Alhambra

The Alhambra (/ælˈhæmbrə/; Spanish: [aˈlambɾa]; Arabic: الْحَمْرَاء‎ [ʔælħæmˈɾˠɑːʔ], Al-Ḥamrā, lit. "the red one"), the complete form of which was Calat Alhamra, is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It was originally constructed as a small fortress in 889 and then largely ignored until its ruins were renovated and rebuilt in the mid-13th century by the Moorish emir Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar of the Emirate of Granada, who built its current palace and walls. It was converted into a royal palace in 1333 by Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada.

Alhambra's Islamic palaces, as we know them today, were built for the last Muslim emirs in Spain and the court of the Nasrid dynasty. After the conquest of Granada by the Reyes Católicos ("Catholic Monarchs") in 1492, some portions were used by Christian rulers. The Palace of Charles V, built by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1527, was inserted in the Alhambra within the Nasrid fortifications. After being allowed to fall into disrepair for centuries, the buildings being occupied by squatters, Alhambra was rediscovered in the 19th century by European scholars and travelers, with restorations commencing. It is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions, exhibiting the country's most significant and well known Islamic architecture, together with 16th-century and later Christian building and garden interventions. The Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the inspiration for many songs and stories.

Alhambra (Paris)

The Alhambra is a theatre which opened in April 2008 at 21, rue Yves-Toudic in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, 300 meters from the site of the old Alhambra-Maurice Chevalier.

History

The Alhambra occupies a building originally opened in 1920 by the Paris Fraternal Railway Association as a 600 seat theatre called the Théâtre Art Déco des Cheminots (Art Deco Theatre of the Railways). The elaborate furnishings included beautiful mahogany doors, geometric chandeliers, and stucco pillars — surmounted all by a bas-relief of a locomotive. The theatre, which had never been legally recognized as a theater by the Paris authorities, was converted to a commercial building in 1933, but it still contained a drive-in theater reserved for railway workers. Unfortunately, this drive-in theater was rarely open.

In 2005 the quaint charm and history of the site captured the attention of theatrical producer Jean-Claude Auclair; he immediately bought the building with the intention of restoring it. Unfortunately, modern standards of safety, and the fact that the theatre had no acoustic insulation and no air conditioning forced Auclair to demolish much of the original structure and to rebuild it entirely. Under the direction of architect Pascal Lépissier they created a completely soundproof auditorium inside a shell of concrete and steel, weighing 60 tons, and set on springs. It took two years and cost three million euros.

Alhambra (board game)

Alhambra (German: Der Palast von Alhambra, literally "The Palace of the Alhambra") is a 2003 tile-based German-style board game designed by Dirk Henn. It was originally published in Germany by Queen Games in a language-interdependent version; an English-specific version was released in North America by the now-defunct Überplay. The game is an Arabian-themed update, set during the construction of the Alhambra palace in 14th century Granada, of the 1998 stock trading board game Stimmt So!, which in turn was an update of the 1992 mafia influence board game Al Capone; the original version was subsequently released as Alhambra: The Card Game.

Alhambra won the Spiel des Jahres award, the Schweizer Spielepreis for Family Games, the As d'Or and the Essen Feather for the year of its release and placed second in the Deutscher Spiele Preis. Its success has led to the release of numerous expansion packs and spin-off games, and is becoming Queen Games' flagship franchise.

Gameplay