The Qalat Al-Hamra is a fortress and palace complex in Granada, Andalusia Spain.

Al-Hamra means “The Red One.” The soil used for the bricks determined the color of the structure. It was first constructed as a small fortress in AD 889 on the remains of Roman fortifications. In Spanish the structure is know as the Alhambra.

In 1238 Nasrid emir Mohammed ben Alahmar of the emirate of Granada began to renovate the site.

Emirate – The rank, lands, or reign of an emir.

Emir – A title of various Muslim (Arab) rulers. A military commander or local chief.

The Alhambra was converted into a royal palace in 1333 by Yusuf l, Sultan of Granada.

After the conclusion of the Reconquista in 1492, the site became the royal court of Ferdinand and Isabella. This is the site where Columbus received his royal endorsement to go to find the new world and the passage to India.

Reconquista – Period of Iberian history from 711 until the fall of the Nasrid kingdom of Granada to the Christians in 1491.

The Alhambra was later rebuilt again after the defeat of Napolean had tried to destroy it.