Spain · UNESCO World Heritage Series, 2nd issue, La Alhambra, Granada

The Alhambra was established as a fortified palace city on Sabikah Hill above Granada. It acquired its characteristic present-day form in the 13th and 14th centuries under the Nasrids, the last Muslim ruling dynasty on the Iberian Peninsula. Within the walls were residences, administrative rooms, courtyards, living quarters and defensive structures. After the conquest of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs (Katholischen Könige) in 1492, the complex continued to be used as a Christian royal residence and was partly altered. Among other things, the later-constructed Palace of Emperor Charles V (Kaiser Karl V.) dates from this period.

The Court of the Lions (Löwenhof) belongs to the Nasrid palace, which was expanded under Sultan Muhammad V. Its centre is a fountain basin supported by twelve marble lions. Narrow channels lead from it into the adjoining rooms. The combination of water, light, ornamentation, columns and courtyards was a fundamental element of Nasrid palace architecture. The courtyard formed part of a finely structured residential and representational area for the court.

The Generalife lies outside the actual fortress walls. It served the Nasrid rulers as a country residence and retreat. Residential buildings, gardens, courtyards and irrigation systems form a coherent complex there. Water was used not only for supplying the site, but was also deliberately incorporated into the design of the gardens and architecture.

The Albayzín lies on the opposite hill. The district preserves basic features of the medieval Islamic urban structure, with narrow, irregular streets and traditional houses. After 1492, it initially remained a centre of Granada’s Muslim population; later alterations and Christian religious buildings complemented the cityscape.

The Alhambra and the Generalife were added to the World Heritage List in 1984, and the Albayzín was added as an extension in 1994. The coin issue formed part of a Spanish series begun in 2010 that covers a Spanish UNESCO World Heritage Site each year. The complex in Granada was among the first Spanish World Heritage Sites to be included and was therefore already considered at the beginning of this series.