The Alhambra did not disappoint. Its history and the architecture are spectacular! There are two ways to experience the Alhambra, with a guided tour or on your own. Tickets for a self-guided visit are much less expensive, but when I went online to purchase the tickets, they were already sold out. Remember, I made the decision to add the Alhambra just a week before we would visit. Tickets sell out months in advance, so make your plans that far in advance.
We were lucky that one of the tour companies still had tickets available for a guided tour that fit our schedule. This guided tour was worth it. The guide was very knowledgeable and interesting to listen to. Going on your own lets you go at your own pace and see things that are not part of a tour route, but the guide offers information and points out details that may be overlooked on your own. If you have time, perhaps you could plan both a guided and on-your-own experience of Alhambra to truly explore this gem.
Generalife Gardens
Our tour began with the Generalife Gardens. These lovely gardens with a smaller palace are on the neighboring hill from the fort city. The gardens are mostly restoration work since most were ruined over time. There are fountains, sculpted hedges, lovely flower beds, arbors, and more. Perhaps one of the more spectacular features of the gardens is the vista. The views overlooking the palace on the other hill and the city below are grand.
The palace in the gardens is the introduction to Moorish or Andalusian architecture on the tour. The buildings are relatively simple on the outside. You wouldn’t think the inside had much to offer, but then you go in. Unlike other European styles of architecture, the design saves the beauty for inside where people who live or visit will enjoy it. This style doesn’t make a show on the outside to make a statement.
This small palace has lovely courtyards with fountains and gardens. It has some magnificent plaster work and mosaic tiles. It has changed over time but still retains charm from all of its occupants.
Who Lived at Alhambra
This is an important thing to think about when visiting the Alhambra. It was not built by one group of people and left as was. It was occupied and altered by others who came later. The original fort was more utilitarian in form when first built on the ruins of a more ancient Roman foundation nearly 1,200 years ago.
In the 14th century, as the caliphate grew in power and wealth, they built the Alhambra palaces. Eventually, it became the court for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella where Columbus received his royal go-ahead for his world-changing expedition. They altered some of the existing palaces to the Renaissance style. Then, in the 16th century, the neoclassical Renaissance palace was built.
Even Napoleon plays a part in this story. He is responsible for the almost complete desolation of the walls and other parts of the city. After this retaliatory action, they still used the palaces for the court. Washington Irving even spent several months in residence at Alhambra while serving as the US Ambassador to Spain. Having fallen into disrepair and mostly forgotten, tourists rediscovered it.
Today, this UNESCO World Heritage Site preserves all of this history and some absolutely stunning architecture and design.
The Fort, Church, and Palace
After our tour through Generalife, we walked through the ruined city, which is no more than foundations now. Our guide led through the plaza with more contemporary tourist buildings housing hotels and shops. We walked through an old hammam, or Turkish bath, and got a quick peak into the large but lackluster church.
We learned about the Renaissance palace that dominates the center of the hill and went into the courtyard. This palace now houses a museum of artifacts, which we didn’t have time to peruse. However, just a few minutes exploring the building was lovely. The building itself is a square. The courtyard inside is a circle. It has a very different feel inside than out. Outside is over-decorated and compensating. The courtyard is elegant and luxurious. I would love to go back in the summer when there are classical performances in this courtyard space under the stars.
The fort is a fort. It was built for defense. You can see the various iterations through the shape of the towers before and after gun powder. The views from the top of the fort are worth the climb. The Granada Cathedral is visible in the midst of the old city warren of alleys. You can see the whole city and the rest of the Alhambra complex.
