Alhambra
Granada, Spain
Photos and text:
The
Alhambra's Moorish palaces were built for the last Muslim Emirs in
Spain and its court, of the Nasrid dynasty. The Alhambra was a palace,
a fortress and a citadel; the residence of the Nasrid Sultans and top
government officials, court servants and the royal guard.
The Nasrid Kingdom became the last Islamic sultanate on the Iberian
Peninsula, and its capital Granada progressively received Muslim
populations forced to retreat from the Christians. The city grew with
the development of new suburbs and extended its walls nearly until it
was conquered at the end of the 15th century.
Reconquista: "reconquest." Spain was conquered by the Muslims (Moors)
between 711 and 728. The "Reconquista" began almost immediately in 722
and ended in 1492.
After the Reconquista by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492, some
portions of the Alhambra were used by the Christian rulers, especially Charles V. After being allowed to fall
into disrepair for centuries, the Alhambra was "discovered" in the 19th
century by European scholars and travelers, with restorations
commencing.