The Alhambra monuments maintenance shops came about as a response to the growing need for prevention, maintenance and intervention actions. The various shops specialize in handling a wide range of conditions stemming from damage to monument structures or the landscape caused by diverse incidents. Shop activities include conservation, restoration, cleaning-up, reintegration, and consolidation.

The monuments maintenance shops staff are highly qualified professionals who regularly update their skills by attending congresses and specialized restoration courses, keeping abreast of events related to their respective fields, participating in related workshops, and visiting other heritage restoration work sites.

There are currently five monuments maintenance shops, whose activities are determined by the type of specialization an event requires and the nature of the site under analysis and the materials being handled. The shops are not independent from each other, but rather they share interdisciplinary tasks.