UNESCO World Heritage Site – Alhambra, Generalife and Albaicín, Granada

The Court of the Lions with the famous lion fountain at the Alhambra, the hilltop fortress of Granada and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984; below, the state name 'ESPAÑA', the year '2011', and the mint mark.

The Court of the Lions in the Alhambra is regarded as one of the most perfect examples of Islamic palace architecture in Europe: its central fountain, borne by twelve stylized marble lions, was created in the 14th century under the Nasrid sultan Muhammad V and likely served as an astronomical instrument for telling time. The entire fortress complex on the Sabika hill above Granada combines palaces, fortifications, and gardens built between the 13th and 15th centuries. The Generalife, the summer residence of the Nasrid sultans outside the main fortress, complements the ensemble with its irrigated gardens, unique as an early form of garden art on the Iberian Peninsula. With the Reconquista and the capture of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492, the last Islamic rule on the present-day Spanish mainland came to an end — yet the Alhambra survived and was expanded by its new rulers.

The Albaicín, Granada's historic Moorish quarter north of the Alhambra, preserves its medieval urban structure to this day, with narrow lanes, garden houses known as carmenes, and remnants of the old city walls. Together with the Alhambra and the Generalife, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1984, with the Albaicín added in an extension in 1994. The ensemble stands as a prime example of the cultural heritage of Al-Andalus and ranks among the most visited historic sites in Europe. Spain honored this World Heritage site in 2011 with an issue from its UNESCO World Heritage series.