Alhambra Spain

Legendary

Started in 1238, this Islamic palace complex was a self-contained city during the Nasrid era.

Photo by Nicolas Vigier

By the time Napoleon's troops occupied Granada in 1812, the Alhambra had been largely abandoned for decades. French soldiers used it as a barracks and blew up several towers on their way out. What they left behind was a crumbling, graffiti-covered ruin that locals barely paid attention to anymore.

Then an American writer moved in.

Washington Irving rented rooms inside the neglected palace in 1829 and spent months wandering its courtyards and talking to the gypsies who squatted in its halls. His book, Tales of the Alhambra, published in 1832, brought international attention back to the site and sparked the restoration efforts that saved it.

Construction of the Alhambra began in 1238, when Muhammad I Ibn al-Ahmar, founder of the Nasrid dynasty, moved his court to the Sabika hill above Granada. He started with a fortress and a water system, channeling the Darro River uphill to supply the complex. His successors kept building for the next two centuries.

The palace reached its peak under Yusuf I and Muhammad V in the 14th century. They built the Hall of Ambassadors, the Court of the Myrtles, and the Court of the Lions, covering every surface in carved stucco, geometric tilework, and Arabic calligraphy. Court poets wrote verses directly onto the walls.

In 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella conquered Granada and the Alhambra became a Royal Court of the Spanish Crown. Isabella and Ferdinand signed the order expelling Jews from Spain here. 

Christopher Columbus presented his plans for the voyage to the Americas in the Hall of Ambassadors, and the monarchs signed the contract that funded the expedition.

Walk through the Court of the Lions and look up at the 124 marble columns surrounding the famous fountain. Step into the Hall of the Abencerrajes, where the stalactite ceiling drops in a honeycomb of plaster that took years to carve. 

Book tickets well in advance. The Nasrid Palaces have timed entry slots and sell out weeks ahead.