La Alhambra, the most important monument in Europe
According to Arabic sources, at the foothills of Sierra Nevada, between the Dauro (golden) and Genil rivers and on the al-Sabika hill, the founder of the II independent dinasty of Granada, Ibn Yusuf bin Ibn Nasr al-Jazrayi al-Ansari was born at the end of the Dul-hiyaA, year 591, that is, December 1st-5th, 1194. As soon as he became sultan of Al-Andalus and emir of Granada, he set his capital for his state in this city.Therefore, he ordered to build a royal city, a impregnable and thoroughly fortified sealed residence upon al-Sabika hill.
The building work began in 1234 and the Andalusi Sultan Muhammad, personally inspected its progress. As the last Muslim state in the Iberian Peninsula he needed a collection of fortresses that dignified his dominion as soon as possible.
The building works of his forbidden city continued day and night uninterrupted. Due to the reddish colour, the peasants of the valley of Granada (La Vega) called it “al-kalat al-hamrá” (the castle made of red earth”) deriving it to its current name: La Alhambra.
After the first king of the new Nasrid dinasty, his successors strived on the consolidation and artistic ennoblement and environment of the Red Castle, where nature and architecture were to coexist in a serene and sacred harmony. Sultans Yusuf I and Muhammad V finished the beauty citadel we can admire today but that, only five centuries ago, was th Forbidden City of La Alhambra.
“Harmonic balance between nature, and most of all, a heavenly isolation from its immediate surroundings”.
(Text taken from Tomás Navarro’s book La Alhambra Escondida -"The Hidden Alhambra"-)
The Alhambra was a palace, a citadel, fortress, and the home of the Nasrid sultans, high government officials, servants of the court and elite soldiers (from the 13th to the 14th century). Today, the monument is divided into four main areas: the Palaces, the military zone or Alcazaba, the city or Medina and the agricultural estate of the Generalife. All of these areas are surrounded by woods, gardens and orchards.
Other notable buildings belonging to a different time period are also included, such as the Renaissance style Palace of Charles V, which houses the Alhambra Museum (most of the items are fr How to visit the Alhambra