The Alhambra began in 1238 under Muhammad I Ibn al-Ahmar, the first emir of the Nasrid dynasty, and grew into a walled palace city above Granada, with a mosque, baths, workshops and a water supply. Its greatest building came in the 14th century under Yusuf I and Muhammad V, whose reign marked the high point of Nasrid architecture.
The palaces are known for delicate surfaces: carved stucco, tile mosaics, and muqarnas, three-dimensional vaults that resemble stalactites. Water ties the courtyards together, from the long reflecting pool of the Court of the Myrtles to the fountain of the Court of the Lions, held by twelve marble lions. The Hall of the Ambassadors has a domed wooden ceiling made of 8,017 pieces.
After the Reconquista of 1492, Charles V ordered a Renaissance palace here, begun in 1527. Restoration started in 1828, and UNESCO listed the site in 1984. It covers about 35 acres (142,000 sq m).
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