Photos of the Beautiful Alhambra Palace Islamic Architecture

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Photos of the Iconic Beautiful Alhambra Palace Historic Islamic Architecture & Art, Spain including its Arabesque plasterwork. Photos by photographer Paul E Williams. (TIP – use the icons below the slideshow for thumbnail photos and info)

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Photos of the Iconic Beautiful Mudéjar style Alcazar of Seville Palace,

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Photos the Medieval Islamic Alhambra Palace, Granada Spain.

Although the Berber Moors started their conquest of the Iberian peninsular in 711 it was not until the 11th century that Granada was founded. At that time Granada was a hamlet called Gárnata, and after the fall of the Umayyad Andalusian kingdom, Al-Andalus was fragmented into a number of minor states and principalities, most notably the Emirate of Granada.

One of the great tourist attractions of Spain is the Alhambra Palace in Granada. Completed towards the end of Muslim rule of Spain by Yusuf I (1333–1353) and Muhammed V, Sultan of Granada (1353–1391), the Alhambra is a reflection of the culture of the last centuries of the Moorish rule of Al Andalus.

The Alhambra Palace complex consists of three main parts: Mexuar, Serallo, and the Harem.

The Mexuar of the Alhambra Palace

The Mexuar is modest in decor and houses the functional areas for conducting business and administration. Strapwork is used to decorate the surfaces in Mexuar.

Serallo, built during the reign of Yusuf I in the 14th century, contains the Court of the Myrtles. Brightly coloured interiors featured dado panels, yesería, azulejo, cedar, and Artesonado ceilings are highly decorative.

The Harem is elaborately decorated and contains the living quarters for the wives and mistresses of the Berber monarchs.

Alhambra Palace Court of the Myrtles.

The present entrance to the Moorish palace is a small door from which a corridor connects to the Court of the Myrtles, also called the Court of the Blessing or Court of the Pond, from the Arabic birka meaning “pool”.

Alhambra Palace Hall of the Ambassadors

The Hall of the Ambassadors is the largest room in the Alhambra. It is a square room, that was the grand reception room of the sultan with a throne placed opposite the entrance.

Court of the Lions and the Fabulous Fountain.

The Court of the Lions is a unique example of Muslim art. The Court of the Lions is an oblong court surrounded by a low gallery supported on 124 white marble columns. A pavilion projects into the court with filigree walls and a light domed roof. The square is paved with coloured tiles and the colonnade with white marble. The lower parts of the walls are covered with blue and yellow tiles, with a border above and below of enamelled blue and gold.

Hall of the Abencerrajes.

The Hall of the Abencerrajes gets its name from a legend according to which the father of Boabdil, the last sultan of Granada, having invited the prominent family chiefs to a banquet, massacred them in the room. This room is a perfect square, with a lofty dome and trellised windows at its base. The roof is decorated in blue, brown, red and gold, and the columns supporting it spring out into an arch form in a remarkably beautiful manner .

The Alhambra is UNESCO World Heritage Sites.