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- History of the Alhambra
The history of the Alhambra it is linked to the geographical place where it is located, Granada; on a rocky hill of difficult access, on the banks of the Darro River, protected by the mountains and surrounded by forest, among the oldest neighborhoods of the city, the Alhambra rises like an imposing castle of reddish tones in its walls that hide the exterior the delicate beauty of its interior.
Conceived as a military zone at the beginning, the Alhambra became the royal residence and court of Granada, in the mid-13th century, after the establishment of the Nasrid kingdom and the construction of the first palace, by the founding king Mohammed ibn Yusuf ben Nasr, best known for Alhamar.
Throughout the s. XIII, XIV and XV, the fortress becomes a citadel of high walls and defensive towers, which houses two main areas: the military zone or Alcazaba, barracks of the royal guard, and the medina or palatine city, where the famous are located Nasrid Palaces and the remains of the houses of nobles and commoners who lived there. The Palace of Carlos V, (which is built after the capture of the city in 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs), it is also in the medina.
The monumental complex also has an independent palace in front of the Alhambra, surrounded by orchards and gardens, which was the comfort of the Granada kings, the Generalife.
