Editing Alhambra (section)

== Main structures ==
=== Entrance gates ===
[[File:Alhambra Gatehouse.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|The ''Puerta de la Justicia'' (Gate of Justice), the main southern gate to the Alhambra, built by [[Yusuf I]] in 1348|left]]
The main gate of the Alhambra is the large ''Puerta de la Justicia'' (Gate of Justice), known in Arabic as ''Bab al-Shari'a'' ({{Langx|ar|باب الشريعة|lit=Gate of [[Shari'a]] (law)}}), which served as the main entrance on the south side of the walled complex. It was built in 1348 during the reign of Yusuf I.{{Sfn|Bloom|2020|pp=152–155}}{{Sfn|López|1992}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=García Porras |first=Alberto |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zgsOEAAAQBAJ |title=The Nasrid Kingdom of Granada between East and West: (Thirteenth to Fifteenth Centuries) |publisher=Brill |year=2020 |isbn=978-90-04-44359-4 |editor-last=Fábregas |editor-first=Adela |chapter=Productive Activities and Material Culture |access-date=11 February 2022 |archive-date=23 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623053419/https://books.google.com/books?id=zgsOEAAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> The gate consists of a large horseshoe arch leading to a steep ramp passing through a [[Bent entrance|bent passage]]. The passage turns 90 degrees to the left and then 90 degrees to the right, with an opening above where defenders could throw projectiles onto any attackers below. The image of a hand, whose five fingers symbolized the [[Five Pillars of Islam]], is carved above the archway on the exterior façade, while the image of a key, another symbol of faith, is carved above the archway on the inner façade. A Christian-era sculpture of the [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Virgin]] and [[Christ Child]] was inserted later into another niche just inside the gate.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=47–49}} Near the outside of the gate is the ''Pilar de Carlos V'', a Renaissance-style fountain built in 1524 with some further alterations in 1624.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=35}}

At the end of the passage coming from the ''Puerta de la Justicia'' is the ''Plaza de los Aljibes'' ('Place of the Cisterns'), a broad open space which divides the Alcazaba from the Nasrid Palaces. The plaza is named after a large cistern dating to around 1494, commissioned by Iñigo López de Mondoza y Quiñones. The cistern was one of the first works carried out in the Alhambra after the 1492 conquest and it filled what was previously a gully between the Alcazaba and the palaces.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=63}} On the east side of the square is the ''Puerta del Vino'' (Wine Gate) which leads to the Palace of Charles V and to the former residential neighbourhoods (the ''medina'') of the Alhambra.{{Sfn|López|1992}}{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=61–63}} The gate's construction is attributed to the reign of Muhammad III, although the decoration dates from different periods. Both the inner and outer façades of the gate are embellished with ceramic decoration filing the spandrels of the arches and stucco decoration above. On the western side of the gate is the carving of a key symbol like the one on the ''Puerta de la Justicia''.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=61}}

[[File:Puerta de las Armas-crop.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|The ''Puerta de las Armas'' ('Gate of Arms'), the main northern gate of the Alhambra, from the 13th century]]
The other main gate of the Alhambra was the ''Puerta de las Armas'' ('Gate of Arms'), located on the north side of the Alcazaba, from which a walled ramp leads towards the ''Plaza de los Aljibes'' and the Nasrid Palaces. This was originally the main access point to the complex for the regular residents of the city, since it was accessible from the Albaicín side, but after the Christian conquest the ''Puerta de la Justicia'' was favoured by Ferdinand and Isabella.{{Sfn|López|1992}} The gate, one of the earliest structures built in the Alhambra in the 13th century, is one of the Alhambra structures that bear the most resemblance to the Almohad architectural tradition that preceded the Nasrids. The exterior façade of the gate is decorated with a polylobed moulding with glazed tiles inside a rectangular ''[[alfiz]]'' frame. Inside the gate's passage is a dome that is painted to simulate the appearance of red brick, a decorative feature characteristic of the Nasrid period.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=49–51}}

Two other exterior gates existed, both located further east. On the north side is the ''Puerta del Arrabal'' ('Arrabal Gate'), which opens onto the ''Cuesta de los Chinos'' ('Slope of the Pebbles'), the ravine between the Alhambra and the Generalife. It was probably created under Muhammad II and served the first palaces of the Alhambra which were built in this area during his reign. It underwent numerous modifications in the later Christian era of the Alhambra.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=53}}{{Sfn|López|1992}} On the south side is the ''Puerta de los Siete Suelos'' ('Gate of Seven Floors'), which was almost entirely destroyed by the explosions set off by the departing French troops in 1812. The present gate was reconstructed in the 1970s with help of remaining fragments and of multiple old [[engraving]]s that illustrate the former gate. The original gate was probably built in the mid-14th century and its original Arabic name was ''Bab al-Gudur''. It would have been the main entrance serving the ''medina'', the area occupied by industries and the houses of workers inside the Alhambra. It was also through here that the Catholic Monarchs first entered the Alhambra on January 2, 1492.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=45–46}}{{Sfn|López|1992}}

=== Alcazaba ===
{{Main|Alcazaba of the Alhambra}}
[[File:Patio de Armas y Alcazaba de la Alhambra II.jpg|thumb|View of the [[Alcazaba of the Alhambra|Alcazaba]] and its interior]]
The Alcazaba or citadel is the oldest part of the Alhambra today. It was the centrepiece of the complicated system of fortifications that protected the area. Its tallest tower, the {{Convert|26|m|ft|abbr=on|adj=on}} high ''Torre del Homenaje'' ('Tower of Homage'), was the [[keep]] and military command post of the complex. It may have also been the first residence of Ibn al-Ahmar inside the Alhambra while the complex was being constructed.{{Sfn|López|1992|p=154}}{{Sfn|Puerta-Vílchez|2022|p=368}} The westernmost tower, the {{Convert|25|m|ft|abbr=on|adj=on}} high ''Torre de la Vela'', acted as a watch tower. The flag of Ferdinand and Isabella was first raised above it as a symbol of the Spanish conquest of Granada on 2 January 1492.<ref name="Chisholm_657">{{harvp|Chisholm|1911|p=657}}</ref> A bell was added on the tower soon afterward and for centuries it was rung at regular times every day and on special occasions. In 1843 the tower became part of the city's coat of arms.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=90}} Inside the enclosure of the inner fortress was a residential district that housed the elite guards of the Alhambra. It contained urban amenities like a communal kitchen, a [[hammam]], and a water supply cistern, as well as multiple subterranean chambers which served as [[dungeon]]s and [[silo]]s.{{Sfn|López|2011b|p=282}}

===Nasrid palaces===
The royal palace complex consists of three main parts, from west to east: the Mexuar, the Comares Palace, and the Palace of the Lions.{{Efn|Some scholarly descriptions of the palaces treat the Mexuar as merely one part of the larger Comares Palace.{{sfn|Dickie|1992}}{{sfn|Arnold|2017|pp=245, 262}}}}{{Sfn|López|2011|p=95}}{{Sfn|Bloom|2020|pp=155–164}} Collectively, these palaces are also known as the ''Casa Real Vieja'' ('Old Royal Palace'), to distinguish them from the newer palaces erected next to them during the Christian Spanish period.{{Sfn|Bloom|2020|p=155}}{{Sfn|López|2011b|p=283}}

==== Mexuar ====
{{Main|Mexuar}}
[[File:Mexuar, seen from the Patio de Machuca, 16.08.14.jpg|thumb|View of the Mexuar today (with the Comares Tower also visible behind it)]]
The Mexuar is the westernmost part of the palace complex. It was analogous to the [[Mechouar|''mashwar'']]s (or ''mechouar''s) of royal palaces in North Africa.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=269}} It was first built as part of the larger complex begun by Isma'il I which included the Comares Palace. It housed many of the administrative and more public functions of the palace, such as the chancery and the treasury. Its layout consisted of two consecutive courtyards followed by a main hall, all aligned along a central axis from west to east. Little remains of the two western courtyards of the Mexuar today, except for their foundations, a portico, and the water basin of a fountain. The main hall, known as the ''Sala del Mexuar'' or Council Hall, served as a throne hall where the sultan received and judged petitions. This area also granted access to the Comares Palace via the ''Cuarto Dorado'' section on the east side of the Council Hall. Multiple parts of the Mexuar were significantly modified in the post-''Reconquista'' period; notably, the ''Sala del Mexuar'' was converted into a Christian [[chapel]] and additions were made to the ''Cuarto Dorado'' to convert it into a residence. Many of these additions were later removed during modern restorations in the 19th and 20th centuries.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|pp=268–274}}{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=99–106}}

====Comares Palace====
{{Main|Court of the Myrtles}}
[[File:Patio de los Arrayanes Alhambra 02 2014.jpg|alt=|thumb|The [[Court of the Myrtles]], the central courtyard of the Comares Palace{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|pp=262–265}}|left]]The Comares Palace was the core of a large palace complex begun by Isma'il I in the early 13th century and subsequently modified and refurbished by Yusuf I and Muhammad V over the course of the same century.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017}} This new palace complex served as the official palace of the sultan and the state, known in Arabic as the ''Qaṣr al-Sultan'' or ''Dār al-Mulk''.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=261}} The Comares Palace was accessed from the west through the Mexuar. An internal façade, known as the Comares Façade, stands on the south side of the ''Patio de Cuarto Dorado'' ('Courtyard of the Gilded Room') at the east edge of the Mexuar. This highly decorated symmetrical façade, with two doors, was the entrance to the palace and likely served in some ceremonial functions.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=109}}{{Sfn|Dickie|1992|p=137}}{{Sfn|Bloom|2020|p=159}}[[File:Techo del Salón de Embajadores (la Alhambra), Granada.jpg|thumb|Ceiling of the Hall of the Ambassadors]]The Comares Palace itself is centred around the ''Patio de los Arrayanes'' ('Court of the Myrtles'), a courtyard measuring 23 to 23.5 metres wide and 36.6 metres long, with its long axis aligned roughly north-to-south.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=265}} At the middle, aligned with the main axis of the court, is a wide [[Reflecting pool|reflective pool]]. The pool measures 34 metres long and 7,10 metres wide.<ref>{{cite web |title=Court of the Myrtles |url=https://www.alhambradegranada.org/en/info/nasridpalaces/courtofthemyrtles.asp |work=Alhambra de Granada |access-date=18 February 2022 |archive-date=27 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327052348/http://www.alhambradegranada.org/en/info/placesandspots/courtofthemyrtles.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> The myrtle bushes that are the court's namesake grow in hedges along either side of this pool. Two ornate porticos are situated at the north and south ends of the court, leading to further halls and rooms behind them. The court's decoration contained eleven [[Qasida|''qasā'id'']] by [[Ibn Zamrak]], eight of which remain.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Puerta Vílchez |first1=José Miguel |title=Reading the Alhambra: a visual guide to the Alhambra through its inscriptions |last2=Núñez Guarde |first2=Juan Agustín |date=2011 |publisher=Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife : Edilux |isbn=978-84-86827-62-5 |location=Granada, Spain |oclc=828680669}}</ref> Annexed to the east side of the palace are the Comares Baths, a royal hammam that is exceptionally well-preserved.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=123}}

On the north side of the Court of the Myrtles, inside the massive Comares Tower, is the ''Salón de los Embajadores'' ('Hall of the Ambassadors'), the largest room in the Alhambra. It is accessed by passing through the ''Sala de la Barca'',{{Efn|The name ''barca'' is assumed to derive from the Arabic word ''[[Barakah|baraka]]'', meaning "blessing", which is included in the inscriptions around the hall.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=265}}{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=115–116}}{{Sfn|Dickie|1992|pp=139–140}}{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|pp=41–42}}}} a wide rectangular hall behind the northern portico of the court. The Hall of the Ambassadors is a square chamber measuring 11.3 metres per side and rising to a height of 18.2 metres.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=266}} This was the throne room or audience chamber of the sultan.{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|p=43}} The sultan's throne was placed opposite the entrance in front of a recessed double-arched window at the back of the hall.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=118}} In addition to the extensive tile and stucco decoration of the walls, the interior culminates in a large domed ceiling. The ceiling is made of 8017 interlinked pieces of wood that form an abstract geometric representation of the [[Seven Heavens|seven heavens]].{{Sfn|López|2011|p=118}}{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|pp=43–44}}{{Sfn|Bloom|2020|p=159}} The hall and its tower project from the walls of the palace, with windows providing views in three directions. In this sense, it was an enlarged version of a ''mirador'', a room from which the palace's inhabitants could gaze outward to the surrounding landscape.{{Sfn|Dickie|1992|p=}}

====Palace of the Lions====
{{main|Court of the Lions}}
[[File:Palacios Nazaríes in the Alhambra (Granada). (51592334991) (cropped).jpg|alt=|thumb|The [[Court of the Lions]] and its central fountain]]
The Palace of the Lions is one of the most famous palaces in [[Islamic architecture]] and exemplifies the apogee of Nasrid architecture under the reign of Muhammad V.{{Sfn|Bloom|2020|p=164}} Its central rectangular courtyard measures about 28.7 metres long and 15.6 metres wide, with its long axis aligned roughly east-to-west.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=279}} The arches and columns of the surrounding portico are arranged in a complex pattern of single columns alternating with groups of two or three columns, a design that was unique in Islamic architecture.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|pp=279–281}} Two ornate pavilions stand at the east and west sides of the courtyard, while the centre is occupied by the famed Fountain of the Lions. The fountain consists of a large basin surrounded by twelve stylized lion sculptures, all carved from marble.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|pp=282–283}} Along the rim of the fountain's basin is an inscribed poem composed by Ibn Zamrak. This praises the beauty of the fountain and the power of the lions, but it also describes their hydraulic systems and how they worked.<ref>{{harvp|Al-Hassani|Woodcock|Saoud|2007|p=233}}</ref>
[[File:Hall of Kings (Alhambra) 08 (43582411254).jpg|left|thumb|Painted ceiling with Nasrid figures in the Hall of Kings]]
Four halls are arranged around the courtyard. The ''Sala de los Mocárabes'' ('Hall of the ''mocárabes'' (''muqarnas'')'), on the west side, was damaged in 1590 by the explosion of a nearby [[gunpowder magazine]] and its ceiling was replaced by the current Baroque-style plaster vault in 1714.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=132}}{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|pp=52–53}} The {{Ill|Sala de los Reyes|es|Sala de los Reyes (Alhambra)|italic=y}} ('Hall of Kings'), on the east side, is subdivided into multiple sections covered by ''muqarnas'' vaults. Opening behind these are several more rooms, three of which contain rounded vault ceilings covered by unique pictorial scenes painted on leather.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=284}}{{Sfn|López|2011|p=140}} One painting shows ten figures, probably sultans or other important dignitaries, sitting and discussing together.{{sfn|Irwin|2004|pp=53–54}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Echevarria |first=Ana |date=2008 |title=Painting Politics in the Alhambra |url=https://brill.com/view/journals/me/14/2-3/article-p199_3.xml?language=en |journal=Medieval Encounters |language=en |volume=14 |issue=2–3 |pages=203 and after |doi=10.1163/157006708X366254 |issn=1570-0674}}</ref>{{Sfn|López|2011|p=140}}{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=284}} The two other paintings feature scenes of sports, hunting, and court life.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=140}}{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=284}} The style of painting was influenced to one extent or another by Christian [[Gothic art]].{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=284}}{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|pp=53–54}}{{Sfn|López|2011|p=140}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dodds |first=Jerrilynn |date=1979 |title=The Paintings in the Sala de Justicia of the Alhambra: Iconography and Iconology |journal=Art Bulletin |volume=61 |issue=2 |pages=186–197 |doi=10.1080/00043079.1979.10787657}}</ref>
[[File:Alhambra Hall of Two Sisters DSCF7585.jpg|thumb|''[[Muqarnas]]'' dome in the Hall of the Two Sisters]]
On the south side of the courtyard, the ''Sala de los Abencerrajes'' ('Hall of the [[Abencerrages]]') derives its name from a legend according to which the father of [[Boabdil]], the last sultan of Granada, having invited the chiefs of that line to a banquet, massacred them here.<ref>Lowe, Alfonso; Hugh Seymour-Davies. ''The Companion Guide to the South of Spain''. Companion Guides, 2000. {{ISBN|9781900639330}}. P. 8.</ref> It is covered by an elaborate ''muqarnas'' vault ceiling, featuring a 16-sided [[Roof lantern|lantern]] cupola in the shape of an [[Octagram|eight-pointed star]], possibly symbolizing the celestial heaven.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=285}}{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=136–138}}{{Sfn|Bloom|2020|p=163}} On the north side of the courtyard is the ''Sala de Dos Hermanas'' ('Hall of Two Sisters'), so-called because of two large slabs of marble that form part of the pavement. Its original Arabic name was ''al-Qubba al-Kubrā'' ({{Langx|ar|القبة الكبرى|lit=the Great Dome|links=no}}), suggesting it had a particular significance.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=285}} The hall is covered by one of the most remarkable ''muqarnas'' domes in [[Islamic architecture|Islamic art]]. The ''muqarnas'' composition consists of at least 5000 [[Prism (geometry)|prismatic]] pieces, unfolding from the central summit into sixteen miniature domes right above the level of the windows.{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|p=55}}{{Sfn|López|2011|p=145}}

To the north of the ''Sala de Dos Hermanas'', and accessed through it, is the ''Mirador de Lindaraja'', a small projecting room with double-arched windows on three sides which overlook the gardens below. The name ''Lindaraja'' is a corruption of Arabic ''<nowiki/>'Ayn Dar 'Aisha'' ({{Langx|ar|عين دار عائشة|lit=Eye of the House of 'Aisha|links=no}}).{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|p=9}} This small chamber has some of the most sophisticated carved stucco decoration in the Alhambra and retains original mosaic tilework that features very fine Arabic inscriptions.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=146}}{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=286}}{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|p=55}} The room is also covered by a unique vault ceiling consisting of a wooden [[Lattice (order)|lattice]] shaped into an interlacing geometric motif and filled with pieces of [[Glass coloring and color marking|coloured glass]].{{Sfn|López|2011|p=146}}

==== Renaissance apartments and courtyards ====
[[File:Granada 2009-08-10zh.jpg|thumb|The Lindaraja Courtyard, formed in the 16th century]]
To the east of the Comares Palace and the Palace of the Lions is an area of Renaissance-style Christian additions dating primarily from the 16th century. Directly north of the Palace of the Lions is the ''Patio de Lindaraja'' (Lindaraja Courtyard), originally an open garden area but turned into a cloistered garden by the addition of new structures around it during the 16th century. The fountain at its centre features a [[Baroque]] pedestal made in 1626 that supports a Nasrid marble basin installed here at the same time, although a replica now replaces the original basin which is kept at the Alhambra Museum.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=149–159}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Fountain of Lindaraja |url=https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/en/elemento-del-mes/the-fountain-of-lindaraja |access-date=2022-02-19 |website=Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife |language=en-US |archive-date=19 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219043203/https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/en/elemento-del-mes/the-fountain-of-lindaraja |url-status=live }}</ref> On the west and north sides of the courtyard, along the upper floors, are six rooms constructed for Charles V between 1528 and 1537, known as the Emperor's Chambers. The most interesting details of the rooms are a marble fireplace sculpted with the emperor's coat of arms and a ceiling of panels painted with pictures of fruits. The paintings were made around 1537 by Julio Aquiles and Alejandro Mayner.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=149–159}}{{Sfn|Dickie|1992|p=146}} To the west of the Lindaraja Courtyard is the smaller ''Patio de la Reja'' ('Courtyard of the Queen'), located between the Emperor's Chambers and the Comares Tower. A gallery was built around the upper floor of the courtyard between 1654 and 1655.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=156}}

Further north is a tower known as the ''Peinador de la Reina'' ('Queen's Robing Room'), formerly known as the Tower of Abu al-Juyyush.{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|p=30}} This was originally a stand-alone fortification tower in the Alhambra walls that was probably built in the reign of [[Nasr of Granada|Nasr]] (r. 1309–1314), also known as Abu al-Juyyush. Yusuf I converted it into a small palatial residence with a lantern ceiling and Muhammad V later added decoration around its entrance. Between 1528 and 1537 it was connected to the Emperor's Chambers via a new elevated gallery and an upper level was added to the tower around the existing lantern ceiling.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=155–156}}{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=275}} Between 1539 and 1546 this upper floor was painted by Julio Aquiles and Alejandro Mayner with [[Classical mythology|mythological]] scenes, depictions of Charles V's 1535 [[Conquest of Tunis (1535)|invasion of Tunis]], and more formal [[Roman art|classical]]-like motifs. Later, in 1618, Nasrid-period columns and capitals from other palaces were integrated into the gallery, some of which were later moved to the Alhambra Museum.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=155–156}}

==== Partal Palace and gardens ====
{{Main|Partal Palace|Torre de la Cautiva}}
[[File:Granada Alhambra.jpg|thumb|The [[Partal Palace]]]]
To the east of the Palace of the Lions and the Renaissance additions is the Partal Palace, a pavilion structure on the edge of the Alhambra walls. It was built by Muhammad III, which makes it the oldest surviving palace in the Alhambra today, although it has undergone many alterations since then.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Partal |url=https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/en/edificios-lugares/the-partal |access-date=2022-02-19 |website=Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife |language=en-US |archive-date=29 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129154039/https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/en/edificios-lugares/the-partal |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Sfn|Barrucand|Bednorz|1992|p=189}}{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=165–167}} Its south side has a portico and faces a large reflective pool, while a mirador projects from its north side over the walls. Next to it is a small but richly decorated oratory containing a [[mihrab]].{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=162–173}} Beyond the Partal is an area of gardens stretching along the northern wall of the Alhambra. Several towers along this northern wall were converted into small palatial residences during the Nasrid period, including the ''Torre de los Picos'' ("Tower of the Pointed Battlements"),<ref>{{Cite web |title=The tower of the Pointed Embattlements |url=https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/en/edificios-lugares/the-tower-of-the-pointed-embattlements |access-date=2022-02-10 |website=Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife |archive-date=10 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210061749/https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/en/edificios-lugares/the-tower-of-the-pointed-embattlements |url-status=live }}</ref> the ''Torre de la Cautiva'' ("Tower of the Captive"), and the ''Torre de las Infantas'' ("Tower of the Princesses").{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=189–198}} For tourists visiting the Alhambra today, all these areas are accessible after passing through the main Nasrid Palaces, although the palace-towers are not normally open to visitors.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=150–191}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alhambra {{!}} Granada, Spain Attractions |url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/granada/attractions/alhambra/a/poi-sig/430192/360733 |access-date=2022-02-10 |website=Lonely Planet |archive-date=10 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210061751/https://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/granada/attractions/alhambra/a/poi-sig/430192/360733 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|p=59}}

=== Palace of Charles V ===
{{Main|Palace of Charles V}}
[[File:Palacio de Carlos V - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Exterior of the [[Palace of Charles V]]]]
[[File:Patio Paleis Karel V.jpg|thumb|Courtyard of the Palace of Charles V]]
The palace commissioned by Charles V in the middle of the Alhambra was designed by [[Pedro Machuca]], an architect who had trained under [[Michelangelo]] in [[Rome]] and who was steeped in the culture of the Italian [[High Renaissance]] and of the artistic circles of [[Raphael]] and [[Giulio Romano (painter)|Giulio Romano]].{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=65–70}}<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Checa |first=Fernando |title=Art and Architecture of Spain |publisher=Bulfinch Press |year=1998 |isbn=0821224565 |editor-last=Barral i Altet |editor-first=Xavier |pages=260 |chapter=The Art of the Renaissance}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Brown |first=Jonathan |date=1986 |title=Review of The Palace of Charles V in Granada |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1864465 |journal=The American Historical Review |volume=91 |issue=5 |pages=1219–1220 |doi=10.2307/1864465 |jstor=1864465 |issn=0002-8762 |access-date=9 February 2022 |archive-date=9 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209231515/https://www.jstor.org/stable/1864465 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was conceived in a contemporary [[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance style]] or "Roman" style{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=65–70}} with an innovative design reflecting the architectural ideals of this period.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" /> The construction of a monumental Italian-influenced palace in the heart of the Nasrid-built Alhambra symbolized Charles V's imperial status and the triumph of Christianity over Islam achieved by his grandparents (the Catholic Monarchs).{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=65–70}} It consists of a massive square structure of stone which encloses a perfectly circular courtyard. The exterior facades are divided into two horizontal zones of decoration, with [[Rustication (architecture)|rustication]] below and [[pilaster]]s alternating with other embellishments above.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=70–72}}<ref name=":2" /> The two main entrance portals, on the western and southern sides, have designs resembling [[triumphal arch]]es with engaged columns. The pedestals of these columns are carved with reliefs depicting allegorical scenes such as the [[Victoria (mythology)|Victories]] destroying armaments, representing the emperor's imposition of a universal peace. The upper façade of the southern entrance portal features a [[Venetian window|Serlian window]]. Among the other details of the palace façades are a series of bronze rings or [[Door knocker|knockers]] which are strictly ornamental, with more Hispanic symbolic imagery such as lion and eagle heads.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=70–72}} Pedro Machuca had intended to create plazas with [[colonnade]]s on the east and west sides of the building to serve as a grand new approach to the Alhambra palaces, but these were never executed.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=70}}<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Palace of Charles V |url=https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/en/edificios-lugares/palace-of-charles-v |access-date=2022-02-09 |website=Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife |archive-date=9 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209231518/https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/en/edificios-lugares/palace-of-charles-v |url-status=live }}</ref>

Construction of the palace began in 1527. After Machuca's death in 1550, it was continued by his son Luis, who finished the facades and built the internal courtyard. Work was halted for 15 years when the [[Rebellion of the Alpujarras (1568–1571)|1568 Morisco Rebellion]] began. Work was still unfinished when Philip IV visited in 1628 and the project was finally abandoned in 1637, leaving the structure without a roof.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=69–70}} It was finally completed after 1923, when Leopoldo Torres Balbás began its restoration.<ref name=":6" /> Today, the building houses the Alhambra Museum, which holds objects and artefacts relating to the Alhambra's history, as well as the Fine Arts Museum of Granada, which houses a collection of paintings from Granada dating from the 16th to 20th centuries.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=75–79}}

=== Other Nasrid palaces ===
{{Further|Palacio del Partal Alto|Palace of the Convent of San Francisco}}[[File:Convent of San Francisco, Granada - DSC07679.JPG|thumb|The Convent of Saint Francis was built over the remains of a former Nasrid palace. The building is now a [[Paradores|Parador]] (state-owned hotel).]]
Three other major Nasrid-era palaces once existed but were largely destroyed over the centuries. The excavated remains of the ''Palacio del Partal Alto'' ("Upper Partal Palace"), also known as the ''Palacio del Conde del Tendilla'' ("Palace of the Count of Tendilla'"), are incorporated today into the Partal Gardens. The palace dates from the time of Muhammad II, with later renovations and modifications, and is the oldest palace in the Alhambra of which traces have been found.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=236}}

The Palace of the Convent of San Francisco (''Palacio del Convento de San Francisco'', also known as the ''Palacio de los Infantes'') is named after the Convent of [[Francis of Assisi|Saint Francis]] which was installed here in 1494.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|pp=246–247}}{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=180–184}} The Nasrid palace here was probably first built by Muhammad II but some surviving inscriptions suggest it was significantly remodelled by Muhammad V.{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|p=25}}{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|pp=246–247}} Little remains of the Nasrid structure today except for a rectangular courtyard and some of its adjoining rooms, including a richly-decorated chamber with ''muqarnas'' vaulting. Queen Isabella I was originally buried here in 1504 before her body was moved to the [[Royal Chapel of Granada|Royal Chapel]] near the cathedral.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=247}} The rest of the present-day building dates from an 18th-century remodelling of the convent and includes a cloistered courtyard. Today it serves as a [[Paradores|Parador]] (state-owned hotel).{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=180–184}}{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|pp=246–247}}

The Palace of the Abencerrajes (''Palacio de los Abencerrajes'') was one of the largest palaces in the Alhambra and may also date from the time of Muhammad II. What was left of the palace was blown up by Napoleon's troops in 1812. It then became part of an area of abandoned ruins known as the Secano. Its excavated remains are visible today in the southern part of the complex but they have yet to be fully studied.{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|pp=250–251}}{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=175–180}}

=== Church of Santa Maria and the Alhambra Mosque ===
[[File:Iglesia de Santa María de la Alhambra.jpg|thumb|Exterior of the Church of Santa Maria de la Alhambra]]
Located just east of the Palace of Charles V is the Catholic Church of ''Santa María de la Alhambra'' ('Saint Mary of the Alhambra'), which stands on the site of the former Alhambra Mosque, the congregational mosque of the Alhambra complex. The church was built between 1581 and 1618.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=213}} It is under the authority of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Granada|Archbishop of Granada]].<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |title=St. Mary Church |url=https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/en/edificios-lugares/st-mary-church |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife |language=en-US |archive-date=19 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519030701/https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/en/edificios-lugares/st-mary-church |url-status=live }}</ref> The building was designed by architects Juan de Herrera and Juan de Orea and completed by Ambrosio Vico. Inside is a large Baroque [[altarpiece]] with gilded ornate columns completed in 1671, although the most impressive centrepiece of the altar, a sculpture of [[Our Lady of Sorrows]] (depicting [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Mary]] holding the body of [[Jesus]]), was carved between 1750 and 1760 by Torcuato Ruiz del Peral.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=213}} Every year during [[Holy Week in Spain|Holy Week]], this sculpture is taken out and carried in a procession through the streets of Granada. During processions it is carried on top of a "throne" or platform that is sculpted to resemble the arcades in the Court of the Lions.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=213}}<ref name=":14" />

Little remains of the Alhambra Mosque which stood previously on this site, aside from an ornate bronze lamp now preserved at the [[National Archaeological Museum (Madrid)|National Archaeological Museum]] in [[Madrid]]. According to an inscription on this lamp and to the writings of Ibn al-Khatib, the mosque was commissioned by Muhammad III and completed in 1305.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=210–211}}{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|p=57}} The mosque's main axis was aligned towards the ''[[qibla]]'' to the southeast, which also matched the alignment of the main street next to it. The structure consisted of a hypostyle hall with three "naves" separated by rows of three arches. The arches were supported by marble columns with capitals similar in style to those of the earlier Cordoban Caliphate period in the 10th century. The roof was made of wood and the central nave, which led to the mihrab, had a higher ceiling than the two side naves. A slender [[minaret]] stood at the western end of the building.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=210–211}} After the Christian conquest, the building was converted to a church but by the late 16th century it was in disrepair. It was finally demolished in 1576, prior to the construction of the present church.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=210–211}}

==== Baths of the mosque ====
[[File:Baños de Comares. 19 September 2016.JPG|thumb|Interior of the baths ([[hammam]]) that stood near the Alhambra Mosque]]
One of the Alhambra Mosque's annexes, the baths (hammam), has been preserved on the east side of the church today and is accessible from the main street. Like other Islamic baths, it provided general hygiene to the local residents as well as the means to perform the ritual ablutions (''[[ghusl]]'') for religious purposes.{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|p=46}} Although sometimes eroticized in [[Romanticism|Romantic]] western literature, visitors attended the baths strictly with members of the same sex and wore cloths or towels around their private parts.{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|p=46}} These baths were constructed under Muhammad III along with the mosque. They may have been partly demolished in 1534 before being incorporated into a residential house during the 17th and 18th centuries. The preserved remains were significant enough to enable their restoration and reconstruction in 1934.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=213–215}}

The layout of the baths had a typical sequence of rooms, including a [[Apodyterium|changing room]] (''bayt al-maslak͟h'' in Arabic), a [[Frigidarium|cold room]] (''bayt al-barid''), and a [[Caldarium|hot room]] (''bayt al-sak͟hun'').{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=213–215}} Behind the hot room there would have been a boiler room where water was heated and firewood stored nearby. Original fragments of tile and stucco decoration, as well as part of the marble flooring, have been preserved in some of the rooms. The hot room has one small pool and another may have existed where a modern fountain stands today.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=213–215}} However, unlike in Christian and earlier [[Greco-Roman world|Greco-Roman culture]], Muslims generally did not favour swimming or immersion in water for their visits to the baths.{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|pp=40, 46}}<ref name="Sibley">{{cite journal |last=Sibley |first=Magda |title=The Historic Hammams of Damascus and Fez: Lessons of Sustainability and Future Developments |journal=The 23rd Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture}}</ref> Private baths, of varying size and importance, were also built as part of the Alhambra's palaces.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=}}<ref name=":52">{{Cite book |last=Fournier |first=Caroline |url=https://books.openedition.org/pur/44617 |title=Les Bains d'al-Andalus: VIIIe-XVe siècle |series=Histoire |publisher=Presses universitaires de Rennes |year=2016 |location=Rennes |isbn=9782753555457 |access-date=11 February 2022 |archive-date=11 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211224032/https://books.openedition.org/pur/44617 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Rawda (Nasrid mausoleum) ===
[[File:Rawda of the Alhambra DSCF8288.jpg|thumb|Remains of the ''Rawda'' mausoleum today (with the Palace of the Lions standing behind it)]]
In the space between the former mosque and the Palace of the Lions stood the ''Rawda'' (spelled ''Rauda'' in Spanish), the royal mausoleum of the Nasrids. The term ''rawda'' ({{Langx|ar|الروضة|links=no}}) means 'garden' in Arabic, but a number of historic Islamic necropolises or cemeteries were known by this name, including the necropolis of the former Umayyad rulers in Cordoba.{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|p=57}}{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=172–173}} The Nasrid mausoleum was first built by Isma'il I in the early 14th century,{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=236}}{{Sfn|Irwin|2004|p=57}} though an earlier cemetery may have already existed there previously.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=172–173}} The structure no longer stands today but it has been studied by archaeologists and its foundations are still visible.{{Sfn|Dickie|1992|pp=144–145}} The necropolis consisted of a rectangular enclosure which was accessed through a small horseshoe-arch gate preserved today on its north side. Inside the enclosure was a square mausoleum chamber covered by a roof with a central square lantern. (The presence of the lantern is indicated by the remains of four pillars in the centre of the structure.) Some rectangular rooms were adjoined to the side of this chamber. The mausoleum was preceded by a rectangular courtyard. This layout was similar to some earlier mausoleums in North Africa and to the later [[Saadian Tombs]] in Marrakesh.{{Sfn|Bloom|2020|p=164}}{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=172–173}} Like the nearby mosque, the mausoleum was aligned with the ''qibla''. It was decorated with carved stucco and tilework, remains of which have been uncovered in excavations. The windows of the central lantern were closed with wooden latticework, an example of which is preserved in the Alhambra Museum today.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=172–173}}

The most important persons, such as the Nasrid rulers, were buried inside this mausoleum, but in the open space between the mausoleum and the outer enclosure wall were other graves belonging to less important figures.{{Sfn|Dickie|1992|pp=144–145}} The tombs of important figures were covered with marble slabs on top of which were pyramidal or [[Prism (geometry)|prismatic]] stones known as ''maqabriyya''s, while lesser tombs outside where framed by stone curbs that made them look like miniature gardens.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=172–173}}{{Sfn|Dickie|1992|pp=144–145}} At the heads of important graves were marble tombstones carved with detailed inscriptions, some examples of which are preserved at the Alhambra Museum today.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=172–173}} In 1574, during construction of the nearby Palace of Charles V, the tombstones of Muhammad II, Isma'il I, Yusuf I and Yusuf III were discovered. When Torres Balbás investigated the site in 1925–1926 he found 70 more graves inside the enclosure. Almost all the graves were already empty, as Muhammad XII, the last sultan of Granada, arranged to have the remains of his ancestors moved to an unknown site at Mondújar, in the [[Alpujarras]].{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=172–173}}{{Sfn|Dickie|1992|pp=144–145}}

=== Generalife ===
{{Main|Generalife}}

[[File:Patio de la Acequia (Generalife) - DSC07863.JPG|thumb|The ''Patio de la Acequia'' in the [[Generalife]]]]
To the east of the Alhambra and outside its walls is the Generalife (from {{Langx|ar|جَنَّة الْعَرِيف |translit=Jannat al-'Ārifa|links=no}}{{Efn|The exact meaning and etymology of the name is not known for certain.{{sfn|Irwin|2004|pp=59–62}}}}), a Nasrid-era country estate which was first built by Muhammad II and Muhammad III in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.{{Sfn|Ruggles|2000|pp=155–156}}{{Sfn|Arnold|2017|p=257}} It underwent multiple modifications under later Nasrid rulers and then by Christian Spanish builders in the 16th century. It features several rectangular garden courtyards with decorated pavilions at either end. A large area of landscaped gardens from the 20th century occupies the approach to the former palace today. The Nasrid palace was originally linked to the Alhambra by a walled corridor that crossed the valley between them.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=219–237}}

=== Other outlying structures ===
[[File:Castillo del Mauror.JPG|thumb|The ''Torres Bermejas'' on the Mauror Hill]]
The main approach to the Alhambra today is through the Alhambra Woods in the valley on its south side. The outer entrance to the woods is through the ''Puerta de las Granadas'' ('Gate of the Pomegranates'), a formal Renaissance-style gate built in 1536 over the remains of an earlier Islamic-era gate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The gate of the pomegranates |url=https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/en/edificios-lugares/the-gate-of-the-pomegranates |access-date=2022-02-10 |website=Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife |archive-date=10 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210022656/https://www.alhambra-patronato.es/en/edificios-lugares/the-gate-of-the-pomegranates |url-status=live }}</ref> Within the woods is the ''Puerta de Birambla'' (from Arabic ''Bab al-Ramla''), one of the former Islamic-era gates in Granada's city walls which was demolished between 1873 and 1884 and then reconstructed here in 1933.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=36}} To the south of the ''Puerta de las Granadas'' are the ''Torres Bermejas'' ('Vermilion Towers'), a group of three adjacent towers on the Mauror Hill. Their origin is not clear, but the oldest remains found here date from the late 8th century or early 9th century.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gallego Roca |first=J. |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=22jwXgepN28C&dq=torres+bermejas&pg=PA33 |title=Rammed Earth Conservation |date=2012-05-31 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-0-203-08565-3 |editor-last=Mileto |editor-first=C. |pages=33 |chapter=Torres Bermejas: Conserving the past |editor2-last=Vegas |editor2-first=F. |editor3-last=Cristini |editor3-first=V. |access-date=11 February 2022 |archive-date=23 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623053424/https://books.google.com/books?id=22jwXgepN28C&dq=torres+bermejas&pg=PA33 |url-status=live }}</ref> They may have been inhabited by Muhammad I (the founder of the Nasrid dynasty). In the 16th century, during the Christian Spanish era, an artillery bastion was added to them on the northwest side.{{Sfn|López|2011|p=32}}

During the Nasrid period there were several other country estates and palaces to the east of the Alhambra and the Generalife, located on the mountainside and taking advantage of the water supply system which ran through this area. The two best-known examples are the ''Palacio de los Alijares'' and the ''Dar al-'Arusa'' ({{Langx|ar|دار العروس|lit=House of the Bride|links=no}}), both of which were built in the 14th century and then abandoned some time after the 1492 conquest. Only traces of them remain today. They were probably richly decorated like the Alhambra palaces and were accompanied by gardens and amenities like hammams.{{Sfn|López|2011|pp=251–255}} Also nearby is the ''Silla del Moro'' ('Seat of the Moor'), a ruined structure on the hilltop overlooking the Generalife. It was once a fort and monitoring post that protected the water supply infrastructure in this area.{{sfn|López|2011|pp=255}}