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Alhambra, Granada - Five Fascinating Facts

The Alhambra at twilight, crowned by the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada © Michelle Chaplow
The Alhambra at twilight, crowned by the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada © Michelle Chaplow

Alhambra, Granada - Five Fascinating Facts

by Fiona Flores Watson

The Alhambra is the second-most-visited monument in Spain, a complex of Arabic and Christian palaces and gardens. Its exquisitely inscribed arches and beautifully detailed ceramic tiles, along with the perfect proportions of colonnades and pools, create a place of ethereal beauty. Here we take a look at well-known and less familiar aspects of what was once a self-contained city.

El Patio de los Arrayanes (Courtyard of the Myrtles) © Michelle Chaplow El Patio de los Arrayanes (Courtyard of the Myrtles) © Michelle Chaplow
Alhambra, Granada - Fascinating Fact 1

Situated at the heart of the Comares Palace, this rectangular patio features a pool and hedges of evergreen myrtle on its two long sides, with a porticoed gallery at either end. The still water… More →

Patio de los Leones (Courtyard of the Lions) © Michelle Chaplow Patio de los Leones (Courtyard of the Lions) © Michelle Chaplow
Alhambra, Granada - Fascinating Fact 2

Probably the most famous and recognisable patio of the Alhambra complex, the Courtyard of the Lions consists of a forest of elegant columns surrounding a fountain, and a small pavilion at each end… More →

Parador de Granada – Parador de San Francisco (Parador of Granada – Saint Francis Parador), nestled within the Alhambra’s ancient walls © Michelle Chaplow Francis Parador), nestled within the Alhambra’s ancient walls © Michelle Chaplow
Alhambra, Granada - Fascinating Fact 3

Originally the Nasrid Palace of Los Infantes, this was converted into the Franciscan convent of San Francisco under Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand soon after their reconquest of Granada. Now a… More →

The Generalife’s historic gardens, featuring floral displays and flowing fountains © Michelle Chaplow The Generalife’s historic gardens, featuring floral displays and flowing fountains
Alhambra, Granada - Fascinating Fact 4

The Nasrid summer palace  and gardens are located at the far eastern limit of the Alhambra complex. The building itself is set on a south-facing hill. The gardens, which were designed to be a… More →

Remnant of the palace aqueduct in the upper Alhambra © Michelle Chaplow Remnant of the palace aqueduct in the upper Alhambra © Michelle Chaplow
Alhambra, Granada - Fascinating Fact 5

In Nasrid times, this eastern section of the fortified complex was the densely populated medina, with mosque, public baths and markets, grand mansions of high-ranking… More →

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