The Alhambra Palace Complex

The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex in Granada, Spain. Muhammad I Ibn al-Ahmar began building it in 1238.

The name means the red one in Arabic. Iron oxide did all the decorating.

During the Nasrid era, the Alhambra was a self-contained city. It contained at least 6 major palaces.

A Nasrid ruler remodeled the Alhambra during those years.

Decoration focused on interiors. Craftsmen used tile mosaics on lower walls and carved stucco above them.

After the Reconquista ended in 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella made the site their Royal Court. The palaces were partially altered.

In 1526, Charles V commissioned a new Renaissance-style palace. The Renaissance equivalent of a loud neighbor.

Washington Irving published Tales of the Alhambra in 1832. His book brought international attention to the old site.