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The Alhambra enclosure is situated, as though it were an acropolis, on the natural platform formed by the Sabika hill, running from the foothills of the Sierra Navada mountains towards the heart of the city and its fertile valley. This barren-sloped hill, red in colour, <>, which is probabIy the reason why it was given the name of Alhambra, meaning <>.
The Alcazaba citadel and palatine city rose above this crown of rubies tinged with hues of flora,quinces and almond trees, lofty poplars and crab apple trees lining deep ravines, just as they have been depicted in the past century. The citadel and the palatine city were joined together, and they were also connected to the limits of the city of Granada, into which the Alhambra only partially spread, the rest remaining outside the city Limits, amidst open, rough land, between valley and Hillsides.
Only the Puerta de las Armas <>, embedded at the foot of the Alcazaba, opened up along the city walls of Granada at the westernmost end of the Alhambra, as the only nexus between the two urban centres.
From here, the Alhambra enclosure stretched out to the east in an irregular, elongated pattern over the hillock. Its towers conformed to the terrain and to each of their corresponding civil or military functions, which, in turn, are responsible for the great variety in size, positioning and appearance. Part of the area within the grounds is slightly raised and is referred to as the High Alhambra. Important evidence and remains have been discovered in the lower areas surrounding the High Alhambra of some seven palaces. Two of them, the Comares and Leones Palaces, were joined together after the Christian Recon quest and later enlarged during the Renaissance to form what is known today as the Royal Residence (Casa Real).
Remains have also been discovered of palatial mansions, residences for the members of the royal family, manor-houses, a mosque a madrasha, oratories, burial vaults, public and private baths, a grain exchange, market, a mint, storehouses and dungeons, and even a craftsman’s quarter, in the service of the Royal Palace at the High Alhambra, and the Alcazaba military quarters.
It is most likely there were no interior bulwark walls but there were doors intercepting the alleys which divided the Alhambra up into compartments that were distributed between two main streets running almost parallel across the length of the grounds from east to west. Just inside and below the outer citadel ramparts and placed between these and the places of residence ran a parapet walk which reached around the entire grounds, sometimes passing though tunnels, under palaces or through the tower-palaces that loomed up over the outer wall. On the outside to the west, lies the spur of the Alcazaba: to the north side, the steep left banks of the Darro river surrounded by the picturesque St Peters woods. To the east and south respectively lie the gorges cut by the natural moat that separate both the Alhambra from the Generalife along a walkway called the Cuesta de los Chinos, and the Alcazaba from the Vermilion Towers along another walkway called the Cuesta de los Gomerez. About halfway up the Cuesta de los Chinos stands the Puerta de Hierro <>, whose fortified walls and stables still protect the old pass to the entrance of the Generalife.
The facade of the southernmost bulwark encircling the Alhambra enclosure has two monumental gates situated at either end: the Puerta de Siete Suelos <>, partially destroyed by bombardment during the withdrawal of the Napoleonic troops, and the gate traditionally known as the Puerta de Justicia <>, although the inscription on this Gate names it as the Puerta de a Explanada <>. It seems most likely that espIanade did spread out before it in former days, although today’s visitor will only find a wide, tree-covered gully.
The Generalife consists mainly of a palace and a number of gardens. It was perhaps the most important of the many estates the Granada sultans possessed throughout their kingdom, and is the only one with direct access to the Alhambra. It is for this reason that the Generalife, together with the Vermilion Towers and the Campo de los Martires <> can be considered as key strategic defence points for the Alhambra.
The Generalife has undergone numerous transformations since the Christian Conquest simply because its new occupants had a style of living and customs that differed greatly from those of the Arab court. Owing to the campaign preceding the Conquest and successive periods, the Vermilion Towers must also have been greatly modified. Both enclosures, nevertheless, have preserved their original core of buildings, thus allowing us to interpret the fundamental nature of each, as well as the purpose they were intended for. It is evident, therefore, that the Alhambra, together with its defence structure and the Generalife is the most complete medieval complex still standing in Europe. The setting itself and scenic surroundings further contribute to keeping the original spirit of the monument alive.