We went to the Alhambra yesterday. We had to wait two weeks to get tickets, so it is a popular place to go even in the off-season. The weather was not great, although it did clear up later in the day.
The Alhambra is one of the more famous pieces of architecture in Spain. It dates back to 889 AD, although the complex has been added to and changed in many ways over the years. It was originally a small fortress, but fell out of use until the 14th century, when an emir of the Nasrid dynasty rebuilt it and added a large palace complex around it. The palace is the place that shows the most of the architecture and carving, although other parts of the complex display similar designs. Most of the artwork in the palace is just designs or Arabic calligraphy, but there are 3 paintings that show people in the top of alcoves.
The Alhambra complex has an impressive water system. There are fountains all over the place, and since this is on top of a large hill, the fact that they had running water in the 14th century is quite impressive. There are a few staircases where there are water channels down the sides or the centre. Many entrance arches have niches in the walls for water bowls, which shows how much significance water has in this culture where they live in a very dry environment. There are also various pools in courtyards that at the time, would have reflected the architecture and been very peaceful places. Since the palace was built, fountains were added in the 16th century, making the water less still and reflect the architecture less.
