Palace and Court of Lions, Alhambra: History, Fountain, and Ticket Guide

The Court of the Lions (Patio de Los Leones) or Palace of the Lions (Palacio de Los Leones) is the heart of the Alhambra. This masterpiece of Nasrid art is the greatest legacy that Muhammed V left to Granada.


The best craftsmen, architects, sculptors, and engineers of the Nasrid kingdom worked on it for 13 years. To admire and contemplate it thoroughly, you should dedicate a significant portion of your visit to the Alhambra.

History of the Court of the Lions

The Court of the Lions serves as the central axis of the Happy Garden Palace (Palacio del Jardín Feliz), constructed by Sultan Muhammed V during his second term between 1362 and 1391.

This enormous palace is part of the monumental complex of the Alhambra known as the Nasrid Palaces.

Each new sultan who ascended to the throne of the Alhambra modified the existing palaces, completed those that were unfinished, and constructed new dependencies.

The Palace of the Lions, as it was later named due to its fountain, was Muhammed V's dream come true.

It was built in the gardens of the Comares Palace, which had been his father's palace: Yusuf I.

The impressive Court of the Lions stands out for its originality and functionality. Everything in the palace is meticulously planned and positioned in relation to the patio.

Its use was primarily private, for the enjoyment of the sultan and his family. Each room in the palace offered a view of the patio, serving as a central meeting point for them.

Although with the passage of time some original elements have disappeared and modifications have been made, its harmony, elegance, beautiful lines, and play of light and water still remain.

The original entrance was located on the south wall of the patio, adjacent to the Mocárabes room. Today, entry is gained from that side, although not through its original door.

If you want to learn about the legends and curiosities of the Court of the Lions, you can book this Alhambra Guided Tour with an expert local guide.

Is the Palace and the Court of the Lions the same thing?

The Patio de los Leones is surrounded by the following rooms: Sala de los Abencerrajes, Room of the Two Sisters, Room of the Ajimeces, Room of the Kings and the Daraxa Viewpoint.

The Patio of the Lions surprises some people with its layout, which may evoke more of a cloister than an Andalusian patio, resembling the shape of the Patio de los Arrayanes.


The patio is rectangular, measuring 28.50 meters in length by 15.70 meters in width. The gallery surrounding it is narrower along its longer sides and widens on the other two sides where the pavilions are located.

The Pavilions of the Court of the Lions

When you enter the courtyard, you are immediately surrounded by a forest of slender columns in a gallery that encircles the impressive Lions Fountain.

Two magnificent pavilions flank the center of the patio, the Hall of the Two Sisters is situated to the north, and the Hall of the Abencerrajes is located to the south.

Both pavilions feature triple-arched bay windows, which were once part of the palace's women's quarters.

Originally, the floor of the patio and galleries was crafted from white marble sourced from Macael, a town in the province of Almería that, at that time, belonged to the kingdom of Granada.

This marble was highly valued in Antiquity for its pure white color.

Of that original part, only the channels that carry water from the fountains in the Dos Hermanas and Abencerrajes rooms to the Fuente de Los Leones remain.

The Fountain of the Lions

The Fountain of the Lions is the crowning achievement of Muhammed V and the symbol of his dynasty. It is, without a doubt, a masterpiece of great visual impact.

Analyzing each of its details fills us with even greater wonder.

The 12 rough lions are on guard and form pairs, resembling a star around the cup. Their mouths serve as the fountain from which the water contained within emerges.

Although all lions are different, some expert voices point out that there are four groups of lions with similar characteristics, which suggests that they were created by four different artists, each with their own patterns.

The Los Leones Fountain, both in its operation and its symbolism, represents a spring and stands as a masterpiece of hydraulic engineering.

All the elements of the Court of the Lions are related to the fountain.

The fountains inside the Abencerrajes and Dos Hermanas Rooms convey their water to the main fountain through channels that form a cross, with the fountain at its center.

In the original fountain of the Fuente de Los Leones, numerous carvings of leaves and flowers adorn it, along with a fragment of the casida dedicated to Muhammed V by Ibn Zamrak, the poet of the Alhambra, praising the exceptional fountain that he commissioned to be made with beautiful metaphors.

The original fountain was crafted from richly polychrome white marble.

The Columns of the Court of the Lions

The beauty and artistic richness of the columns of the Court of the Lions are impressive.

These 124 white marble columns from Macael stand out compared to those of the other Nasrid palaces for their slenderness and finesse.

We observe that in the corners, the columns are grouped in sets of 3 or 4.

Its brilliant placement is not a coincidence, but rather the result of a wise and intricate organization whose purpose is to intimately link varied architectural arrangements through complex symmetries.

Its cubic capitals are quite varied, and on their abaci, we find inscriptions of praise and blessings for the sultan.

The Nasrid motto also appears several times: "Only Allah is victorious."

The graceful pavilions extending over the patio are exceptional, adorned with lacework domes.

In the Court of the Lions, decoration serves as a means to transform the architecture.

In the plasterwork, there are fake semicircular arches or muqarnas curtains, with a diamond-shaped pattern. This pattern is typical of Islamic art in Al-Andalus and is called sebka.

Entrance tickets to the Court of the Lions

It's included with any of the following options, but the daytime visit is preferable. While the night tour is quite romantic, it doesn’t allow you to fully appreciate all the decorative details.

You cannot access the Patio de los Leones through the following entrances:

You must choose the entry time to the Nazaries Palaces during the purchase process.

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