In the Quran, the Muslim’s religious book, there is a description of paradise. This palace is unique in that the Muslims strived to represent paradise in their architecture. There are seven levels of paradise so the moors included this in many different areas.

The Alhambra was built with its own special type of columns. These of which are not used in any other building. This column has a very fine cylindrical shaft. Its base has big concave moldings and is decorated with rings on the top part.

In the throne-room there is a wooden ceiling known as the Seven Heavens. It is called this due to the fact that the ceiling takes the shape of a stepped pyramid. Each of the four sides is composed of three wooden panels at varying angles to one another, creating trapezoid- shaped wooden panels. These trapezoid-shaped wooden panels are nailed to timber roofing, which form the ribs of the vault.  The vault is then supported from the walls by beams. It consists of 8017 pieces of wood.

The Seven Heavens is very unusual and unique; no other ceiling like this exists in Islamic Spain. 

The Alhambra consists of walls carved with religious poems. The phrase "God is great" is encripted in several areas.

The Alhambra encouraged many English writers to use it in many romance novels as the building.

Seven Heavens

Special columns