Arab historians hold that the Alhambra derives its name from the fact that the old fortress was rebuilt at night, by torch-light. It would appear, however, that the etymology owes more to the colour of the iron-rich soil upon which the Alhambra is built and which is reflected in its walls, thus creating the "red castle".

The origins of the Alhambra and Generalife (water gardens) complex are confused. There are clear remains dating from the ninth century although the palace was at its most glorious during the Nasrid dynasty and the rule of Charles Vth - in other words during the XIIIth-XVIth centuries.

Within the palaces, everything from the glass in the Daxara "mirador", or belvedere, to the fine details in Charles Vth's palace was designed, thought out and executed with perfection in mind, aspiring at times to that evoked by the Qur'an or the Sunna, at times to the neo-platonism of the Renaissance.

In the Alhambra, classicism lies just beneath the surface of Islam. This is visible not just in the ordered symbolism that adorns the emperor's palace: the Court of the Lions for instance is also a monastic cloister and is arranged in accordance with the most classical of proportions.

There are a number of ways of looking at the Alhambra complex. You can for example take each of its component elements, gardens and palaces as separate units, each a valuable unit in its own right. It is more evocative, however, to approach the Alhambra as a visitor to a new town and discover how the doors, walks, streets and buildings of the complex still work together as a XIth century citadel.

Viewed from the city below, the Alhambra stands on the hillside as a symbol of the splendour attained by the kingdom and those who ruled over it: monarchs who lived in the most beautiful of spaces, spaces akin to the paradise promised to the faithful by Islam. This is why the Alhambra is both acropolis and paradise at once. Also, as everyone knows, it is a labyrinth full of intricate mathematical games played out in stucco and tile ornament. Even the movement of the stars is symbolised in the mozarabic decoration of the hall of the Abencerrajes.

Tile work in the Alhambra
Some of the most beautiful examples of Hispano-Islamic tile work have been preserved in Granada's Alhambra. The patterns in which the tiles were laid are particular to this culture. Regular, irregular and star-shaped tiles are juxtaposed to create geometrical patterns that flow over the whole of the chosen surface. The individual pieces, called "alízares", were cut out by blows delivered by a pick.

The "alízares" were not just beautiful but, importantly, the use of tiles was also an integral part of one of the main cornerstones of Hispano-Muslim culture: hygiene.

Textiles and ceramics rose simultaneously as art forms in Granada. This we know from the clear parallels in their design and from an inscription of the period in the Torre de la Cautiva (Tower of the Captive). Whilst praising the excellence of Granada's palace, the text refers to tile work on its walls and floors having the appearance of brocade.

Tiles were used outside on balconies and also as ready-made complementary pieces inside the palace, lining the star-shaped openings that are set into the vaulted ceilings of some of the rooms. Whilst the vaults' practical function is that they regulate the temperature of the rooms, the light playing through the windows imbues them with an ethereal, heavenly quality.

The Generalife
Above the palaces lies the Generalife, an area that water and men's dreams have transformed into the most beautiful garden in the world. Yannat al-arif as it was known at the time of the Nasrid dynasty, was a place to retire to and rest, a Summer palace set on the side of the so-called "cerro del Sol", or Sun Hill. The gardens are the most important part of the complex as the buildings, which are clearly designed for private, intimate use, cannot compare with the rest of the Nasrid palaces.

Where the quality of the building work is indeed unsurpassable is in the treatment of water. As an architectural element that can bring sensory pleasure, it has become the centrepiece of the gardens. Here water brings pleasure of many kinds, from the constant yet never monotonous sound of the fountains, to the cool that pervades the rectangular patios such as the Patio of the Acequia, or the colour of reflected or filtered light. On a more simple level, the exuberant perfume of a garden in springtime and the shade of its trees in summer.

Cerámica Decorativa restores the Alhambra
A Spanish ceramic company, Cerámica Decorativa, has won a tender called by the Alhambra National Heritage Trust to supply the materials that have been used to restore several parts of the complex that had fallen into disrepair over the years. Hand-made flooring has been laid in the Alcazaba, the Torre de Armas and the corridors of the Corredor de los Palacios, using three different formats.

To mark the restoration work, Cerámica Decorativa has launched a terracotta tile collection that reflects the paving of the areas that have been restored. Appropriately enough, this beautiful series of tiles is called "Serie Alhambra".