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The Alhambra is a palace of the Moorish monarchs of Granada and is situated on a hilly terrace on the south-eastern border of the city of Granada. From this plateau you have a wide view of the city and plain of Granada and of the heights of the Sierra Nevada. The Alhambra comprises three separate parts: The fortress, the palace and the gardens which all together cover an area of about 142,000 m². It is enclosed by a strongly fortified wall, which is flanked by thirteen towers. The palace was built between 1248 and 1354, started by Muhammed Ibn Al Ahma, an Arab prince. A lot of different people tried to complete the palace, just to mention Yusuf I (1333-54), Muhammad V (1354-91), Charles V (1516–1556) and Philip V (1700–1746).

The importance of the Alhambra in garden history cannot be over-stated. It is the prime example of garden design and a great work of art. The park is celebrated for the multitude of its nightingales, and is usually filled with the sound of running water from several fountains and cascades.

If you want to visit the Alhambra, pre-book your tickets and get there early, because queues have been known to cause considerable delays. So buy your tickets before. You can do it by phone (902 22 44 60), internet BBVA Bank. The prices are: Adults 10 €, over 65s 7 € and children under eight years of age and disabled people are free. If you only want to see the gardens it’s 5 €.

The Alhambra has long been considered one of the new 7 Wonders of the World. A human chain of approximately 2,500 people will join hands around the Alhambra on Sunday 29th April, to embrace the monument and support it in its bid to become one of the new 7 Wonders of the World. The Alhambra is one of 21 monuments which voters around the world have chosen as the finalists. The final list of the 7 new Wonders of the World is announced in Lisbon in Portugal on 7th July.