ALHAMBRA, the famous palace of the Moorish kings of Granada, situated on a hill N. of the town of Granada.
pavements and walls are covered with colored tiles; and in its center is the Fountain of the Lions, an alabaster basin supported by 12 lions of white marble, out of whose mouths spouted the water from the basin. The Hall of the Abencerrages, the most beautiful one in the palace, is surrounded by an arcade with marble arches. This hall was the scene about 1480 of the massacre of the family of the Abencerrages, by King It is inclosed in a walled area of 35 acres. The chief entrance to the in closure is by a horseshoe arch, called the Gate of Judgment, 28 feet high, sur mounted by a square tower. From this a narrow passage leads to the Plaza de los Algibes, where, on the left, is the ruined Alcazaba, the fortress of the Alhambra, and on the right is an un finished palace of Charles V. Behind the latter is the Alhambra. Outside, the palace is cold and plain looking, but within, in the most ornate style of the East, are many halls, porticoes, courts, chambers, gardens, and mosaic pave ments in red, blue, and yellow colors. The stone lacework is covered with in scriptions from the Koran and Arabic poetry. The Court of the Myrtles con
tains a large fish pond, and the famous Alhambra vase, discovered in the 16th century and dating from 1320. It is nearly 5 feet high, and is enameled in white, blue, and gold.
The Hall of the Ambassadors, the largest in the Alhambra, is contained within the tower of Comares, on the N. wall. The Court of the Lions is one of the most notable of the courts, having a length of 116 and a breadth of 66 feet. It is surrounded by a gallery supported by white marble pillars. Its Boabdil. Opposite is the Hall of the Two Sisters, which takes its name from two large slabs of marble, each 15 feet long, which are embedded in the floor. The ceiling is made of about 5,000 stalactites, giving a curious and beau tiful effect. The palace was begun by Ibnel-Ahmar in 1248, and was completed by Mohammed III. in 1314. It was taken by the Spaniards in 1491, and was entered by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492. It suffered at the hands of Charles V., and the French blew up several of its towers. The Alhambra is the most remarkable and most perfect specimen of Moorish art to be found in Europe.