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# Alhambra
- URL: https://there-are-no-secrets.ghost.io/alhambra/
- Published: 2026-11-11T16:42:05.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-11T16:42:05.000Z
- Author: David Bass

Starting in 1232, Spain's southern coastal region was ruled by the Muslim "Nasrid" dynasty. The capital city there was Granada, where we've spent the last four nights. 

Six years in, the Nasrids began building The Alhambra, a massive complex at the top of Sabika Hill, an outcrop of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. If you want to see palatial, medieval Islamic architecture and design, Alhambra is the only place to go. 

The Nasrid dynasty lasted 260 years, until 1492\. I've previously written about [ancient Athenian democracy](https://there-are-no-secrets.ghost.io/ancient-athenian-democracy/), which lasted 256 years. These were two very different forms of government share a closeness in longevity to the 250 years that have passed since the American Declaration of Independence. That's worth pondering. 

In 1492, I'm sure you know, a lot of shit went down in Spain. Since 722, Christians and Muslims had battled for control of the Iberian Peninsula – the area that includes modern Portugal, Spain and the western part of France. That must have been irritating for those inhabitants who simply wanted to feed their families and love their neighbors. 

And how ironic that I'm wrapping up this post on Veterans Day. (Despite my deep disdain for military conflict, whether wrapped in religious disagreements or otherwise, I do have much respect and admiration for those who serve in armed forces, honorably and with a goal of achieving peace.)

Anyway, we know which side prevailed, with the end coming when the last Nasrid emir surrendered to the "Catholic Monarchs of Spain," as King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were known. In the Alhambra Decree, also in 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella ordered the expulsion from Spain of all Jews who refused to convert to Catholicism. And Christopher Columbus received Ferdinand and Isabella's royal endorsement for his expedition across the Atlantic Ocean at Alhambra. There's more! A Spanish cardinal was elected as Pope Alexander VI in 1492\. It was a big year for the conquerers. 

With all that in mind, we hiked up the hill to tour Alhambra and its adjacent summer palace, Generalife (which sounds like, but is not, the name of an annuity company). 

Alhambra is both a citadel and a small city. During the Nasrid era, there was a mosque, public baths, roads, houses, artisan workshops, a tannery, a very sophisticated water system (the fortress sits atop a giant cistern), at least six major palaces with central courtyards, along with orchards and ornamental gardens at Generalife. The design of the fortress, built for defense, was extremely advanced for its time. The water system reminded me of [Masada](https://holylandphotos.org/browse/masada-water-systems?ref=there-are-no-secrets.ghost.io). 

The [intricate interior designs](https://www.google.com/search?sca%5Fesv=7bff2a52980bbc7b&sxsrf=AKL5yDjxosfNZesi7efYIkH0aIva%5FWIQrg:1794382024426&udm=2&fbs=ACAhTvwdifjn2dKXmjtOfBxVFl%5FkoHVe5RLSnJlTH2QYaq%5FYVSZ0SclCv1C3Nkltzojnu-NBip-0TY-yWfpcNuNDqsWDnnPEtwbjQRm8zJr%5FcAQYK0bJ0Ch8nj0EHp1MxeaZwAVuDIma0bh%5FL9rijVQQyOFkorKaTKgvvhrkvTC0ak4LPSgJhH3kuzZbNdP2y4QdRuOebuPr&q=interiors+at+alhambra+granada&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj3waD5sf-XAxUc-gIHHRlpG2QQtKgLegQIGBAB&biw=1420&bih=702&dpr=2&ref=there-are-no-secrets.ghost.io), with geometric patterns on tile mosaics and Arabic poetry carved into stucco walls was unlike anything we've seen. Even more breathtaking was the vaulted ceilings with three-dimensional stalactite-like sculpting. Move over, Michelangelo!

In the early 1500s, Charles V ascended to become head of the Hapsburgs and held more simultaneous jobs than Marco Rubio. He was the Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, King of Spain, King of Sicily and Naples, Lord of the Netherlands, and titular Duke of Burgundy all at the same time. Not having enough to do, in 1526 Charles commissioned a Renaissance-style palace at Alhambra, right next to the main palaces of the Nasrids. The [Palace of Charles V](https://socks-studio.com/2022/10/02/the-square-and-the-circle-the-palace-of-charles-v-in-granada-1527/?ref=there-are-no-secrets.ghost.io) is another architectural marvel, square on the outside with a massive circular courtyard on the inside. 

It's not possible to do Alhambra justice in a short blog post. Go see it.

By the numbers:

20 flights of stairs climbed getting to Alhambra and back

636 years, length of the Hapsburg dynasty, ending at the conclusion of WW I – fun fact: this equals the current U.S. (250), plus the ancient Athenian democracy (256), plus one-half of the Nasrid dynasty (130)

770 years of conflict between Christians and Muslims on the Iberian Peninsula

11,414 feet, the peak of the Spain's Sierra Nevada mountains

200,000 - 300,000 estimated Jewish population in Spain prior to Ferdinand and Isabella's order of conversion or expulsion

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