Water management at the Alhambra: A late medieval study April L. Najjaj Gulf University of Science and Technology, Kuwait najjaj.a@gust.edu.kw Abstract: The Alhambra is a medieval palace-city that had been the royal residence and seat of government for the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, the last Islamic dynasty of al-Andalus. With the dynasty’s founding in 1238 CE, a steady supply of water became a necessity for an expanding palace-city, both in the royal precincts of the site as well as the medina area where the ancillary population resided. Besides basic hygiene, in an Islamic context, water was important for observance of religious obligations as well as a symbol of power and authority for the Nasrid sultans with the many baths, fountains, gardens, and reflecting pools found throughout the Alhambra that are a mark of luxury in an otherwise arid environment. Lastly, in terms of agricultural use, providing for the use and storage of water at the Alhambra was important for cultivation both inside and outside the walls of the palace-city, as well as in the lands surrounding the city of Granada itself. The practical uses of water as well as the symbolism of wealth and power that comes from water control are important for understanding the context of water use and management at the Alhambra. Keywords: Alhambra, cultural studies, water, Nasrid dynasty The Alhambra is a medieval palace-city that had been the royal residence and seat of government for the Nasrid kingdom of Granada, the last Islamic dynasty of al-Andalus, from the beginnings of the dynasty in 1238 CE until its final defeat some 250 years later. The foundations of the Alhambra date back several centuries earlier, but the site reached its greatest expression, both architecturally and historically, during the fourteenth century when it served as both a royal residence and a seat of government for the Nasrid sultans. After the Christian conquest in 1492, it became an occasional residence for Spanish royalty for the next 150 years, until the state of 1