What was the purpose of the Alhambra complex and what does the building represent?

The Alhambra's nearly 26 acres include structures with three distinct purposes, a residence for the ruler and close family, the citadel, Alcazaba—barracks for the elite guard who were responsible for the safety of the complex, and an area called medina (or city), near the Puerta del Vino (Wine Gate), where court ...



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There are three independent areas in the Nasrid Palaces (Palacios Nazaríes): the Mexuar, which corresponds to the semipublic part of the palace or selamlik, for justice administration and State affairs; the Comares Palace (Palacio de Comares), which was the official residence of the king; and the Palace of the Lions ( ...

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UNESCO World Heritage Site The Alhambra is located west of the city of Granada on the Sabika hill—a strategic vantage point that provides views of the whole city of Granada and the plain (vega) of Granada. The complex is irregular in shape and surrounded by defensive walls.

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The Alhambra in Granada, Spain, is distinct among medieval palaces for its sophisticated planning, complex decorative programs, and its many enchanting gardens and fountains. Its intimate spaces are built at a human scale that visitors find elegant and inviting.

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The Alhambra palace architecture is based on the Islamic and Spanish Renaissance styles.

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This austere yet magnificent space follows a traditional charbagh plan, a quadrilateral garden arrangement of four platforms divided by four water channels, symbolizing the four rivers and four gardens of Islamic paradise.

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The palace complex is designed in the Nasrid style, the last blooming of Islamic Art in the Iberian Peninsula, that had a great influence on the Maghreb to the present day, and on contemporary Mudejar Art, which is characteristic of western elements reinterpreted into Islamic forms and widely popular during the ...

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The walls of the Alhambra are full of calligraphic decoration, cursive and kufic writings with sentences such as Only God is victor (apparently by Zawi ben Zirí, founder of the Nasrid dynasty) and poems by three poets of the Court of Granada, Ibn al-Yayyab (1274-1349), Ibn al-Jatib (1313-1375) and Ibn Zamrak (1333- ...

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It's the home of Moorish-era culture. The city is filled with hidden gardens, ancient Arab buildings and sculptures, traditional Arab cuisine, and a royal palace, which remains a preeminent symbol of Muslim art, culture, and history.

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The most famous and best-preserved are the Mexuar, the Comares Palace, the Palace of the Lions, and the Partal Palace, which form the main attraction to visitors today. The other palaces are known from historical sources and from modern excavations. At the Alhambra's western tip is the Alcazaba fortress.

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The colors and detail put into the inside of the Alhambra make it apparent why this building was nominated as a wonder of the world. Unfortunately, and still a sore topic for the granadinos, the Alhambra came in 8th.

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Islamic religious art cannot contain iconography, so we rarely see any sort of images of people or animals in these structures. However, in the Alhambra, the Muslim king had three paintings made that clearly show iconography. These paintings are in his personal space, so the iconography is allowed.

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The Alhambra, with its continuous occupation over time, is currently the only preserved palatine city of the Islamic period. It constitutes the best example of Nasrid art in its architecture and decorative aspects.

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On January 2, 1492, Muhammad XII of Granada (King Boabdil) surrendered the Emirate of Granada, the city of Granada, and the Alhambra palace to the Castilian forces. The war was a joint project between Isabella's Crown of Castile and Ferdinand's Crown of Aragon.

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