The Alhambra is the Moorish palace and fortress complex in Granada, Spain, that is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Built on a hill overlooking Granada, it preserves one of Europe’s finest examples of Nasrid-era Islamic architecture.
The complex developed from a red-walled fortress into a royal city under the Nasrid dynasty, which ruled the Emirate of Granada from the 13th to the 15th centuries. Its name is commonly linked to the Arabic expression meaning “the red one,” probably referring to the reddish walls or the hill on which they stand. Palaces, courtyards, gardens, defensive structures, and water channels form a carefully arranged landscape.
The Nasrid Palaces are especially famous for their carved stucco, geometric tilework, wooden ceilings, and inscriptions. The adjacent Generalife served as a country estate and garden retreat, although it is a distinct part of the wider monument complex.
A common confusion is to treat the Generalife as an alternative answer. It is one component of the Alhambra’s historic site, not the name of the entire palace-and-fortress complex.