Alhambra (Spain) - description, history, location. The exact address, phone, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.
- Tours for May all over the world
- Last Minute Tours all over the world
Previous photo Next photo
The mysterious Red Palace Alhambra (L'Alhambra, or Alhambra) in Spanish Granada is a place where you can not only take original photographs, but also plunge into several different cultures at the same time. When by 1230 almost all Spanish lands were conquered by Christians from Muslims, it was Granada that became the center of Muslim culture in Spain, which has survived to our times. And it was here that the Muslims decided to build "heaven on earth".
According to Arab historians, suggesting that not only red brick influenced the way people describe the atmosphere of the palace, but builders who worked at night by torchlight, which gave a reddish tint to the walls.
What to see
You can get here through the arch, described in the guide as the Gate of Justice. According to the traditions of the Middle East, small matters were heard exactly at the entrance, not allowing problems either in the park or even more so in the palace itself. There are many arches with meaning, most of which resemble stalactites and are arranged in perfect symmetry.
The Lion Courtyard of the Palace is especially impressive and tells about the history of this place. In the center of the arcaded galleries, impeccable in shape, there is a fountain - twelve marble lions support a bowl of water. During the restoration, one or another lion may be missing. But now they are in full force, as they recently updated the entire composition.
"Arab gardens have become a likeness true paradise"- the architecture of Islam here tells real story as if from the fairy tale "A Thousand and One Nights". So the Tower of the Thief or Sultana changed its name to the Tower of the Captive, because the king's favorite, converted to Islam, lived there.
More than 30 people are not allowed here so that everyone can see the notes and drawings on the walls. You can get here only until 18:00.
How to get
The Alhambra Palace is the most popular monument among tourists not only in Spain, but throughout Europe. And before you get there, you need preparation. To preserve the beauty created many centuries ago, the number of visitors is limited here, so you should take care of tickets in advance. The rescue can be a tourist map of Granada, with which you can visit most of the monuments and museums of the city, including the Alhambra.
The Alhambra Palace is available for visiting both day and night. For only 8 EUR you can visit the gardens and the Generalife from 20:00 to 00:00.
You can reserve your ticket in advance by calling in Spain +34 93 492 37 50 from 8 am to midnight (Spanish time). On the Internet on the official website - www.alhambra-tickets.es - you can order up to 10 tickets at a time.
If you have already arrived at the Alhambra Palace, then the ticket offices are open from 8 am. But in May-October in the midst tourist season on the spot you can buy entrance ticket three to four days ahead.
If you haven’t thought about tickets in advance or are in Granada by accident, be sure to ask your hotel about booking options. Many hotels provide this service.
The price for tickets here is 14 EUR for adults, and children under 12 years old are admitted free.
There are only two days a year when it is impossible to get to the Alhambra - December 25 and January 1.
The prices on the page are for November 2018.
The Alhambra is an impressive architectural and park ensemble that includes ancient palaces, a fortress and gardens of Muslim rulers and is considered the highest achievement of Moorish architects in Western Europe... Currently, the Alhambra is a museum of Islamic art and culture, which is visited annually by millions of tourists from all over the world.
The Alhambra is located on top of a rocky plateau in the eastern part of the city of Granada in southern Spain. Medieval poets described this structure as an "emerald pearl", noting the expressive structure against the backdrop of green forests, blue skies and mountainous landscapes with snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada.
The name "Alhambra" literally translates from Arabic as "red castle". Some associate this with the color of the sun-dried clay from which the palaces are built, others believe that the name comes from the "red flames of torches" that illuminated the castle during many years of construction.
History of the Alhambra
The development of the Alhambra is associated with the Muslim conquerors of the Iberian Peninsula, who came to the territory of southern Spain in the 8th century. During the reign of the Muslim Nasrid dynasty (1230-1492), Granada became the capital of the Moorish possessions in Spain - the Emirate of Granada.
The Moorish emirs wished to create a piece of earthly paradise on the conquered lands of sunny Spain - this is how the Alhambra arose among the shady gardens of Granada, which became the residence of the emirs-conquerors. In those days, the vast complex, enclosed in fortress walls with towers, included mosques, residential buildings, baths, gardens, warehouses, a cemetery; the palaces of the Alhambra, dating mainly from the XIV century, have survived to this day.
The interior of the complex can be described as harmoniously combining the picturesque gardens of the Alhambra, courtyards and terraces with fountains, water cascades, canals and ponds with many graceful arches, vaults, slender columns or patterned carved windows. All this splendor is decorated with bizarre Arabic patterns, floral ornaments, colorful mosaics, ceramic tiles, carved patterns on wood and stone.
Water and light play an important role in the overall composition of the Alhambra. The water here sparkles with spray of fountains, murmurs in the canals and briskly streams in cascades, filling reservoirs. All this - on a vast territory, surrounded by fragrant orange trees, cypress alleys and flowering flower beds.
The water coming from the mountain slopes of the Sierra Nevada filled the canals and fountains of the Alhambra and was the element that the Moors valued most of all. Fountains, streams and waterfalls are no less characteristic of the architecture for the Arabs than the columns are for the Greeks. It is no coincidence that the inscription on the fountain in the Lion's Courtyard is preserved: "Look at the water and look at the reservoir, and you will not be able to decide whether the water is calm or marble is flowing."
The road to the Alhambra from Granada follows the slope of the Cuesta de Gomeres through a parkland that stretches from the Pomegranate Gate to the Gate of Justice, which was the main entrance to the Alhambra in Moorish times.
On the huge arches of the gates in the shape of a horseshoe are preserved inscriptions in Arabic script: “Praise God. There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet. There is no other authority than God. "
Alhambra architecture
The Alhambra is a complex of courtyards, rooms, walkways and towers, each of which had its original purpose and have their own characteristics. The very names of many of them are eloquent: "Myrtle courtyard", decorated with evergreen myrtle tapestries.
" The Hall of the Two Sisters "got its name from two huge slabs of white marble embedded in the floor. The tiles and stucco decoration of the Hall of the Two Sisters are perhaps the finest in the entire Alhambra. The honeycomb dome is the largest of the Arab stalactite vaults. which is about 5000 cells.
"Courtyard of Lions" is named so thanks to the fountain around which the statues of twelve predators froze.
The House of Ambassadors was created for the official ceremonies of the court. The dome of this room is decorated with a star pattern that shimmers at high altitude.
Of particular interest are the numerous towers of the Alhambra with decorated halls, swimming pools and stunning views of the surroundings from the tops of the towers. The easternmost part of the Alhambra Palace is occupied by the defense tower Torre de las Damas, with an adjoining vaulted hall, a swimming pool and a small mosque.
In sharp contrast to the rest of the architecture of the ensemble, a later building - the palace of Carlos V, built on the territory of the Alhambra in the 16th century by order of the Roman king Charles V. The square structure hides a circular courtyard with an Ionic colonnade on the top floor and Tuscan columns on the bottom. Currently, the palace is a concert venue for music and dance performances. Inside the palace of Carlos V is located archaeological Museum Alhambra and Granada Museum of Fine Arts.
Tickets to the Alhambra
Tickets to the Alhambra are sold for one of the periods: morning, afternoon or evening. You need to come strictly within the specified period.
Opening hours of the Alhambra:
from 8.30 to 14.00, from 14.00 to 18.00, from 20 to 21.30 hours in winter - from October 15 to March 14;
from 8.30 to 14.00, from 14.00 to 20.00, from 22 to 23.30 hours in the summer.
The cost of a general ticket to visit the Alhambra is 14 euros
Children 12-15 years old - 8 euros
Children under 12 are free
Adults 65 and older and EU pensioners - € 9
Disabled people - 8 euros
Evening visit cost - 8 euros
Guided tour - 55 euros
Tickets can be purchased at the box office (cash) and terminals (bank cards) at the entrance. Tickets are valid only on the day of purchase, so it is better to come for tickets with a reserve.
We advise you to buy tickets in advance at the "Tienda de la Alhambra" store in Granada or by calling Bank La Caixa: 902 88 80 01 for Spain or +34 958 926 031 for calls from abroad.
The average length of the route through the Alhambra complex is 3.5 km. For a comfortable sightseeing of all sights, it will take at least 3 hours.
If you are heading to the south of Spain, be sure to visit the Alhambra, an invaluable legacy of the Moorish past. Call the Center for Services for Business and Life in Spain "Spain in Russian", and we will help you organize interesting individual or group excursions to the most unforgettable and unique places in the country.
"Red Castle" - this is the translation of the name of the chic palace complex, which I want to tell you about today. Where exactly the name came from, today no one will say. Either the abundance of red torches on the walls gave a reason for this. Either the color of the sun-dried clay served as the impetus for this name. Whatever it was, but I interpret it in my own way. And in my opinion "red" is "beautiful"! And you will be convinced of this by visiting here personally. To do this, you need to come to the castle (Spain).
So, either a city, or a garden, or a fortress, or a huge Moorish complex of palaces and gardens.
History of creation
Alhambra was built, built, and finally built. They began to erect the palace complex in the 13th century, although in fact they began to "swarm" here several centuries earlier.
Back in the 9th century, in official documentary records, there were references to a certain dilapidated fortress, which was located on this very place even before the palace. In those distant times, one of the warring rulers of the Cordoba Emirate was hiding from opponents in these ruins. For another hundred or two hundred years, the fortress was fortified, rebuilt, until in the 11th century it was territorially connected with the city. The fortress turned into a more or less independent quarter (medina). Such neighborhoods could be self-sufficient if the city was besieged by the conquerors.
Fateful events took place here in the first half of the 13th century. Then a certain Mohammed ibn Nasr "father" gave himself a little power in the state of Muslims. He became the founder of the Emirate of Granada with the capital in Granada. Of course, it was decided to make the residence in the Alhambra.
They began to strengthen the castle. After all, the residence of the ruler ... They strengthened it so diligently and responsibly that the heirs of Muhammad even had to change the course of the local river - all for the sake of the "common military cause."
As you understand, at that time the building played the role of a defensive structure, which did not look like luxurious palace... It was only in the 14th century that one of the ruler's heirs began to give Alhambra the look of a real palace complex.
At the same time, the Palace of Lions was built, several new gates and baths were built, and carvings appeared on the walls. Subsequently, few people cared about the decoration and decoration of the palace. The palace is the way it was in the 14th century.
The 15th century became an important new moment in the life of the Alhambra. Then Granada was freed from the Mauritanians. The Spanish crown took over the palace. In the 16th century, the complex was supplemented with a special palace for Charles V. In parallel with this, some of the old buildings were destroyed, as were the decorative elements on the palace walls. In the 18th century, the palace "fell into a coma", it was almost forgotten, bringing to destruction and decline ...
They remembered him again in the 19th century. It was not the rulers who laid eyes on it, but creative people - painters and writers. For almost 60 years in a row, they tried to restore the complex, "sucking from the finger" of some of its details. The work was approached not scientifically, but creatively ... What can I say, artists are impressionable and fantastical people ... And only after a while, already with the advent of the 20th century, the palace began to be restored, relying on historical documents.
Now it is a whole palace and park complex, consisting of a fortress and palaces with museums, gardens and sculptures. Alhambra is experiencing its rebirth, attracting millions of tourists every year.
Elements of the palace
Since our landmark is a whole architectural ensemble, it would be wrong to talk about it as one palace.
For convenience, the Alhambra is usually divided into zones or sectors. It is easier to describe this way, and tourists will not get lost.
Alcazaba
This is the word used by the Arabs in Spain to call the fortified residence of their ruler. In our case, the Alcazaba is the oldest part of the complex, located on the top of the hill. The first "builders" and owners of the fortress lived here.
From the oldest building elements we see the ancient walls, the Watchtower, the ruins of several old buildings, the remains of a reservoir for collecting water, a prison and part of the residential buildings for servants. In our time, gardens have also been referred to this sector. But they appeared later, they have nothing to do with old buildings.
The last dynasty of emirs, its representatives lived here in this building with adjoining courtyards, halls and towers. Here those in power lived most often. There was their, so to speak, permanent residence. The palace had three sectors: Meshuar, Palace of Lions and Komares. Tourists can still see them today. Meshoir is a place for the work of the court, the reception of subjects. Comares is the official residence for receiving dignitaries and foreign ambassadors. And in the Palace of Lions lived the "lions" themselves, the rulers. There were their private quarters. In the emir's palace today they tried to restore as much as possible the interior that was during the reign of its owners. Come in and rule.
Charles V of Habsburg, Holy Roman Emperor, officially stayed here (in the Alhambra) in the summer. But, apparently, the ruler was capricious - the old buildings did not satisfy him, he desired new palace yourself. And so in the 16th century, a new palace began to be built opposite the old one. It was later named the Palace of Charles V. The style was chosen - the Italian Renaissance. The building is in the shape of a square. The patio is round. It was completed only in the 20th century, when there was no trace of the customer.
As I said above, over time it has become a full-fledged residential area (district, block). It included both government palaces and the residential sector of commoners. Medina was named the Upper Alhambra. Here, in fact, lived ordinary people, gentlemen and artisans. All of them were engaged in the maintenance of the palace complex. The quarter itself was quite noticeably separated from the "royal part" - a moat was dug, which was surrounded by a solid wall with fortress towers. When the Christian era came, this part of the complex was abandoned. The buildings have collapsed from time to time. In one palace, Catholics set up their own monastery. The rest of the medina was made a park (garden).
This palace is often written separately as a famous landmark of Granada. It's kind of a separate item in tourist routes guidebooks. This palace is located 350 meters from the main complex Alhambra. It's funny, but the rulers "came" here to rest, as we go to the country today. Although the distance is just like "the cat cried". Not even a brick remained of the Generalife's previous appearance. The Christian era and regular restructuring have erased everything that was originally there. Add to this a period of complete devastation that lasted for decades. And, despite this, this palace is amazingly beautiful. If you do not "bother" on the lack of "primordiality", then there is something to see.
Local gardens are spoken of as a separate independent tourist facility... To say "gardens" is to say nothing. Behind this word are hidden the garden plantings themselves, and wonderful cozy courtyards, and fountains on terraces, cascades of water streams, canals, reservoirs, fanciful arches, weightless vaults, slender colonnades, carved windows with airy light patterns ... Decorating with Arabic script with glorification is everywhere Allah, floral ornaments, bright multi-colored mosaics, ceramic tiles, openwork wood carvings and even stone.
Wonderfully smelling oranges, avenues of slender cypresses, blooming flower beds, the murmur of water in cascades and spray of fountains. It seems that when laying out the gardens of the Alhambra in Granada, their creators paid special attention and importance to water and light. Everything here is subordinated to the general idea of \u200b\u200bcreating comfort, coziness, light joy ...
Water came to canals and fountains from mountain slopes. The value of water in the era of the Moors was high. It is like columns for the Greeks. Water was to be an indispensable element of important architectural ensembles of the time.
How to get there?
How to get to the Alhambra Palace in Granada? As I have said many times, the palace ensemble is located on a hill called La Sabica near the very historical center of Granada. Therefore, there should be no problems with finding this attraction.
Three popular ways: on your own two, by car (personal or taxi), by bus.
From the city center to the hill, no more than a kilometer walk. Therefore, it will not be difficult to walk on foot. Starting point - Cathedral Granada. If you are constrained in time, then use public transport, or rent a car. The route you need is C3. For the convenience of tourists with cars, there are guarded parking lots near the palace complex. If you do not go on a sightseeing bus, but took a car, then your path will be slightly different from the "bus" one. You will not have to enter from the city center, but from the southern section of the ring road.
Ticket price and opening hours
Here, as usual, I would advise you to take a look at the official website of the Alhambra so as not to get into a mess.
the entrance ticket to the Nasrid Palace is valid only for 30 minutes from the time indicated on the ticket. This is due to the limitation of the number of visitors in the premises of the palace. If you are late and your 30 minutes expire, no one will let you in, you will have to buy a ticket again.
There is no single ticket to visit the entire complex of palaces at once. Rather, it exists, but such a ticket entitles you to a very, very general overview of the territory. If you want to examine everything in detail and scrupulously, then tickets to each palace and even to the gardens are purchased separately. In addition, there are tickets for daytime and evening visits. They also differ in price.
So, the most general sightseeing ticket to the Alhambra Palace in Spain costs 14 euros. Children under 12 years old enter for free. From 12 to 15 years old - pay 8 euros. Pensioners over 65 years old - pay 9 euros for entrance. People with disabilities sell tickets for 8 euros.
Find out more detailed information on visiting each area of \u200b\u200bthe Alhambra on the website.
Important: on average, the tour takes at least three hours. Tickets are being sold out with a bang. Therefore, purchase them in advance. It is more convenient to do this online on the official website of the Palace Complex. Taking photos and selfies is allowed, but without flash units or tripods. No smoking!!! You can eat and drink only in certain specially designated places.
The first visitors are allowed here at 8.30 am. In winter, the facility closes at 21.30, and in the summer at 23.30.
As usual, the visit is possible with a guide or on your own. This also affects the cost of tickets.
Outcome
Whatever you call it - an architectural masterpiece of Islamic masters or an outstanding monument of Moorish architecture - in any case, it is an amazingly beautiful landmark. Her fame has long gone beyond the borders of Granada and Spain. Could the last rulers of the Muslim dynasty in Granada assume that their home (roughly speaking) would be admired by millions of foreigners today? The common, seemingly, for that time, fortress and palace complex, centuries later, having survived the heyday and devastation, became an unsurpassed property not only of the Spaniards, but of all mankind. Not just to say it all right now. This beauty is difficult to describe, it must be seen. To which I urge you with all my story about the Alhambra.
The Alhambra is a monument of Moorish architecture, an incredible complex. Palace, towers, gardens, fountains and, of course, history! Inside there is observation platforms with beautiful views of Granada, mountains and surroundings. It is best to visit in the morning on weekdays, because there are many who wish.
Alhambra, photo by Alexwing
Alhambra (Alhambra) in translation from Spanish means - "Red Castle". The Alhambra is located in the city. The architectural ensemble of the castle is visible from afar. The ginger stone fortress merges with the red-brown ferruginous soil of the La Cibica hill.
The Alhambra is a grandiose structure: a complex of gardens and palaces united by fortress walls. The road from Granada to the fortress passes through beautiful park on the slopes of Cuesta de Gomeres. The main entrance to the complex is the Gate of Justice, built in 1348. It is a monumental brick vaulted arch built in the shape of a horseshoe.
Behind the arch are the Wine Gate - Puerta del Vin, then - Plaza de Los Alhibes. Behind this square is the entrance to the palace complex.
The Alhambra was once the political center and residence of the emirs of Granada. The creation of the Moorish architects was called "earthly paradise", "The Eighth Wonder of the World." Emirate of Granada in the XIII-XIV centuries was the richest state in Spain. During this period, Arab rule in the Pyrenees entered its last phase. The Alhambra Citadel became the last Muslim stronghold on the peninsula.
The construction of the Nasrid fortress and palace complex began in 1238 by Muhammad ibn Nasr. It was a daring and extremely expensive project. Arab engineers had to adjust the streams of water running from the peaks of the Sierra Nevada so that the mountain moisture fed all the palace gardens, ponds, and fountains.
The complex consisted of several open palace premises: Meshuar, Komares and the Lviv Palace; patios and gardens with artificial reservoirs. All rooms were grouped around two main courtyards: Lion and Myrtovy, connected by a passage.
Myrtle yard
The Myrtovy Courtyard (Patio de los Arrayanes) still has a solemn and ceremonial appearance. This is an exemplary example of Moorish landscape art. In the center of the territory is located large body of water surrounded by myrtle trees. On the end sides, the platform is decorated with semi-arches standing on columns.
The Nasrid Palace. Scheme
On the northern edge of the Myrtle Courtyard stands the tower-palace of Comares with a throne room called the "Chamber of Ambassadors". The dome of this luxurious space is decorated with patterns of twinkling stars, and the walls are decorated from top to bottom with delicate carvings. The shimmering of the interior surfaces is due to the rays of light penetrating through the intricate carvings of the interior windows. From the carved cedar ceiling, stalactites descend in succession.
Meshoir
Meshuar (Mexuar) - the oldest of the palace buildings. It was partially destroyed and redesigned into a Christian church, so the original decoration was not completely preserved. Especially noteworthy in this building are the tiled basement panels and the magnificent oratorio belvedere. Meshuar and the Comares Palace are connected by the Golden Room.
A small graceful Lions Court (Patio de los Leones) during the time of the emirs of Ibn Nasr was the center of the palace's living quarters. It is surrounded by graceful porticos and a beautiful fountain in the middle of the courtyard. A marble bowl of an artificial reservoir lies on the backs of twelve stone lions (this fountain was created as an allegorical embodiment of the throne of King Solomon).
On three sides of the Lion's Courtyard are the palace premises: the Stalactite Hall (Sala de los Mocárabes), the Sala de los Abencerrajes (Longbeards) and the Two Sisters Hall (Sala de las Dos Hermanas) (women's residence). On the walls of these ancient halls, magnificent painted majolica has been preserved, the ceilings are decorated with carved knocks. The cornices and arches are decorated with mosaics, colored marble, painted alabaster and ceramics. The intricate and multicolored decorative patterns are composed of interweaving floral motifs with Arabic script and geometric designs.
Alhambra architecture
The architects of the Alhambra had to use the entire arsenal of pictorial means known to them, to use all their imagination in order to create a palace unsurpassed in luxury. All decorative elements of the complex have been carefully calculated, but at first glance they give the impression of some irrationality. The excesses and pomp of the decor suppress the rational principle. An outside observer does not know: what are all these multiple double columns and pointed arches that have filled the courtyards in abundance?
This exaggerated luxury has both deep original intent and practical grain. Everything is organic in the Alhambra complex: stone, greenery, water. Streams of water in thin invisible streams and quite tangible fountains run through the marble slabs and spread over the surface of inland water bodies. There is no disorder here - the direction of movement of the water and the points of incidence of the water jets are precisely calculated. Everything has a regular, organized geometric shape: reservoirs, trees, neatly cut bushes. The vertical streams of the fountains echo with the verticals of the slender columns.
Nature in the Alhambra
Mirador de Daraxa - a covered balcony of the Hall of the Two Sisters, overlooking the Patio de Lindaraja
The nature in the Alhambra is controlled, artificially organized - "constrained", according to observers. Against this background, architecture looks amazingly animated. The walls and vaults of the palaces look "alive". Colorful motives of wall and ceiling ornaments flicker in the rays of light, stalactites descend from the vaults in abundance. The decorative design of the entire complex follows a special rhythm that repeats similar elements in different combinations. In the Alhambra complex, the Muslim architecture of Spain found its highest expression and exhausted itself, giving way to new values.
The palace of Charles V on the east side of Plaza los Alhibes began to be built in 1526, but for a number of reasons it remained unfinished. The construction was supervised by the architect Pedro Machuca. This palace differs from the surrounding buildings in its pronounced Renaissance appearance. Now it houses the Alhambra Museum (Museo de la Alhambra) and the Granada Fine Arts Museum (Museo de Bellas Artes de Granada). A collection of Spanish-Muslim art and a collection of works of art by masters of the Granada school are exhibited here.
Church of Santa Maria
Next to the palace of Charles V is the Church of Santa Maria. It was built between 1581 and 1618. on the site of the former mosque of the Alhambra Palace. The first Mass was celebrated in this temple after the liberation of the city from the rule of the Moors.
The splendid Generalife gardens have been built since the early 16th century. The most spectacular object in this park complex is the Irrigation Canal Courtyard. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Alhambra Forest (Bosque de la Alhambra) park was laid out, framing the Alhambra fortress from the north and southwest sides.
Alhambra scheme in Russian
Working hours
October 5 - March 14:
Mon-Sun 8:30 - 18:00 - afternoon visit;
Fri, Sat 20: 00-21: 30 - evening visit.
March 15 - October 14:
Mon-Sun 8:30 - 20:00 - day visit;
Tue-Sat 22: 00-23: 30 - evening visit.
How to get there
Take bus 30 to the Gate of Justice (Puerta de la Justica).
Which ticket to the Alhambra to buy?
It is better to buy tickets to the Alhambra Palace in advance, since visitor access is limited.
You can purchase them in different ways:
- buy at the box office on the day of your visit;
- online at. This is the best option - save time and get to the palace for sure. You can buy no more than 10 tickets at a time;
- order by phone +34934923750 from 08:00 to 24:00.
The cost of a full day ticket is € 14;
at night - € 8;
children under 12 years old - free;
Alhambra Gardens only - € 7.
There is an audio guide in Russian for € 6.
Types of tickets to the Alhambra
I advise you to take the Alhambra General ticket for € 14. It includes the entrance to the Alhambra, a fixed entry to the Royal Palace (Palacios Nazaríes), the Generalife Gardens and the Alcazaba fortress. In short, everything there is, but without an unnecessary guide.
If you want to save money, then take a ticket of € 7. It includes the entrance to the Alhambra, the Generalife Gardens and the Alcazaba fortress. Not only Royal Palace... This ticket does not have to be purchased in advance.
How to buy tickets without a queue or if tickets are out
there is great option skip the line to the Alhambra, even if the site no longer has tickets! To do this, buy a city card. It includes:
- Alhambra and Generalife (+ Nasrid Palace)
- Granada Cathedral
- Royal chapel
- Monastery Kartuha
- Monastery of San Jerónimo
- Science park-museum
- Caja Granada Museum
- City buses: 5 trips on the local network
How do I save on hotels?
It's very simple - look not only at the booking. I prefer the search engine RoomGuru. He is looking for discounts on both Booking and 70 other booking sites.
Borrowing the experience of Egypt and Rome in the construction of irrigation facilities, the Arabs were able to use the melting of snow on mountain peaks and created a powerful hydrotechnical system, turning waterless Spain into a flourishing land. A new type of garden was formed here - the Spanish-Moorish one. This is a small courtyard (200-1200 m²) of the atrium-peristyle type (patio), surrounded by the walls of the house or a fence, is a continuation of the ceremonial and living quarters in the open air.
The complex of such miniature patios, included in the complex structure of the palace, represent the gardens of Grenada, created in the 13th century. in the residences of the caliphs - Alhambra (650 X 200 m) and Generalife (area 80X100 m).
Alhambra (Spanish Alhambra, from Arabic قصر الحمراء qasr al-hamra - "red castle") is an architectural and park ensemble located on a hilly terrace in the eastern part of the city of Granada in southern Spain. It was mainly developed during the reign of the Muslim dynasty of Nasrid (1230-1492), during which Granada became the capital of the Granada Emirate on the Iberian Peninsula, and the Alhambra became their residence (the surviving palaces belong mainly to the XIV century). The vast complex, enclosed in fortress walls with towers, also included mosques, residential buildings, baths, gardens, warehouses, and a cemetery. It is currently a museum of Islamic architecture.
In the Alhambra, the palace premises were grouped around the Court of Myrtle and the Court of Lions. The myrtle courtyard (47 x 33 m) is surrounded by walls of buildings with an elegant arcade, richly decorated with ornaments. In the center there is a pool (7X45 m), elongated along the long axis and framed by rows of sheared myrtle. The main effect is the reflection of the tower arcade in the pool water. The courtyard of lions (28 X 19 m) is also surrounded by walls and an arcade, crossed by two mutually perpendicular canals, in the center of which is a fountain of two alabaster vases supported by 12 black marble lions.
Alcazaba (from the Arabic word al-kasba, meaning "fortress") - the citadel of the Alhambra; it was here that the first fortifications were built.
Reservoirs Square (Plaza de los Aljibes) is located between the Alcazaba, on the one hand, and the Nasrid palaces and the palace of Charles V, on the other. It got its name from the underground cisterns dug in this place by Count de Tendilla in 1494. From there, tourists enter the Alcazaba.
Nasrid Palace consists of three monumental ensembles: Meshuara - buildings for audiences and courts, the Komares Palace - the official residence of the emir, the Lviv Palace - private apartments.
Partal (Partal, from the Arabic word for "portico") - the area east of the Nasrid Palace. Sometimes it is called the courtyard of the Fig Tree (Patio de la Higuera). A significant part of it was previously the Palace of Partal (Palacio del Partal), or the Palace of Portico (Palacio del Pórtico), built earlier than the Nasrid palaces - at the beginning of the XIV century, under Mohammed III. Very little remains of this palace; the largest of its buildings is the Torre de las Damas, or the Prince's Tower (Torre del Príncipe), built into the outer wall. Its portico with five arched entrances opens onto a rectangular reservoir, like other palaces.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Generalif (garden plan): 1 - entrances, 2 - lower terrace, 3 - courtyard with a canal, 4 - gazebo, 5 - Sultana's garden, 6 - upper terrace, 7 - cascade |
Ensemble General(Spanish Generalife, from Arabic Jannat al- "Arif -" garden of the architect ") - Generalif (Spanish Generalife, from Arabic Jannat al-" Arif - "garden of the architect") - former summer residence emirs of the Nasrid dynasty, who ruled Granada in the XIII-XIV centuries. The Generalife's Gardens is located on the Cerro del Sol hill 100 m above the Alhambra; along with the fortress-residence of the Alhambra and the residential area of \u200b\u200bAlbaycín located a little to the west, which form the medieval part of the city, the General is included in the list World heritage UNESCO as “an invaluable example of royal Arab residences of the medieval period”.
The palace and gardens were built during the reign of Muhammad III (1302-1309) and re-decorated shortly after Sultan Ishmael I (1313-1324). The complex includes the Patio de la Acequia (courtyard of the brook), which houses a long pool surrounded by flower beds, fountains, colonnades and pavilions, as well as Jardín de la Sultana - "Sultan's garden"), which has a second name - "cypress courtyard". Jardín da la Sultana is considered the best-preserved garden in Muslim Spain.
It is a complex of isolated patio gardens with terraces. The most famous courtyard with a canal. It is elongated and surrounded by an arcade; a narrow 40-meter canal is laid in the center, decorated with two rows of fountains. Their thin streams form an arched alley. The garden is freely planted with small trees and shrubs.
In general, the traditions of the Spanish-Moorish garden are characterized by the following features: simplicity of planning and individuality of the solution. The layout is regular, due to the geometric layout of the patio. The garden has a compositional center, most often the pool. The entrance to the garden is often located not in the center, but on the side, thereby breaking the symmetry and enriching the overall picture of the garden.
The connection between the indoor enclosed space of the garden and the open external views is achieved through the arrangement of viewpoints, decorated with arcades. This method of interconnection was later widely developed in landscape art.
Water is the main motive of the garden. It is present in every patio in the form of channels, pools, springs gushing out of the ground. The water then flows down the channels made in the railing of the stairs, then it penetrates the plane of the garden in a narrow strip, then it spreads out in an extensive mirror (Yard myrtle), then it forms fountain streams. In all its diversity, one can trace the desire to show the value of each of its drops.
Vegetation is used in such a way as to demonstrate the individual merit of each specimen. Cypresses, orange and tangerine trees, jasmine, almond, oleander, roses were planted freely. As an architectural element, the haircut was rarely used.
The hot climate did not allow the use of the lawn, so most of the territory was decorated with decorative paving.
The color scheme is characterized by a combination of the general restrained color scheme of the walls, greenery of trees and shrubs with bright blotches of flowering plants or colored coatings. Decorative paving is one of the most important elements of the Spanish-Moorish garden. Sometimes the retaining walls and garden benches were tiled with colored majolica. Primary colors are blue, yellow, green.
Thus, the Spanish-Moorish style was formed with a complex of its techniques that meet the requirements of time, nature, and national traditions.
Myrtle courtyard (Patio de los Arrayanes). The center of the composition of the entire palace, almost the most famous place of the Alhambra (it is he who is shown in the top photo). In the middle of the courtyard there is a marble reservoir measuring 34 x 7.1 m, where water is supplied from two fountains on the short sides of a rectangle, behind which the courtyard is also called the Patio del Estanque (Patio de la Alberca). On the long sides it is surrounded by a trimmed hedge of myrtle, from which the courtyard was named. On the north and south sides, open porticoes are made, each with seven semicircular arches with openwork carvings and columns with square capitals (the central arch is higher than all the others). On their walls, over the tiles that were already laid in the time of Christians at the end of the 16th century, there are Arabic inscriptions praising the emir - in particular, the poems of Ibn Zamrak, the minister of Muhammad V. At the ends of the porticoes there are richly decorated niches where vases with flowers or oil lamps. On the long sides of the courtyard are richly decorated entrances to the women's chambers.
Lion yard (Patio de los Leones) got its name from the fountain consisting of two pools different sizes and a large bowl supported by 12 lions. These archaic statues were brought here from the old palace in Albaycín. Lions are carved from a special semi-precious marble and are arranged like the rays of a star. The number of lions is not accidental. According to legend, 12 lions supported the throne of King Solomon. Sultan Muhammad al-Ghani was told about this by his vizier Ibn Nagrell. He also advised the Sultan to decorate the fountain with figures of lions. However, researchers attribute this story to legends, since lions at the fountain supposedly appeared only in the 16th century - after the fall of Granada.
By its structure, the Lion's Dvor belongs to the type of the Muslim park “chor-bak”, which means “four gardens”. The principle of its construction is as follows: a rectangular room is divided into four equal parts by two channels stretched diagonally. At their intersection there is a fountain with lion sculptures. From the mouth of each sculpture, a stream of water flows directly into the canal surrounding the fountain, into which water comes from four reservoirs under the stone floor of the hall.
The openwork arcades of the Lion's Courtyard rest on 124 marble columns, the smooth trunks of which are the main element of the decor. The size of the yard is 28 × 16 m. Due to the complexity of the decoration, the plot looks more spacious. The columns follow the rhythm of the pattern that covers the entire surface of the courtyard. The pavilions are decorated with stalactites made of wood. An important role in the composition is played by a high tile roof, executed in a rude manner, which emphasizes the elegance of the arcade design. On the western and eastern sides, two gazebos were erected, from where a beautiful view of the lions opens, whose "jaws spew water jets".
