Alhambra

This article is about the fortress in Granada. You may be looking for the music hall in London.

The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia. It was used by the Moors as the royal palace of the Emirate of Granada during the 14th and 15th centuries.

History

Renaissance

In 1492, King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile ordered the Spanish army to lay siege to the fortress as part of the Reconquista, an effort to drive out the Moorish Sultan Muhammad XII of Granada. However, the Templars had secretly captured Muhammad to prevent him from formally surrendering, in an attempt to prolong the war and keep Queen Isabella occupied and her funds low. This would enable the Templars to prevent Christopher Columbus from discovering the New World, as he would not be able to make the journey without a benefactor.

Muhammad XII held captive by a Templar

While in Spain, the Italian Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze, under the guidance of fellow Assassin Raphael Sánchez, infiltrated the castle and freed Muhammad, killing the Templars holding the emir hostage. He then persuaded him to surrender in the face of inevitable defeat, and delivered the news of his capitulation, effectively ending the war and freeing the way for the funds to Columbus' expedition.

On 2 January 1492, during the formal surrender of Granada, the palace was stormed by Templars working under Tomás de Torquemada. With them was the son of Muhammad XII, Prince Ahmed, who they had abducted to use as ransom for the Apple of Eden in the emir's possession. While Muhammad XII resigned to the exchange, the meeting was interrupted by the Spanish Assassins Aguilar de Nerha and María, who killed all the Templars save Torquemada and seized the Apple themselves, though María perished during the fight.

In 1499, Ubayd Alayza, a Templar informant, visited his handler Garza in the Alhambra. His sister Najma Alayza, a member of the Libyan Brotherhood of Assassins, led a team of Spanish Assassin allies to infiltrate the Alhambra in hopes of catching both men, but arrived just in time to witness Garza stab Ubayd to death and escape.

Modern times

In 2012, Alhambra was used as a simulated training location by Abstergo Industries for the training of their Animus recruits, as part of the first stage of the Animi Training Program. It only became available after a system update had been installed.

The simulation depicted a luxurious, almost maze-like complex, with a great many rooms interconnected by staircases and hallways. Column arcades, fountains with running water, and reflecting pools were a common sight in and around the palace's large courtyards, designed to reflect the beauty of Paradise itself. One of the more well-known courtyards is the Court of the Lions, which featured an alabaster basin supported by the figures of twelve lions, fittingly called the Fountain of the Lions. The entire complex was encased by an imposing fortress wall, flanked by thirteen massive towers.

Alhambra, like most of the simulated locations in the first stage, had two aesthetic variations. As such, it could be utilized during the day or the night.

Trivia

• Calat Alhambra is a corruption of its original Arabic name, Qal'at Al-Hamra, from words qal'a ("fort") and al-hamra ("the red").
• The Dama Rossa, an Animi Avatar based on an unknown woman from the Renaissance, described the location as a "pearl among diamonds", possibly alluding to the Moorish poets, who referred to Alhambra as a "pearl set in emeralds."

Gallery

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  Concept art of Alhambra
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  Concept art of Alhambra
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  Concept art of Alhambra
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  Concept art of Alhambra burning
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  Concept art of Alhambra burning
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  Ezio infiltrating the palace
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  Alhambra at night
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  View of Alhambra
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  Knights escorting a Doctor as Pariahs attempt to kill him
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  Dama Rossas protecting their escort from several Marquises
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  The Pariah shooting a Marquis
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  A pair of Knights targeting Marquises and the Pariah they guard
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  An aerial view of Alhambra
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  Alhambra in the Assassin's Creed film

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed II: Discovery (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
• Assassin's Creed film
• Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
  • Kinslayer

References

de:Alhambra es:Alhambra ru:Альгамбра pt:Alhambra