Histories of the Alhambra

The Alhambra is easily the most beautiful and magnificent aspect of the small city of Granada. The many rooms and halls and palaces in the Alhambra are so thrilling to see that it is hard to imagine that someone would ever want it destroyed, or unused. But that’s exactly what this world wonder has had to live through. Take these lesser-known facts into account as you walk around the new, refurbished and sparkling Alhambra.

Firstly, the Moors were the principle creators of the Alhambra as it exists today. They built a fortress on a hill where a fortress had already existed, but they built it with more grandeur. Over the years Granada became a rich country. Consecutive kings added new towers, new palaces, new gardens, halls and patios. Finally, the Alhambra was so big that not only did it house soldiers in the Alcabaza and royals in the palaces, but upwards of 40,000 people altogether. The Alhambra as it existed then is unfortunately not the Alhambra that exists today, despite its current splendor.

After the city fell to the Catholic Monarchs, much of the complex was destroyed, disassembled or left to rot and decay. Eventually, in the 16th century, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V decided to go ahead and destroy a whole wing of the complex to build the Renaissance-style palace you see today.

Later, when the French Emperor Napoleon, who had conquered Spain, was pulling his troops out, he ordered the Alhambra blown to bits. The story goes that thanks to a crippled solider who lagged behind, the structure was saved. That soldier had dislodged the fuse, effectively spoiling Napoleon’s idea to topple the wonder.

However, the Alhambra remained in relative neglect until one man made it famous once more. The American novelist Washington Irving wrote Tales of the Alhambra within the very walls of his subject. Soon after that title was on the shelves, the Alhambra was made a national monument and put under government and academic protection!

It might be a good idea, in addition to your guidebook, to by a copy!