Anecdotes of a Globetrotter: Day 44 : Alhambra

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Day 44 : Alhambra

Any visit to Granada is not complete without visiting the Alhambra, and have made it the main attraction of visit when I am here. A UNESCO World Heritage Site declared in 1984, it is divided into 4 areas : Alcazaba, Generalife, Partal and Nasrid Palaces.

I have heard from some hostel mates in Malaga that the number of tickets available on sale is limited each day, and split across 2 sessions, a morning session starting from 8.30am – 2pm and an afternoon session from 2 – 8pm.

In order to get a ticket, you need to be there early, and apparently some people start queuing at 6am (sales office open at 8am)!

I had some problems waking up early this morning, so my plans of being early at the Alhambra did not happen. By the time I got to the ticket counters, it was slightly past 10am, and there was already a long queue snaking round the entrance.

I also found out that the tickets for the morning session were already sold out and I could only buy tickets for the afternoon session! Furthermore, visits to the Nasrid Palace are regulated, as specific access time slot are printed specifically on each ticket. After this time, no access will be given, as only 300 people are allowed to enter the Nasrid Palace every half hour.

By the time I finally got my tickets, it was already almost 11am, and being too lazy to walk down and climb back up a steep hill, I decided to stay around the area to visit the sights which are open to the public and wait for the time to pass.

The wait was worth it as it was an amazingly huge palace and fortress built by the Muslims in the 13th century, and was extended on a number of occasions in the next 200 years. The Alhambra was subsequently surrendered to the Catholic Monarchs in 1492, and it was further enhanced by them during the next 100 years.

One can easily spend at least 4 hours here as it is just massive! It has the distinct arches in the Muslim architecture seen in the other landmarks in Cordoba and Seville, and Islamic writings and motifs carved out in the walls and pillars, and many beautiful courtyards and gardens.