The Alhambra is one of the world's great gardens, a spellbinding series of green spaces filled with water, scent, birdsong and the play of light. The cultural pinnacle of Moorish Spain, representing a unique blend of Arab and Western culture, it is Spain's most visited attraction. From its formation in 14th century Islamic Spain to the present day, the gardens of the Alhambra have been the global point of reference for courtyard gardens, the use of water in gardens and the idea of a garden as paradise. This will be the first comprehensive book on the subject for over 90 years, and will not be superseded for many years to come. Lavishly illustrated with commissioned photography, specially commissioned plans and previously unpublished archive material, the book is written by the world's leading experts including the former director of the site Maria del Mar Villafranca, and head of Granada University's architecture department Professor Juan Santos, and with contributions from architectural historian William Curtis and Alvaro Siza, the Pritzker prize-winning designer of a new garden at the Alhambra, which is described here for the first time.