The Alhambra — a magnificent 14th century palace-city built by the Nasrids in the city of Granada — stands as one of the greatest monuments of Islamic Spain, or Al-Andalus. Using elaborate mosaic decoration that creates the impression of infinity, inscriptions that tell of the greatness of God, and walled gardens that symbolize Quranic paradise, the Nasrids realized a divine vision on earth. It is yours to discover.
What’s in this guidebook
- Comprehensive look at the Alhambra’s art and architecture. We examine the defining characteristics of the Nasrid style, isolating key features and concepts that you will see again and again as you make your way through the Alhambra; we tell you what makes them unique and what they symbolize. To make things come alive, we have packed our descriptions with high-resolution images.
- A tour that goes deeper on the most important sites. Following our tradition of being the most valuable resource for culture-focused travelers, we provide a unique, detailed tour of the Alhambra’s premier sites, with a special focus on the Nasrid palaces. For each site, we provide information on its history, a detailed plan that highlights its most important architectural and artistic features, high-resolution images, and a discussion that ties it all together.
- Advice for getting the best cultural experience. To help you plan your visit, this guidebook offers logistical advice and provides links to online resources. Plus, we provide our personal tips for getting the most from your experience while on location.
- Information the way you like it. As with all of our guides, this book is optimized for intuitive, quick navigation; information is organized into bullet points to make absorption easy; and images are mocked up with text that explains important features.
