The Rauda

Rawda means cemetery. It was here, beside the Palace of the Lions, where the royal family interred its deceased family members. When the tombs were discovered at the end of the 19th century, they were empty. Boabdil had the remains of his ancestors moved to the foot of the Mondújar Castle. The town is near Lecrín, on the road to the Alpujarras.

The quadrangular Rauda Gate, so called because of its proximity to the graveyard, has inside of it a magnificently adorned dome and traditional trompe l’oeil red painted bricks with white markings.

The qubba, or pavilion, has steel arched openings on three sides. The remaining side has a door that leads to the interior of the Palace of the Lions, to which it is joined; however, the two palaces were actually connected in the Alhambra prior to the construction of the pavilion.