The Alhambra

This is where beauty, history, and different cultures meet. Dominated by the graceful power of the Alhambra Palace on a hill, walking the winding and narrow alleys of Granada itself feels like a trip through different time zones and civilizations. Start from the mighty cathedral through the souq-like market up the historical Albaicín neighborhood, listen to flamenco of street musicians and enjoy the magical view of the Alhambra and the Generalife in the sunset from Mirador de San Nicolas Square. Granada proper was founded when the Moorish Caliphate of Cordoba collapsed. In 1013 CE, the new city became the capital of an independent kingdom – but its heyday started in 1238 with the foundation of the Emirate of Granada. The Nasrid rulers expanded the existing fort into a magnificent complex of palaces and gardens today known as Alhambra.

Granada grew into one of the richest and most sophisticated cities of Europe. And the history of Granada is also one of intermittent tolerance, when Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived together peacefully for at least the first 200 years of Islamic Al-Andalus, before fundamentalist rulers took over. Exchange between philosophers from different faiths and backgrounds was at its height. But the Reconquista was looming. After the "Catholic Monarchs" Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon had united, they waged the final war against Granada. After ten years of fighting, they signed a treaty with the last Emir Boabdil offering generous tolerance to Jews and Muslims. But they had long since started the Spanish Inquisition, and the spirit of tolerance wasn't going to last for long. Nevertheless, in 1492 Boabdil surrendered the keys to the Alhambra. The Nasrid dynasty had fallen.
And you will fall as well: in love with this place.

The History of the Alhambra

On the outside fortified walls - on the inside fairytale palaces where poets once held the highest office: The Alhambra recounts the story of the last Iberian muslim dynasty between tolerance and treason, of sophisticated lifestyles under permanent threat...

The Beginnings of the Alhambra

From the Umayyad, or „Moorish“ conquest of the Iberian Peninsula to the heyday of the last Muslim Emirate of Granada: the roots of the Alhambra – city of kings, fortified castle, and most of all splendid palace for the Emirs of the Nasrid dynasty.

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The Nasrid Palaces

A tour of Mexuar, Comares, and the Palace of the Lions with their interiors of unequalled splendor. What do the countless inscriptions on the walls say? Plus stories of the Sultans‘ lives between fine arts and murder – including a cold-blooded massacre...

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The City Within the Palace

Within the Alhambra, their was a whole town. The Medina was where artisans created masterpieces of world renown for the court of the Emirs. Today, the remains of their workshops and homes can still be seen, built to the same layout as the royal palaces.

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Destruction and Resurrection of a Legend

In the 15th century, the reconquista gained momentum when Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon were married in 1469. After 1482 they closed in on the Nasrids - and in 1492 Granada fell. The winners took over... ?

The Fall of the Nasrids

The union of Castile and Aragon sealed the Nasrids‘ fate. In 1492 the last Emir Boabdil surrendered the Alhambra to the „Catholic Kings“. Initially, they promised tolerance to Jews and Muslims – but soon showed their true colours…

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Romantic Rediscovery

The courage of a single soldier saved the Alhambra during the Napoleonic wars. In the 19th century it deteriorated. But the ruins embodied the myth of The Orient. Throughout Europe, the Alhambra became fashionable, inspring novels as well as cigarette brands.

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Behind the Walls of the Alhambra

Unforgettable images show just how ingeniously the architects blended aesthetics and function such as an ingenious air-conditioning system. But what are the poems on the walls all about? And how do the gardens recreate paradise on Earth?