Palacios nazaríes

The Palacios Nazaries are the Nasrid royal palaces at the heart of the Alhambra complex in Granada, Andalusia, constructed during the 13th and 14th centuries as the main residence of the Nasrid emirs. The palaces form the political and ceremonial centre of the Alhambra and contain some of its most elaborate decorative work.

Key components include the Comares Palace with its Salón de los Embajadores, and the Palace of the Lions centred on the Patio de los Leones with its fountain supported by 12 marble lions. Interiors are extensively decorated with carved stucco, glazed tilework and intricately carved wooden ceilings, and the spaces are organised around courtyards and water features.

Built and expanded by successive Nasrid rulers in the 1200s and 1300s, the palaces were altered after the 1492 Reconquista and have undergone extensive conservation since the 19th century. They sit on a fortified hill overlooking the city of Granada with views toward the Sierra Nevada mountains.

• Date and status: The palace complex dates to the 13th and 14th centuries and forms the core of the Alhambra UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Fountain of the Lions: The central fountain in the Patio de los Leones rests on 12 marble lions, an iconic feature of Nasrid decorative art.

What to See #

• Comares Palace: Home to the Salón de los Embajadores, the principal ceremonial chamber and diplomatic reception room within the Comares Palace, notable for its ornate stucco and tile decoration.
• Palace of the Lions: Built in the mid-14th century under Muhammad V, this area centres on the Patio de los Leones which features a central fountain supported by 12 marble lions and a surrounding portico with muqarnas and carved stucco.
• Mexuar: A sequence of rooms used for administration and audience functions that adjoins the main palaces; historically served formal and lower-court functions within the Nasrid royal complex.