: Famous lions to roar again

After a four year absence, the Alhambra’s famous lions are returning to their lair. The first of the 12 marble lions was installed this week in the Patio de Los Leones (Patio of the Lions) in Granada’s world-renowned Alhambra Palace, and the rest will join him before the end of the year.

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Picture Credit: Fernando Martin

The lions, and the white marble dodecagon-shaped fountain supported on their shoulders, are regarded as one of the greatest Islamic sculptures from the days of Al-Andalus – when what we now know as Andalucia was under Moorish rule. With water gushing from their jaws, they are one of the most famous images of Granada and have been undergoing an extensive cleaning and restoration programme in the crypt of the Carlos V Palace, next to the Alhambra.

Each weighs more than 300 kilos and was carved between 1362 and 1391 at the behest of Nasrid ruler Muhammed V. Now workmen will refurbish the marble floor of the patio, and visitors to the Alhambra will be able to see the lions in their new pristine condition from Spring 2012.

Visiting the wonderful city of Granada and the magnificent Alhambra – one of the top tourist attractions in Spain – should be on the must-do list for guests at Club La Costa World’s Costa del Sol resorts on a tour, or on an easy day trip by car.