You are now standing in Plaza de los Aljibes. In Arabic, an aljibe is a cistern or well. So, this is the Square of the Cisterns. It received the name after Spanish nobleman Íñigo López de Mendoza y Quiñones, the Count of Tendilla, commissioned a 112 foot long well system in 1494. It is now buried beneath the esplanade. From this elevated vantage point, you can drink in views of the city and Albaicín, the old Muslim neighborhood. Looming over the cypress trees in this square are crenelated towers. These are part of the massive defensive wall built to protect the Alhambra from invaders. Behind them is the triangular Alcazaba. This Moorish military complex was constructed in the mid-13th century by the Nasrid dynasty on the foundation of a Roman fortress and a late-9th century citadel. The Alcazaba is well worth visiting.
