Throughout history, the magnificent Alhambra has played many roles. The Alhambra was an “alcazaba” (fortress), an “alcazar” (palace) and a small “medina” (city), all in one. This triple character helps to explain many distinctive features of the monument.
There is no reference to the Alhambra as being a residence of kings until the 13th century, even though the fortress had existed since the 9th century. The Nasrides (1238) were the emirs who started the restoration of the Alhambra. The founder of the dynasty, Muhammed Al-Ahmar, began rebuilding the old fortress. His work was completed by his son Muhammad II, whose immediate successors continued with the repairs. The construction of the palaces, called Casa Real Vieja, dates back to the 14th century and is the work of two great kings: Yusuf I and Muhammad V.
The current issue of Saudi Aramco World online (http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200604/) makes the Alhambra available in panoramic splendor through a virtual walking tour. Complete with audio guide, the tour is comprised of 25 spherical panoramic photographs that place the viewer inside the image. The viewer feels as if he or she were standing in the place where the photo was made. Embedded in each panorama are one or more links to other panoramas. This allows the viewer to pass from one location to another in sequence.
The panoramic photography was created by Barry and Michael Gross, who digitally “stitched together” a series of 13 to 50 still images. The brothers first explored digital panoramic photography while undergraduates at Williams College. The Alhambra photographs were made possible by a partnership between Aramco Services Company and the Department of Art at Williams College, which has commissioned the brothers to digitally document more than 100 historical buildings in the US and Europe.