Palacio del Partal (Partal Palace), Granada

The Partal Palace is one of the quietest and most atmospheric areas of the Alhambra. Built by Nasrid Sultan Muhammad III, who ruled from 1302 to 1309, it is generally considered the oldest partially preserved palace in the complex. Today, only part of the original structure survives, principally the Tower of the Ladies and the elegant northern portico.

The palace was originally designed around a rectangular courtyard with a reflecting pool, rather than the open garden seen today. Like other Nasrid palaces, it featured porticoes and a lookout tower, from which the ruler could enjoy views over Granada. A large reflecting pool still lies in front of the portico.

The original ceiling of the Tower of the Ladies was removed by the palace’s last private owner and is now displayed at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. To the right of the tower is a small private mosque, originally incorporated into the palace wall. Its prayer room and double-arched window retain delicate stucco decoration in the Nasrid tradition.

The original gardens have disappeared, but the extensive Partal Gardens were redesigned by Manuel Gómez-Moreno in the 1920s, with further landscaping carried out in 1930. Today, they surround archaeological remains that hint at how much larger the palace once was.

Make sure you walk around the reflecting pool and look back toward the portico and Tower of the Ladies. When the water is calm, the reflection creates one of the most serene views in the Alhambra.