Tourism in Andalusia, Spain

The Alhambra is located on top of a hill in front of the districts of Albaicin and Alcazaba. Some parts of it seem to have been built as soon as the IX century and remodelled and redesigned during the next centuries by its different inhabitants, from Muslim kings to catholic monarchs. It was not until the XIX and XX century when all this area was restored.
It was a military fortress until the XIII when it became royal residence with Mohamen ben Al Hamar.
Most of it was built during the reigns of Yusuf I and Mohamed V (XIV century).
The architects of the Alhambra wanted to decorate every single space in it. Most of the arches are just decoration, they do not support anything. In Muslim art it is forbidden to paint figures. The decoration consists in poems written in different kinds of letters.
In the Alhambra we can find a special kind of column not found anywhere else. The shaft is cylindrical and very fine. The base of the shaft has a concave moulding and is decorated with rings on the top. The capital is divided. One body has a cylindric shafe and simple decoration.

Nasrid Palaces
It is divided into three parts.

The Mexuar, a semipublic area of the palace; it was used for state affairs and to administrate justice.This part of the palace has undergone several reconstructions and nowadays it is difficult to know how the rooms really were.
In the XVII these halls became a Christian chapel.
The Gilded Room Patio connects the Mexuar with the Comares Palace.

The Comares Palace, the official royal residence with Muslim decorations. We wil find the Court of the Myrtles surrounded by several rooms. In the middle of the Court there is a 34m long and 7m wide pond. This is one of the most famous sights of the Alhambra. This Palace should astonish the visitor,that is why it is decorated in such a beautiful way. The Comares Tower, 45m high, is the highest in the Alhambra. It is said that Christopher Columbus convinced the Catholic Monarchs to approve his travels in this room.

The Palace of the Lions, the private part of the palace was located in this area. Here we have a central patio with galleries that give access to the different halls.
This patio, Patio of the Lions, is the most famous place in the Alhambra.
During the reign of Carlos V the Alhambra was restored and several rooms added.
Alcazaba
This is a fortress and the oldest part of the Alhambra, where the kings lived before the Alhambra was finished. Then it was used only used for military reasons.