The Alhambra Tour

The Alhambra - Arabic: الحمراء = Al Ħamrā'; literally "The Red Castle" - is an ancient mosque, palace and fortress complex of the Moorish monarchs of Granada, in southern Spain. And this is an amazing tour through this monument!

The Alhambra is actually a complex of several groups of monuments which have to be seen as a process of historic evolution. The tour begins with the Alcazaba, or fortress. It lies on the west side. The tour ends to the east, on a spur of the Alhambra’s main hill, in the gardens of the Generalife. At the center of the Alhambra’s walled compound lie its architectural jewels, the interiors of the Nasrid palaces. That is where most of the panoramas have been made. This virtual walking tour is comprised of 25 spherical panoramic photographs that place you inside the image, as if you were standing in the place where the photo was made. Use your mouse to pan around each photo. Use your Ctrl key to zoom out, and your Shift key to zoom in on details.

Water, vegetation and architecture unite in perfect harmony, resembling the Islamic concept of Paradise. Islam considers enjoyment of gardens to be a divine reward. The Qur’an says,: “Those who believe and do good works will enter gardens, below which rivers will flow eternally for them…. They will enter the cool shade.” You can listen to the sound of the water mixing with the whispering of the bay leaves. The trees create a closely-woven vault, giving shade and cool to this magical spot.