalife can be entered one time for your ticket and you can come and go from the grounds as you please.

I booked us the first time slot of the day at 8:30 am and I’m glad I did - when we toured the Palacios Nazaríes they were not crowded at all and we often had rooms to ourselves (or just a few other people). When we walked by later it was a lot busier and Generalife was very busy in the afternoon. There are buses that go to Alhambra, but we found it just as easy to walk up the hill. It was about a twenty minute walk up Cuesta de Gomérez where we passed through the Gate of the Pomegranates (built in 1526), the gateway to the Forest of the Alhambra and the path to the Alhambra. We continued along the path to enter the Alhambra complex through the Puerta de la Justicia (the Gate of Justice), the largest and most impressive gate at the Alhambra, built in 1348. Above the gate is one of the most significant symbolic icons of the Alhambra: the hand carved in the keystone of the arch and a key in the center of the inner archway. The Catholic Monarchs left their own symbol when a Gothic figure of the Virgin Mary was placed over the original Arab inscription. Nearby is Pilar de Carlos V (Charles V’s Pillar), a Renaissance-style fountain built in 1524.

We found the line up spot and waited for our 8:30 am time slot. When it was time to enter we had to show our passports along with our tickets - this was the only attraction on our trip that required us to show our passport. The Palacios Nazaríes consists of three main palaces: the Mexuar, the Comares Palace, and the Palace of the Lions. The first palace we entered was the Mexuar, which housed many of the administrative and more public functions of the palace. The main hall, known as the Sala del Mexuar or Council Hall, served as a throne hall where the sultan received and judged petitions. This space was converted into a Christian chapel after the Reconquista. The Cuarto Dorado section on the east side of the Council Hall granted access to the Comares Palace and additions were made to this area to convert it into a residence. Many of these additions and changes were later removed during restorations in the 19th and 20th centuries. One thing that did remain in the Mexuar were the “Plus Ultra” tiles that were an emblem of Charles V from the 16th century and one potential origin of the dollar sign.

We passed through the Patio del Cuarto Dorado (Courtyard of the Golden Room) and the Comares Façade to enter the Comares Palace. The Comares Palace is centered around Patio de los Arrayanes, or The Court of the Myrtles (named for the myrtle bushes that surround the central pool). Ornate porticos around the courtyard lead to further rooms; in one direction are the Comares baths and in another is Comares Tower that contains the most important room in the palace and the largest in the Alhambra: The Hall of Ambassadors (Salón de los Embajadores). This hall was the sultan’s throne room and one of the most impressive chambers in the Alhambra. There is a domed ceiling made of 8017 interlinked pieces of wood that form an abstract geometric representation of the seven heavens and extensive tile and stucco decoration on the walls. Even the room we passed through to get to the Hall of Ambassadors, Sala de la Barca (the Ship Room), was impressive with its intricate ceiling and niches. Everywhere we turned there was some new detail to take in - it really was impressive and beautiful!

The final of the main palaces we saw was Palace of the Lions, which comprised the private chambers of the royal family. Similar to Comares Palace, Palace of the Lions is anchored by a courtyard called Courtyard of the Lions (Patio de los Leones) with access to various rooms off the courtyard. The courtyard has an arrangement of columns around the perimeter that is unique in Islamic architecture and the center is occupied by the Fountain of Lions, consisting of a large basin with twelve lion sculptures carved from marble. The first room we visited was Sala de los Abencerrajes or Hall of the Abencerrajes, which was the Sultan’s bedroom. Legend has it the room derived its name from Abencerrajes knights that were beheaded there (the legend is unsubstantiated, yet the name remains). The centerpiece of this room is an elaborate dome ceiling in the shape of an eight pointed star filled with muqarnas. The walls are equally ornate with stucco decoration and 16th century Sevillian tiles.

Sala de los Reyes (Hall of the Kings) also has muqarnas vaults and elaborately decorated walls. No beheadings here - the name of the room derives from a painting that occupies the central vault depicting kings and other figures. The room is divided into smaller spaces and was an area used for leisure and the larger vestibular hall was reserved for receptions and celebrations. We continued on to Sala de Dos Hermanas (Hall of the Two Sisters), named for two white marble slabs on the floor on either side of the central fountain. The walls have intricate plasterwork characteristic of Nasrid art, culminating in another stunning dome. The muqarnas number over 5000 pieces and form a star that is highlighted by the light coming in from the windows below it. Gorgeous!

We had a few more spots to visit in the Palacios Nazaríes, plus a stop at the Palacio del Partal, before we concluded our visit in the main part of Alhambra:

- Mirador de Lindaraja: A small room with double-arched windows overlooking the gardens below, decorated with more muqarnas, stucco carvings, and colorful mosaic tiles.

- Patio de la Reja (Patio of the Wrought Iron Grille or the Court of the Grated Window): This small courtyard is named for the wrought iron grille on the southern wall when a balcony was built in the 1650s. I loved the pattern on the ground created by the rock/stone designs.

- El Peinador de la Reina (the Queen’s Dressing Room): These chambers were named for Empress Isabel, the wife of Charles V. Built in 1537 on the Abu I-Hayyay Tower, it provides great views across the entire valley of the Darro.

- Patio de la Lindaraja: This is a courtyard adjacent to Patio de la Reja and similar in appearance, but larger and with shrubs and orange trees.

- Palacio del Partal: This palace was built in the early 14th century by the Nasrid ruler Muhammad III, making it the oldest surviving palatial structure in the Alhambra. It might be the oldest, but it has undergone the most alterations after the Reconquista. Unlike the other palaces that were used by the monarchs, the Palacio del Partal was under private ownership and remodeled by its various owners. It was ceded to the Spanish government in 1891 and incorporated into the rest of the Alhambra. The courtyard of this palace is open with great views, which differs from the enclosed courtyards in other parts of the Alhambra. There is not a consensus if this was by design or was originally enclosed and was remodeled to be open. Either way, it was a nice spot to end our tour of the palaces of the Alhambra.

While the Palacios Nazaríes is the main attraction at the Alhambra, there are other parts of the complex to visit. We looped back around to where we entered the palaces to visit the nearby Alcazaba. Along the way, we had to stop to see the cats. Norah and I are always joking about how we are constantly distracted by cats (forget millennia of history and amazing architecture - “oooh, there is a cat!”). So we were happy to see we weren’t the only ones - it looked like the paparazzi had arrived when one of the cats strolled through the flowers. It’s not just us!

Sabika hill is a natural defensive position and fortification of this site began in the 9th century. When Muhammad I made Granada the capital of a new emirate in 1238 he initially settled in the old citadel on the Albaicín hill, then shifted to Sabika hill and began construction of the Alhambra. He built his own citadel, reusing foundations of an earlier fortress, and this new citadel was called Alcazaba in Spanish (coming from the Arabic term al-qaṣabah). The Alcazaba has a roughly triangular layout with two main towers as anchor points: Torre de la Vela (the Watch Tower) and Torre del Homenaje (Tower of Homage). Torre del Homenaje is the highest tower at Alhambra and both of these towers offer terrific views of Granada.

Inside the fortress walls was a residential area with urban amenities. There were additional residences in some of the towers. Muhammad I and his son both had residences in the Alcazaba until the palaces were finished. Then the Alcazaba was only used as a fortress. After the Reconquista the Spanish made modifications and additions to fortify the Alcazaba against gunpowder artillery weapons, although the fortress did not see any significant action in military campaigns.

Similar to the rest of the complex, the Alcazaba was abandoned and fell into various states of disrepair for a long time. In the late 19th century and early 20th century restorations began, including archaeologists clearing the interior of the fortress and excavating what remained of the urban area. Before and after restoration pictures show pretty significant differences in the fortress, same as the photos we saw in the palaces documenting the improvements after restoration. The Alcazaba is now the oldest surviving part of the Alhambra.

Next we visited the Palace of Charles V. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (ruled as Charles I over Spain) was the grandson of the Catholic Monarchs and decided to build his own palace within the walls of the Alhambra. The palace was built in the Renaissance style and had a unique design of a square containing an inner circular patio. Construction began in 1527 and dragged on - eventually the project was abandoned 1637 by his son Phillip II when he left to build El Escorial outside of Madrid. The building was left without a roof, which contributed to its deterioration. It was used as a storage facility and during the Peninsular War the occupying French troops stripped everything they could find from the inside to make fires. Restoration began in the 1920s with the appointment of Leopoldo Torres Balbás and it eventually was completed and got a roof. The Rick Steve’s book says this is the most impressive Renaissance building in Spain, but we found it the least interesting building we visited in the Alhambra - the Palacios Nazaríes are a tough act to follow.

On the ground floor of the Palace of Charles V is the Alhambra Museum. The museum is home to Nasrid art Moorish artifacts from the Alhambra (and some from other locations), ranging from the early Islamic period of Granada through the Nasrid period. The permanent collection has 312 pieces and is divided into seven rooms, arranged in chronological order. The collection includes coins, architectural elements, decorative pieces, ceramics, and everyday objects. Among the highlights are the Vase of the Gazelles, a decorated vase from the 14th century, and the Maristan stone lion fountain from a 14th century hospital in Granada.

We still had Generalife to visit, but we opted to save this for after lunch. We exited through the east side of the complex to eat at nearby Restaurante Jardines Alberto. This was a nice spot to sit for a spell and I had the “Nasrid Style Chicken”: chicken medallions stuffed with spinach and nuts and honey sauce garnished with almonds and rice and vegetables. After lunch we returned to Alhambra to visit Generalife, which was built sometime between the end of the 13th century and the beginning of the 14th century. In the Nasrid period, Generalife was a summer palace retreat, as well as a space where fruits and vegetables were grown for the complex. This area was outside the protection of the Alhambra wall and the Nasrid rulers would use a private covered passage to move between the two. Visitors today make the short hike up the hill beyond the entrance pavilion to visit Generalife. There was a one way path that led us past several miradors, through the Patio de la Acequia, and to the Generalife Palace. Patio de la Acequia, or Courtyard of the Water Canal, is a central feature of Generalife. A royal aqueduct was constructed by the Nasrids that diverted water from the Darro River and through the long fountain in this courtyard. It was used to irrigate the gardens outside and continued along the aqueduct into the Alhambra. The courtyard today is a mix of original designs from the Nasrid period and modern day elements. The gardens are modern replacements, but they follow the original layout.

The last spot we visited in Generalife was the Water Stairway (Escalera del Agua), a four-flight staircase whose balustrades on either side are carved with water channels that run along their top and along the entire length of the staircase. There are several small landings with fountains along the staircase and at the top is a small 19th century pavilion called the Romantic Pavilion (likely the site of a prayer room in the original design). We could look down on the High Gardens and eventually made our way down to exit through the “Walk of Oleanders” (Paseo de las Adelfas). Overall, we loved our visit to the Alhambra - what an amazing place!

We walked back down to the city center and took a break in our hotel room while we decided our next move. Our guide the previous day had mentioned that Mirador de San Miguel Alto was one of her favorite viewpoints in the Albaicín neighborhood and we had booked tickets for a zambra performance there in the evening, so we decided to spend the rest of our day in Albaicín. I had found a highly reviewed, locally owned ceramics business I wanted to check out so we decided to do that first. Cerámica Al Yarrar is the type of place you have to know to look for as it would be highly unlikely to just stumble across it. Thank goodness for Google maps as we navigated the narrow Albaicín streets to find the address. There isn’t a storefront - just a small sign taped above a doorbell to a private residence instructing you to ring the bell for Cerámica Al Yarrar. We rang the doorbell and somebody stuck their head out from the second floor to tell us just a minute, then we were ushered across a private patio to a small store. It’s a good thing we only had carry ons for luggage and not a lot of extra room because otherwise I might have emptied my wallet buying their gorgeous Andalusian pieces. Their collection is made by hand and decorated entirely by hand using techniques from the 12th century (Nasrid period). Their designs are original, relying heavily upon the colors Granada blue and green. Not only do I adore the small bowl I picked out, it was a charming experience.

Cerámica Al Yarrar is a short walk from Plaza Larga, one of the main squares at the heart of the Albaicín, so we headed there to check it out. It’s not a large plaza, but it was lively as people were out to enjoy the beautiful Saturday afternoon. We braved the lines at Cafe Casa Pasteles to grab some goodies to eat in the plaza. From here it was a fifteen minute walk to Mirador de San Miguel Alto, including walking up 80 m/260 ft to the viewpoint in front of a church. Totally worth the climb as the views across Granada to the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada Mountains were terrific (light was not great and I didn’t end up taking any pictures, but it was great panoramic views!) and not nearly as crowded as the popular San Nicholas viewpoint near the heart of Albaicín. Between the views and nice afternoon, we sat here for quite awhile before wandering back down to find a spot for some tapas. We were able to snag an outdoor table at Casa Gabriel and had a leisurely meal.

Eventually we made our way to Sacromonte. We still had some time to kill before the zambra performance, so we walked along the main street to take in the views and popped into another cafe so I could have a tinto verano. We lined up early at Zambra Maria la Canastera so we could get prime seats. The performances take place in a cave characteristic of the Sacromonte neighborhood and we were seated right by the tablao (the platform floor on which the dancers dance).The space felt cozy and intimate and we were excited to see the show.

We had already enjoyed a terrific flamenco show in Seville and decided to see this show based on the recommendation of our guide the day before. I hadn’t realized that zambra is a style of flamenco unique to the Romani in Granada and a show in Sacromonte would be different from what we saw in Seville. One difference is the ambience of the performances - the flamenco in Seville felt more like a formal performance with the artists on a stage whereas the zambra felt more loose and spontaneous. We didn’t feel as much like an audience at the zambra as we were right there by the tablao.

From our walking tour in Sacromonte we had learned about the history of zambra. When the Moors were persecuted and had to leave the walls of the city, many of them settled in Sacromonte. Zambra arose as a mix of the different cultures; the Romani were inspired by the songs and dances performed at Muslim weddings (the name zambra derives from the Arabic word zamra (flute) or zamara (musicians)) and developed their own style of flamenco incorporating these elements. In the 16th century the Inquisition prohibited the zambra and the dance moved underground. Throughout centuries the Romani faced hardship and persecution and the zambra also became a dance of defiance and protest. Fortunately the zambra survived and it was brought back into the spotlight in the 19th century, similar to the deteriorating Alhambra, when the Romantic authors visited Granada and highlighted the history and beauty of Andalucía. Today zambra is popular among locals and tourists alike and a thriving art form.

With all this in mind, we settled in for the zambra performance. We were captivated. The footwork, dancing, singing, and guitar playing were all great, but it was the emotion and passion that really made the show a standout. I was so glad we decided to see the show - it was definitely another highlight! As for comparing it to the show we saw in Seville - both were excellent and I would wholeheartedly recommend either. I would probably give the zambra the edge, partly because the experience of watching it in one of the caves in Sacromonte felt special. After the show we hopped on the Sacromonte bus that conveniently stops in front of Zambra Maria la Canastera to ride back to Plaza Nueva. We finished our night at Teteria Bagdad tea house - the mint tea and crepe I had were delicious. This day was a fantastic one for our last day in Andalucía!