Our head is filled with all things Alhambra! October 07 2015

A bit of history for you history buffs here?

"The name of the Alhambra comes from the Arabic word 'al-hamra', which means 'the red one', alluding to the reddish pink color of the clay coating the walls and towers, although they were at one time white washed. Being surrounded by forested green slopes in that state, it was once referred to by poets as 'A pearl among emeralds'.

There are 13 towers surrounding the citadel, all of which were built to defend it, and some that were remodeled into palaces to capitalize on the resplendent views they provide. The famed Nasrid Dynasty palaces were built during the 13th and 14th Centuries by a succession of Emir Sultans incorporating the knowledge of the 8 centuries their predecessors assimilated.

Being isolated from the eastern Islamic realm allowed for new directions in art and culture to develop, closely linked to that of Morocco. As the Moorish kingdoms of Cordoba and Sevilla fell, Granada received an influx of talent and brilliance from those regions, and maintained independent autonomy as the last remnant of Al-Andalus for 250 years until the Emir Baobdil handed over the keys to the conquering Catholic monarchs in 1491."
- From jeffreygardens.blogspot.com

Originally posted on our Facebook page on 7th October, 2015.