The Alhambra and the Generalife

The Crimson Towers

The three towers on the site, strategically situated around the Granada Vega or Meadow, were probably part of the first Alhambra Alcazaba or Citadel.

Manuel Gómez-Moreno González and Luis de Mármol suggest that they were built during the reign of Muhammad I, the founder of the Nasrid dynasty; however, the structures on the perimeter of the site, which resemble those of the Alcazaba, date back to the 11th century.

At this point in time the site consists of three towers, the tallest being the one in the middle, and an artillery bastion from the Christian era. On the interior perimeter are the visible remains of numerous Muslim tombstones, leading to speculation that the towers were reinforced by the Christians.

An important bastion in the defence of the area, the Crimson Towers is linked by a wall to the Alhambra Alcazaba.