Alhambra

he Alhambra (Arabic: الْحَمْرَاء‎, Al-Ḥamrā' , literally "the red
one"), the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra (الْقَلْعَةُ
ٱلْحَمْرَاءُ, Al-Qal‘at al-Ḥamrā’ , "the red fortress"), is a palace
and fortress complex constructed during the mid 14th century by the
Moorish rulers of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus, occupying the
top of the hill of the Assabica on the southeastern border of the city
of Granada in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia.

The Alhambra's Moorish palaces were built for the last Muslim Emirs in
Spain and its court, of the Nasrid dynasty. After the Reconquista
(reconquest) by the Reyes Católicos ("Catholic Monarchs") in 1492,
some portions were used by the Christian rulers. The Palace of Charles
V, built by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1527, was inserted in the
Alhambra within the Nasrid fortifications. After being allowed to fall
into disrepair for centuries, the Alhambra was "discovered" in the
19th century by European scholars and travelers, with restorations
commencing. It is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions,
exhibiting the country's most significant and well known Islamic
architecture, together with 16th-century and later Christian building
and garden interventions. The Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage
Site, and the inspiration for many songs and stories.

The name Alhambra comes from an Arabic root which means "red or
crimson castle", perhaps due to the hue of the towers and walls that
surround the entire hill of La Sabica which by starlight is silver but
by sunlight is transformed into gold. But there is another more poetic
version, evoked by the Moslem analysts who speak of the construction
of the Alhambra fortress "by the light of torches", the reflections of
which gave the walls their particular coloration. Created originally
for military purposes, the Alhambra was an "alcazaba" (fortress), an
"alcázar" (palace) and a small "medina" (city), all in one. This
triple character helps to explain many distinctive features of the
monument.