If you're wondering about the origins of the monument visited by almost three million people every year, you need to know that its name comes from the Arabic: al-Hambra ('the red one'). It was designed between the 9th and 12th centuries as a military area (Qal'at al-hamra, 'Red Fortress'), but not only for that: the Alhambra was a stronghold, a Nasrid palace and a medina (small city) all at the same time. That was until 1492, when it became a Christian court after the reconquest of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs.
As the heritage site is enormous and full of details, a visit to the Alhambra is never short. Some people do it in one or two hours, but history lovers can take more than five hours. From the Alcazaba to the Royal Palaces, the charming Gilded Room, the majestic Comares Hall, the Renaissance palace of Charles V (now the Museum of Fine Arts) or the famous Courtyard of the Lions...