Alhambra. Earthly Paradise
Lion's Court. Through the arcade you can see a beautiful courtyard, built during the reign of Muhammad (1354-1391)
Alhambra- a palace complex on the eastern outskirts of Granada, an Andalusian city located about 80 km from the coast Mediterranean Sea. Granada was the last Moorish kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula, and the Alhambra is the only Arab palace in Spain that has almost completely survived to this day. Built during the Reconquista, this formidable, stern fortress (it was said that it had 1,100 towers) hid a real earthly paradise behind its walls. Poets called it the home of pleasure.
View of the Alhambra from the Generalife
(High Garden) - summer palace royal family Nasrid, in those days connected to the fortress by a road.
The history of the palace, which grew out of a gorge dividing the city in two, begins in the 9th century. from the Alcazaba fortress. In the 13th century under Sultan Muhammad ibn Yusuf (Ibn al-Ahmar), the founder of the Nasrid dynasty, Granada became a military headquarters and emir's residence. Then palace chambers, courtyards, baths and a mosque were built, water supply through canals was organized and the fortress grew around the whole city. The ruins of the old fortress still rise on one of the slopes of the Sierra Nevada, above the steep cliff of the Darro River as a majestic frame of the Alhambra.
At its peak, in the 14th century. under Muhammad V, the Emirate of Granada was the richest region, and the Alhambra was a bustling city with numerous artisan workshops. Here the famous silk fabrics were made, richly decorated with ornaments on a dark background, embroidered with gold, weapons were forged, and jewelry was made.
In 711, Moorish troops from North Africa occupied Spain, founding the first arab emirate(later caliphate) with its capital in Cordoba. For several centuries, these two cultures existed side by side. In 1236, during the Reconquista, the Moors were expelled from Cordoba, and Granada remained a stronghold of the Arabs.
In 1492, the Alhambra was surrendered to the troops of Ferdinand of Castile and Isabella of Aragon.
Colonnade of the palace. The technique of contrast is used in the arcade - thin, fragile columns support a magnificently decorated vault.
Granada was also considered a center of literature, music and medicine. With the fall of the emirate, all Arabic books, by the will of the Toledo cardinal Jimenez de Cisneros, were put on fire, sparing only hired treatises. However, the fortress was preserved, and it still remained royal palace, only now the Christian rulers of Castile.
NIGHT OF POWER
Muslims use the month of Ramadan for fasting and special prayers. But why? On the night of the 26th to 27th of the month of Ramadan, a significant event occurred: the Prophet Muhammad received the Divine Revelation - the Koran. The great night is called the Night of Power (Laylat al-qadr), the Night of the revelation of the Quran, the Night of Predestination: it is at this time that Allah makes decisions about the destinies of people. Laylat al-qadr is carried out in a prayer vigil.
Now it is difficult to pinpoint the exact date when the revelation of the Koran to Muhammad began. In order not to be mistaken, it is customary to devote all odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan to deeds of piety. This is what is said about the Night of Power in the Quran: “Verily, We sent him down on the Night of Power! And what will let you know what the night of power is? A night of power is better than a thousand months. Angels and spirit descend into it with the permission of their Lord for all commands. She is the world for the rising of the dawn!” (Sura 97, verses 1-5).
There is no system or symmetry in the arrangement of the rooms and buildings of the palace. but there are dominants and links connecting them - this is a system of gardens, palace premises, courtyards and passages. One space gives way to another, more reminiscent of ancient palaces (such as Knossos) than the European buildings familiar to us. II, at the same time, the layout of the Alhambra is not chaotic: the alternation of open and closed volumes sets the rhythm, which is echoed by the light penetrating through the windows and between the columns of the arcades. Countless repetitions of architectural forms, arabesques, motifs, layered on top of each other in cascades, create a feeling of dizziness. The walls are literally woven with endless ornaments (colored tiles, carved from stucco, alabaster, stone), but this richness is not overwhelming, there is no heaviness in it. Various geometric shapes used in decoration, when combined, turn into a semblance of a living structure - a plant or a garden, a Garden of Eden. And just as the growth of leaves can be described by the mathematical sequence of the Fibonacci series, so the arrangement of elements in decorative compositions. The Alhambra is subject to internal logic. For example, a wall is always decorated according to the following formula: below are multi-colored tiles, above are panels, pilasters, arch archivolts, covered with complex ornamental reliefs made of stucco. Then - the ceiling, window bars, cornices - all made of carved wood. If you look closely at the complex, eye-catching spaces of the domes, the number of stalactites (muqarnaks) seems endless. Meanwhile, this variety is based on only seven combinations of elements, and they, in turn, are built on a combination of three simple geometric shapes - a square, a circle and a triangle. The Alhambra masters skillfully manipulated this “alphabet”, putting together words and entire ornamental poems.
Hall of the Abencerrachs.
XIV century Architectural forms created from stone are transformed into a kind of exposed crystalline lattice of minerals, as if the inner nature of the stone comes to the surface and becomes a work of art.
Alhambra (“al-hamra”) means “red” in Arabic. Why the Alhambra got its name is not known exactly - perhaps because of the pink walls or because fires were lit during the construction of the fortress, as the historian Ibn al-Khatib wrote.
The Koran prohibits the depiction of living beings and deities, therefore calligraphy is widely used in the decorative decoration of Muslim palaces. Most of the Alhambra contains quotes from the Koran and inscriptions glorifying the Sultan.
“Contemplate my beauty, and you will be imbued with understanding” - it is written on the walls of the fortress on behalf of the fortress itself (poem by Zumruk).
There are also poetic stanzas - kasidas (samples of Granadian poetry that have come down to us), located on the walls at the viewer’s eye level. They draw attention to the beauty of architecture and reveal its meaning.
In the atmosphere of the Alhambra, there is actually more rationality and clear restraint than unbridled sensuality and dark secrets, as the romantics wanted to believe. But even after understanding some of the rules of ornamental and spatial play, you never cease to be amazed at “how it was invented” and “how perfectly made,” just like any living creature of nature.
In 1832, Washington Irving’s book “The History of the Alhambra” was extremely popular among the reading public. The Alhambra, with its horseshoe-shaped arches, geometric patterns, and bright colors, seemed to come to life from the pages of the Arabian Nights fairy tales. Serious research, as well as the restoration of the ensemble, began only in 1870, when the Alhambra received the status of a national monument. Until then, “the palaces of noble persons stood silent and boarded up, and the Alhambra, like an abandoned beauty, saddened alone among the decayed gardens,” as Washington Irving wrote.
Alhambra Gardens. The gardens embrace the residential part of the palace and are located inside the courtyards. What we see today is the result of the work of the 19th century, but the main meaning remains unchanged: these are beautiful paintings, the viewing points of which were carefully calculated. Walking around the garden was only possible along stone-paved paths, since the plantings were about half a meter below their level.
The garden was created according to the Persian layout scheme, chahar bag - a symmetrical four-part garden.
The Alhambra gardens were considered paradise incarnate.
One of the most famous places Alhambra - located next to the Comares Palace, part of the private chambers of the Sultan, the Lion Court. The layout of the courtyard is strictly symmetrical: in the center there is a fountain, around which there are 12 sculptures of lions (sculptures from the 11th century). The water noisily erupts from the lotus-shaped bowl and runs into four pools, often compared to the four rivers of heaven. From the east and west, the courtyard opens into the Hall of Kings (decorated with paintings of the Nasrids) and the Hall of Stalactites. On the northern and southern sides of it are the Hall of the Two Sisters and the Hall of the Abencerrachs (it is named after the noble family of Granada, torn to pieces here at the end of the 15th century). These buildings received their names after the fall of the emirate. The hall of the two sisters was given its name by two identical huge marble slabs set into the floor.
The center of the residence of the rulers of the Comares Palace is the Myrtle Court with a rectangular pond in the center (its spanish name"Alberca" means "pool"). Nothing disturbs the surface of the water, in which the thin columns of the arcades are reflected. Along the longitudinal undecorated walls are geometrically strictly trimmed myrtle bushes. Previously, through the arches there was a view of the neighboring apartments - two oblong halls (now there is only one left - the Salle de la Barca on the north side). And above it rises the massif of the Comares Tower, which received its name from the colored stained glass windows in the windows (“kamariya”). The brightly lit courtyard borders on the darkness of the depths of the arcade, fine carvings are adjacent to the rough masonry of the tower wall. Shadow - light, open - closed, water - stone, peace - movement. It is the play of contrasts that creates the arrival
Muslims believe that on the night of the 26th to 27th of the month of Rajab, the prophet, who was sleeping at the Kaaba, was awakened by the call: “Wake up, sleeper!” Muhammad opened his eyes. In front of him, in a dazzling white robe, stood the angel Gabriel with an amazing animal - a white horse with a human face and luminous wings. On this mount, called al-Buraq (“shine”, “lightning”), Muhammad was instantly transported to Sinai, and then to Bethlehem, Jerusalem and heaven.
The Alhambra is an architectural treasure of Spain and one of the world's finest examples of Islamic architecture. This magnificent palace complex, overlooking the city of Granada on the La Sabica hill, was the last refuge of the Muslim rulers of Spain - the Nasrid dynasty (1230-1492).
View of the Alhambra from the Albaicin hill
From the outside, the huge fortress-palace looks very impressive and gives the impression of a formidable military bastion. However, this impression is deceptive. Inside the complex there are exquisite palaces and gardens of Arab rulers, entering which visitors find themselves in a world of harmony and dreams. The Alhambra is a typical example of the so-called Muslim “hidden architecture”, which forms a habitat inaccessible to a stranger. It is impossible to evaluate a building built according to these principles from the outside: the most beautiful things are hidden inside and visible only to residents and guests. In the Alhambra, what from the outside seems like a cluster of towers, in reality is a miracle of thoughtful planning, the embodiment of ingenious engineering and fantastic beauty of decoration and decoration.
Construction of the fortress began in the middle of the 13th century and continued for 150 years. The first stone in the foundation of the Alhambra was laid by order of Muhammad I ibn Nasr, who bore the nickname “Al-Ahmar” (The Red One). Having captured Granada in 1238 as a result of internal civil war, he began building a citadel on the site of an old Arab fortress. The structure was named Alhambra (from the Arabic الحمراء), that is, “red” - this was the color of the material, consisting of a mixture of stones, sand and clay and mined right under the feet of the builders, on the La Sabica hill.
The first one was built (Torre de la Vela) or observation tower(also known as the Watch). Its height is 27 meters. The tower is protected on three sides by steep slopes, which gave it enormous defensive advantages. In the past, this structure was also the center of the intelligence network created by Muhammad and the end point of a chain of signal towers. Torre de la Vela itself offers magnificent views of Granada.
Tower of Torre de la Vela
View of Granada from Torre de la Vela
Tower of Torre de la Vela
Tower of Torre de la Vela
Behind the tower is a fortress, where the barracks of the military who defended the Alhambra were located, and the medina (city), in which the people who served the fortress lived. In addition to their houses, the medina had a bakery, a tannery and warehouses that provided the livelihoods of the inhabitants of the medina. During the heyday of the Alhambra, Alcasba was inhabited by about 5 thousand inhabitants.
The heart of the Alhambra is (Los Palacios Nazaries), which belonged to the rulers of the Nasrid clan in the Granada Caliphate. The palaces, each unique, were built one after another by different emirs. Each emir wanted to surpass his predecessor, thereby leaving a mark on history. This is how a complex of interconnected buildings was formed, which is considered one of the most exquisite, beautiful and sophisticated palace ensembles in the world. The Nasrid palaces are conventionally divided into three parts: Meshwara, Komares Palace and the Palace of the Lions.
Nasrid Palaces, view from the Generalife
Upon entering the Nasrid Palaces, the visitor will first enter the oldest part of the complex called Meshwar, in another transcription - Mechoir or Mexuar(Mexuar). The name comes from the word maswar - the place where the council of ministers meets - “shura”. Meshwar consists of several rooms and miniature courtyards. Rectangular walk-through Meshwar Hall (Sala de Mexuar)- the first hall of the palace, where, according to some sources, the royal court was supposedly located, and according to others, a place for receptions and meetings. The upper part of the room is decorated with carved stucco (plaster panels), and marble columns with Arabic-style capitals support a beautiful carved cedar ceiling. On the wall there is a made in the technique "zellige" colored mosaic in the form of arabesques. Under the Christian kings, the hall was rebuilt and served as a chapel, but then it was restored, partially returning to its original appearance.
Adjacent to the Meshwar Hall is a small room with windows overlooking the Albaicin area. It is assumed that there was a prayer room in this room. Its walls are covered with quotations from the Koran. In the eastern part of the room there is a mihrab - a niche indicating the direction of Mecca, towards which every praying Muslim turns.
Next follow one of the most interesting chambers of the Alhambra - the courtyard (Cuarto Dorado) or the courtyard of the Gilded Room. This is a charming courtyard with a fountain in the center. On the southern façade the courtyard has double windows, which are covered with wooden bars ( "mashrabiya"), created with pinpoint precision. The “Verses of the Throne” from the Koran are inscribed on the façade, leading some scholars to believe that Cuarto Dorado was the central entrance to the palace.
The next part of the palace was the official residence of the ruler. It was built under Yusuf I and was named Palace Comares (Palacio de Comares). It starts with Myrtle courtyard (Patio de los Arrayanes)- one of the most famous places in the Alhambra. It captivates visitors with its sophistication and simplicity of lines. Inside the rectangular courtyard with an area of 36.6 by 23.5 meters there is a pond (34.7 by 7.2 meters). It is framed by marble slabs, and water flows into it from round fountains on both sides. Through the efforts of the architects, water is supplied in such a way as not to disturb the even surface of the pond, and its barely audible murmur, pleasing the ear, makes a pleasant impression. The pond itself was intended for breeding goldfish.
Behind the myrtle courtyard, on the north side, rises Comares Tower (Torre de Comares)- the tallest among the Alhambra towers. Its height reaches 45 meters. It houses the most majestic and central place in the palace complex Hall of Ambassadors (Salon de Embajadores). The size and interior of this room must have left visitors in awe. During the reign of Yusuf I, the power of the Spanish Catholic kings became stronger, and with the construction of the Hall of Ambassadors, the emir set himself the task of stunning and impressing his foreign guests, leaving in their memory the power and inaccessibility of the Alhambra's defenses. The interior of the tower is a miniature model of the universe, in the center of which sat the ruler of the Granada Caliphate. The fantastic cedar ceiling of the hall, consisting of 8 thousand elements, symbolizes the seven heavens of the Muslim paradise. The walls are decorated with Arabic script praising Allah.
To the east of the Myrtle Courtyard are located Bani Comares (Baños de Comares). The hammam premises (as baths are called in Arabic) have hemispherical roofs with star-shaped openings. The baths were heated by hot air, which came through pipes laid inside the walls and under the floor. Behind the wall there was a boiler in which the water flowing into the baths was heated. The floor and walls are decorated with elegant mosaics.
Palace of Lions (Palacio de los Leones)- These are the private chambers of the ruler and his harem. It was erected under Emir Muhammad V. It is one of the most beautiful monuments of Arab-Islamic art. His heart is (Patio de los Leones), striking the viewer with its harmony, beauty and sophistication. Along its perimeter there is a colonnade of thin single and double columns, and on the eastern and western sides there are two graceful pavilions. Amazing feeling proportionality and harmony are created thanks to the most precise mathematical calculations, during which Arab masters relied on the experience of antiquity.
In the center of the courtyard there is a fountain with sculptures of 12 lions, on the backs of which rests a bowl, decorated with verses by the Arab poet Ibn Zamrak, praising the emir: “Blessed be God, who gave Imam Muhammad an abode of beauty superior to others. Here is a garden containing miracles of art, the like of which God forbade to be recognized anywhere else. Look at the continuous mass of pearls, illuminating everything around and permeating the air with a hail of tiny crystals...” Under the caliphs, a garden was laid out on the site of the courtyard. This was the place for the ruler's harem to walk.
The chambers of the palace, into which the visitor enters from the Lion's Courtyard, are decorated with an amazing invention of Arab architects - a stalactite vault, the nature of which is very difficult to understand, just as it is difficult to assess its real proportions. During the day, as the lighting changes, the appearance of the ceiling also changes, creating the illusion of movement. The complex design is based on precise mathematical calculations and philosophical ideas of Arab scientists.
On the south side of the Lion's Courtyard there is Hall of the Abencerrachs (Sala de los Abencerrajes), named after the tragic event - the murder by slander of 37 people from the Abencerrach family. This building has an unusual dome in the shape of an octagonal star, decorated with stalactites. Soft light pours through the windows in the dome.
Hall of Kings(Sala de los Reyes) located on the eastern side of the Lion's Courtyard. The ceilings of the room are decorated with paintings depicting scenes of a lively conversation between ten people in Arabic robes and ladies watching a knightly tournament. It is assumed that these paintings were made under the Catholic kings.
To the north of the Lion's Courtyard there is Hall of Two Sisters(Sala de las Dos Hermanas), so named because of the two identical slabs on the marble floor. The ceiling of the hall is decorated with a beautiful stalactite vault, and on the walls, in round fragments of stucco (plaster) decor, verses by the poet Ibn Zamrak are carved, glorifying the palace of Emir Muhammad V.
Poems by the poet Ibn Zamrak on the wall in the Hall of the Two Sisters
Passing from the hall in a northern direction, the visitor finds himself in a small hall with a double window (Mirador de Daraxa), which overlooks the Darahi Garden. It is believed that the women of the harem rested in this small, elegant room.
At the exit from the Nasrid Palaces there is (Torre de las Damas)- a small building with a tower located opposite the pond. This building is what remains of the destroyed Partal Palace. The ceiling of this structure was taken to Berlin by a German banker who owned this site in the 19th century. The ceiling is now on display in the Museum of Islamic Art, part of the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
(Palacio de Carlos V), located next to the Nasrid Palace, was started in the 14th century and completed only in the 20th century. Inside it has a circular courtyard with a diameter of 30 meters. On the ground floor of this room there is Alhambra Museum (Museo de la Alhambra), where presented archaeological finds, found during excavations of the Alhambra. On the second floor there is Museum of Fine Arts of Granada (Museo de Bellas Artes de Granada).
Above the Alhambra is the former summer residence emirs of Granada - Generalife Palace and Gardens, which are described in a separate section.
From the outside best view The Alhambra is accessible from the Albaicin area. On the hill there is a special observation deck. In winter and spring, the view is especially beautiful due to the fact that the Sierra Nevada mountains located behind the Alhambra are covered with snow.
Tickets to the Alhambra.
The Alhambra is one of the most visited places in Spain. If you are visiting during the tourist season, it is best to buy tickets in advance to avoid long queues and get into the Nasrid Palaces, which can only be entered at a strictly defined time, which you specify when purchasing a ticket.
Tickets for the Alhambra can be purchased on the website www.alhambra-tickets.es (official partner listed on the official website www.alhambra-patronato.es). For pre-sale tickets, an additional 1.3% fee will be charged. When purchasing at the box office or through the terminal on the day of visiting the Alhambra, the ticket price increases by 10%.
Alhambra ticket types:
General admission ticket: 13 euros. This ticket gives you access to the entire complex. You must keep it until the end of your visit to the Alhambra. There are additional turnstiles at the entrance to the Nasrid Palaces and the Generalife Residence. When purchasing this ticket you choose the time of your visit to the Nasrid Palaces. If you do not arrive at the Nasrid Palaces at the time stated on the ticket, the ticket will be cancelled. Please note that it takes about 30 minutes to walk from the entrance to the Alhambra to the Nasrid Palaces.
Ticket to visit the Gardens of the Alhambra, Alcazaba fortress and Generalife): 7 euros. This ticket does not give you the right to see the most beautiful part of the Alhambra - the Nasrid Palaces.
Evening visit to the Nasrid Palaces ticket: 8 euros. In the evening the palaces are beautifully illuminated. We recommend that if you have several days in the Alhambra, you visit the Nasrid Palaces both during the day and in the evening.
Evening visit to the Generalife ticket: 5 euros.
Blue circular pass:15 euros. Entitles you to an evening visit to the Nasrid Palaces, and the next day to a visit to the Alhambra, Alcasbah and Generalife Gardens,
Red circular pass: 100 euros. Entitles you to 15 visits to the Alhambra throughout the year. It includes 10 day and 5 night visits.
Be sure to take with you on your trip the bank card you used to pay when purchasing tickets online!
After purchasing tickets online, before visiting the Alhambra, you must obtain these tickets from special terminals located in the pavilion next to the ticket office at the main entrance. Each terminal (see the signatures on them) issues a certain type of ticket. If you bought tickets to visit the entire Alhambra complex, including the Nasrid Palaces, then look for the terminal with the inscription: Visita general (General visit). In the terminal you must select the option “print already purchased tickets”. Next, the machine will ask you to insert the bank card you used to pay for tickets online. After this, the machine will give you your tickets, which you must keep until the end of your visit to the Alhambra.
General visit ticket terminal
Upon entering the palace complex, you can pick up a free Alhambra guide map.
It is best to visit the Alhambra during the tourist season in the early morning or evening to avoid proximity to large tourist groups. The entrance to the Nasrid Palaces is located near the Palace of Charles V.
Luggage storage is available at the main entrance to the Alhambra (Consigna/Lockers), open from 7.30 to 18.30 from November to February, and from 7.30 to 20.30 from March to October.
The climb up the mountain on which the Alhambra stands is quite difficult. We recommend that you take a bus to the entrance to the palace complex. A white and red minibus number 30 is walking along the main street. Gran Via and across the square Plaza Nueva.
Bus number 30 going to the Alhambra
If in general the works of Arab architecture amaze with their monumentality, then the highlight of the Alhambra, on the contrary, lies in the details. This is not just a palace, as many call it - it is a monumental architectural complex, striking in its beauty and splendor
This greatest monument to Arab building art in Andalusia appeared here thanks to the Muslim Moors, under whose dominance and influence Spain was for several centuries. At the end of their power, the Moorish decided to create a small paradise on the land of conquered Granada - the Alhambra palace-fortress
Translated from Arabic, “Alhambra” means “red” - perhaps it came from the color of the bricks from which the castle wall was laid, but there is more interesting version the origin of the name of the Moorish architectural complex - Arab historians believe that construction was carried out at night, by the light of torches, and such illumination gave the walls a reddish tint - hence the name “Alhambra” supposedly came from
The Alhambra is located at the top of the Assabica Valley, on the southeastern border of Granada. As in other Moorish palaces, in the Alhambra all the treasures are hidden inside, behind unremarkable, one might even say unsightly, walls - after all, the facades of its buildings are not decorated with anything
The Alhambra is a vast complex of courtyards with gardens, where fountains gurgle and fish splash in pools. Each courtyard is surrounded by an arcade, behind which are hidden richly decorated interior spaces - bedrooms, halls for feasts and receiving ambassadors. The names of the courtyards speak for themselves, for example, if you enter a courtyard decorated with evergreen lint-free carpets, paintings, myrtle trellises, you can guess that this is the “Myrtle courtyard”; a courtyard with a fountain around which 12 stone lions stand frozen - logically it is called “Lions’ Courtyard” or “Lion’s Courtyard”; another courtyard, with two huge slabs of white marble in the floor, is called the “Hall of the Two Sisters”
The architectural ensemble of the Alhambra is, in fact, a city on the territory of Granada. At the foot of the high fortress walls, gardens were laid out and pavilions, a mosque, palace ensemble, alcazaba (fortress), and also a small medina (city)
For official ceremonies and court celebrations, a special “Chamber of Ambassadors” was created here, the high dome of which is decorated with a star pattern.
The architectural ensemble of the Alhambra is unique in the sense that it was built from short-lived materials - simple clay and alabaster! But the Arab architects of the 14th century managed to create a real miracle even from such materials, while subtly feeling the harmony and proportions of each element, playing with light and space
Feature Alhambra, as well as other Moorish palaces, is a carving on plaster, in which Arab craftsmen carved an openwork ornament in the form of an endlessly repeating Arabic patterned script
Also striking in their luxury are the arches, located absolutely symmetrically and somewhat reminiscent of giant stalactites.
A few more examples of Moorish plaster carvings in the Alhambra arches
Water plays a very important role in the layout of the Alhambra, which was a great luxury for the Moors - residents of the hot and arid desert. In the Alhambra, the water was supposed to create coolness and delight the ears with its murmur. That is why the water in the Alhambra shimmers in the spray of fountains, foams in cascades and quickly runs through canals, filling ponds and reservoirs, while cypresses and oranges grow around, flower beds bloom - and all this against the backdrop of snowy mountain peaks Sierra Nevada and soft blue sky. Rectangular ponds, reflecting the bright blue of the Spanish sky, also expand the space and create a feeling of spaciousness. Moorish masters tried to make a kind of paradise on earth, because in the Koran paradise is described in detail as a lush garden, replete with water streams
Once upon a time, at the foot of the Alhambra, a green forest flourished, against the background of which the architectural complex stood out with its bright colors, for which Moorish poets in their works called it “a pearl in emeralds.” Time could not have such a negative impact on the complex that it ceased to be one of the best atypical examples of Mauritanian architecture in Europe
After several centuries in a state of neglect, in the 19th century the complex was re-discovered by European scientists and travelers who undertook its reconstruction. Since 1984, the Alhambra has been part of World Heritage UNESCO
Thanks to the very precise and miniature work of Moorish craftsmen in decorating the wooden and stone elements of the Alhambra, such as arches, vaults, carved patterned windows, graceful columns and slender columns, as well as the skillful arrangement of courtyards and passages between them, fountains, cascades, ponds and fanciful floral ornaments - thanks to the synthesis of all of the above, many today consider the Alhambra to be the highest achievement of Moorish art in Western Europe
Today the Alhambra is a museum of Islamic architecture and one of the most visited historical buildings in Spain.
Alhambra (Spain) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.
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The mysterious Red Palace of the Alhambra (L’Alhambra, or Alhambra) in Spanish Granada is a place where you can not only take original photographs, but also immerse yourself in several different cultures at the same time. When by 1230 almost all Spanish lands were conquered by Christians from Muslims, it was Granada that became the center of Muslim culture in Spain, which has survived to this day. And it was here that Muslims decided to build “heaven on earth.”
According to Arab historians, it is not only the red brick that influenced the way people describe the atmosphere of the palace, but also the builders who worked at night by torchlight, which gave a reddish hue to the walls.
What to see
You can get here through the arch, described in the guidebook as the Gate of Justice. According to the traditions of the Middle East, minor matters were heard at the entrance, preventing problems from entering the park, much less the palace itself. There are many arches with meaning, most of which resemble stalactites and are located in perfect symmetry.
The Lion Courtyard of the palace is especially impressive and speaks volumes about the history of this place. In the center of the arcaded galleries, impeccable in form, there is a fountain - twelve marble lions support a bowl of water. During restoration, one or another lion may be missing. But now they are in full force, since they recently updated the entire composition.
“Arab gardens have become a semblance of a true paradise” - the architecture of Islam tells here real story like from the fairy tale “A Thousand and One Nights”. So the Tower of the Thief or Sultana changed its name to the Tower of the Captive, because the king’s favorite who converted to Islam lived in it.
More than 30 people are not allowed here so that everyone can look at the notes and drawings on the walls. You can only get here until 18:00.
How to get there
The Alhambra Palace is the most popular monument among tourists not only in Spain, but throughout Europe. And before you get ready there, you need preparation. To preserve the beauty created many centuries ago, the number of visitors here is limited, so you should take care of tickets in advance. Salvation can be tourist map Granada, from which you can visit most of the city's monuments and museums, including the Alhambra.
The Alhambra Palace is accessible to visitors both day and night. For just 8 EUR you can visit the gardens and Generalife Palace from 20:00 to 00:00.
You can reserve your ticket in advance by calling Spain +34 93 492 37 50 from 8 a.m. until midnight (Spanish time). On the Internet on the official website - www.alhambra-tickets.es - you can order up to 10 tickets at a time.
If you have already arrived at the Alhambra Palace, the ticket office is open from 8 am. But in May-October at the height of the tourist season you can buy entrance ticket three to four days in advance.
If you haven't thought about tickets in advance or you happen to be in Granada by accident, be sure to ask your hotel about booking options. Many hotels provide this service.
Ticket price here is 14 EUR for adults, and children under 12 years old are free.
There are only two days a year when it is impossible to get to the Alhambra - December 25 and January 1.
Prices on the page are as of November 2018.
“Red Castle” is the translation of the name of the luxurious palace complex, which I want to tell you about today. Today no one can say where exactly the name came from. Either the abundance of red torches on the fortress walls gave rise to this. Perhaps the color of sun-dried clay was the impetus for this name. Be that as it may, I interpret it in my own way. And in my opinion, “red” means “beautiful”! And you will be convinced of this by visiting here in person. To do this you need to come to the castle (Spain).
So, either a city, or a garden, or a fortress, or perhaps a huge Moorish complex of palaces and gardens.
History of creation
They built the Alhambra, built it, and finally built it. They began to build the palace complex in the 13th century, although in fact they began to “mess around” here several centuries earlier.
Back in the 9th century, in official documentary records there were references to a certain dilapidated fortress, which was located in this very place even before the palace. In those distant times, one of the warring rulers of the Emirate of Cordoba was hiding from his opponents in these ruins. For another hundred or two hundred years, the fortress was strengthened and rebuilt, until in the 11th century it was territorially connected to the city. The fortress turned into a more or less independent quarter (medina). Such neighborhoods could be self-sufficient if the city was under siege by conquerors.
Fateful events took place here in the first half of the 13th century. Then a certain Muhammad ibn Nasr “grabbed” some power for himself in the state of Muslims. He became the founder of the Granada Emirate with its capital in Granada. Of course, it was decided to make the residence in the Alhambra.
The castle began to be intensively strengthened. After all, the residence of the ruler... It was fortified so diligently and responsibly that Muhammad’s heirs even had to change the course of the local river - all for the sake of the “common military cause.”
As you understand, at that time the building played the role of a defensive structure, which did not look like luxurious palace. It was only in the 14th century that one of the ruler’s heirs began to give Alhambra the appearance of a real palace complex.
At the same time, the Palace of Lions, several new gates and baths were built, and carvings appeared on the walls. Subsequently, few people cared about the decoration and decoration of the palace. The palace is as it was in the 14th century.
The 15th century became a new important moment in the life of the Alhambra. Then Granada was liberated from the Mauritanians. The Spanish crown took possession of the palace. In the 16th century, the complex was supplemented with a special palace for Charles the Fifth. At the same time, some of the old buildings were destroyed, as well as decorative elements on the palace walls. In the 18th century, the palace “fell into a coma”; it was almost forgotten, leading to destruction and decline...
They remembered it again in the 19th century. It was not the rulers who laid their eyes on her, but creative people - painters and writers. For almost 60 years in a row they tried to restore the complex, “sucking out of thin air” some of its details. They approached the work not scientifically, but creatively... What can I say, artists are impressionable and imaginative people... And only after a while, with the advent of the 20th century, they began to restore the palace, relying on historical documents.
Now it is a whole palace and park complex, consisting of a fortress and palaces with museums, gardens and sculptural compositions. The Alhambra is experiencing its rebirth, attracting millions of tourists every year.
Palace elements
Since our landmark is a whole architectural ensemble, it would be wrong to talk about it as one palace.
For convenience, as a rule, the Alhambra is divided into zones or sectors. It’s easier to describe this way, and tourists won’t get lost.
Alcazaba
This word used to be used by the Arabs in Spain to call the fortified residence of their ruler. In our case, Alcazaba is the oldest part of the complex, located at the top of the hill. This is where the first “builders” and owners of the fortress lived.
Among the oldest elements of the buildings we see ancient walls, a Watchtower, the ruins of several old buildings, the remains of a water collection tank, a prison and part of the residential buildings for servants. Nowadays, gardens are also included in this sector. But they appeared later and have nothing to do with the old buildings.
The last dynasty of emirs, its representatives lived here in this building with adjacent courtyards, halls and towers. This is where those in power most often lived. Here was their, so to speak, permanent residence. The palace had three sectors: Mechoir, Palace of the Lions and Comares. Tourists can still see them today. Meshuar is a room for the work of the court and the reception of subjects. Comares – official residence for receiving high-ranking guests and foreign envoys. And in the Palace of Lions lived the “lions” themselves, the rulers. There were their private chambers. In the emir's palace today they have tried to restore as much as possible the interior that it had during the reign of its owners. Come in and rule.
Charles V of Habsburg, Holy Roman Emperor, officially stayed here (in the Alhambra) in the summer. But apparently he was a capricious ruler; he was not satisfied with the ancient buildings and desired a new palace for himself. And in the 16th century, they began to build a new palace opposite the old one. It was later called the Palace of Charles V. The style chosen was the Italian Renaissance. The building is in the shape of a square. The patio is round. It was completed only in the 20th century, when the customer was no longer in sight.
As I said above, over time it became a full-fledged residential area (district, quarter). It included both government palaces and the residential sector of commoners. Medina was called the Upper Alhambra. Here, in fact, lived both ordinary people, gentlemen, and artisans. All of them were busy maintaining the palace complex. The quarter itself was quite noticeably separated from the “royal part” - they dug a ditch, which was surrounded by a strong wall with fortress towers. When the era of Christians arrived, this part of the complex was abandoned. The buildings have collapsed over time. The Catholics set up their monastery in one palace. The rest of the medina was made into a park (garden).
This palace is often written about separately as a famous landmark of Granada. This is kind of a separate point in tourist routes guidebooks. This palace is located 350 meters from the main Alhambra complex. It’s funny, but the rulers “came” here to relax, just like we go to the dacha today. Although the distance is only like “the cat cried.” Not a single brick remains of the Generalife's former appearance. The Christian era and regular restructuring completely erased everything that was here originally. Add to this a period of complete devastation that lasted for decades. And, despite this, this palace is amazingly beautiful. If you don’t “bother” with the lack of “primordial” nature, then there is something to look at.
Local gardens are spoken of as a separate independent tourist attraction. To say “gardens” is an understatement. This word hides the garden plantings themselves, and wonderful cozy courtyards, and fountains on terraces, cascades of water streams, canals, ponds, elaborate arches, weightless vaults, slender colonnades, carved windows with airy light patterns... Everywhere there is decoration in Arabic script with glorification of Allah, plant-themed ornaments, bright multi-colored mosaics, ceramic tiles, openwork carvings on wood and even stone.
Wonderfully smelling oranges, alleys of slender cypress trees, blooming flower beds, the murmur of water in cascades and splashing fountains. It seems that when laying out the gardens of the Alhambra in Granada, their creators paid special attention and importance to water and light. Everything here is subordinated to the general idea of creating comfort, coziness, bright joy...
Water came into the canals and fountains from the mountain slopes. The value of water in the era of the Moors was high. It's like columns for the Greeks. Water should have been an essential element of important architectural ensembles of the time.
How to get there?
How to get to the Alhambra Palace in Granada? As I have already said more than once, the palace ensemble is located on a hill called La Sabica near the historical center Granada. Therefore, there should be no problems finding this attraction.
Three popular ways: on your own, by car (personal or taxi), by bus.
From the city center to the hill it is no more than a kilometer walk. Therefore, it won’t be difficult to get there on foot. Starting point – Cathedral Granada. If you are short on time, then use public transport, or rent a car. The route you need is C3. For the convenience of tourists with cars, there are guarded parking lots near the palace complex. If you do not go on a tour bus, but take a car, then your route will be slightly different from the “bus” route. You will have to enter not from the city center, but from the southern section of the ring road.
Ticket price and opening hours
Here, as usual, I advise you to take a look at the official website of the Alhambra so as not to get into trouble.
The entrance ticket to the Nasrid Palace is valid only for 30 minutes from the time indicated on the ticket. This is due to limiting the number of visitors in the palace premises. If you are late and your 30 minutes are up, no one will let you in and you will have to buy a ticket again.
There is no single ticket to visit the entire complex of palaces at once. Or rather, it exists, but such a ticket gives the right to a very, very general overview of the territory. If you want to consider everything in detail and scrupulously, then tickets to each palace and even gardens are purchased separately. In addition, there are tickets for daytime and evening visits. They also differ in price.
So, the most general sightseeing ticket to the Alhambra Palace in Spain costs 14 euros. Children under 12 years old enter free of charge. From 12 to 15 years old - pay 8 euros. Pensioners over 65 years old pay 9 euros for entry. Tickets for disabled people are sold for 8 euros.
Find out more detailed information on visiting each area of the Alhambra on the website.
Important: on average, the excursion takes at least three hours. Tickets are selling out like crazy. Therefore, purchase them in advance. It is more convenient to do this online on the official website of the Palace complex. Taking photos and selfies is allowed, but without flashes or tripods. No smoking!!! You can eat and drink only in certain specially designated places.
The first visitors are allowed in here at 8.30 am. In winter, the facility closes at 21.30, and in summer at 23.30.
As usual, the visit is possible with a guide or on your own. This also affects the cost of tickets.
Bottom line
Whatever you call it - an architectural masterpiece of Islamic masters or an outstanding monument of Moorish architecture - in any case, it is a landmark of amazing beauty. Her fame has long gone beyond the borders of Granada and Spain. Could the last rulers of the Muslim dynasty in Granada have imagined that their home (roughly speaking) would be admired by millions of foreigners today? A seemingly ordinary fortress and palace complex for that time, centuries later, having experienced prosperity and ruin, it became an unsurpassed property not only of the Spaniards, but of all mankind. Not for the sake of a nice word, I’m saying all this now. This beauty is difficult to describe, it needs to be seen. This is what I encourage you to do with all my story about the Alhambra.
