Alhambra The Alhambra is constructed on a plateau that overlooks the city of Granada. Alhambra, as palace and fortress of the Emirs of Granada, was built chiefly between mid-13th and mid-14th century, in the reigns of Emir Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar, founder of the Nasrid Emirate of Granada, and his successors. Alhambra exhibits Spain's most significant and well-known Islamic architectural heritage.