I did a little longer post about it last winter, too, with more history. The last Berber ruler, as the legend goes, looked back on Alhambra as they made their way into exile and wept. His mother told him "Do not cry like a woman for what you could not defend as a man.

The author, Washington Irving, actually lived in the palace for a time.

If you have the chance, I recommend taking a night tour as well as the daytime one. It's a different experience completely.