Detail of tiles with geometric and interlacing designs in the Mexuar, meeting room for Council of Ministers and public reception room of the Sultan, Alhambra, Granada, Andalusia, Southern Spain. Above the tiles is cursive Arabic script carved in stucco. The Alhambra was begun in the 11th century as a castle, and in the 13th and 14th centuries served as the royal palace of the Nasrid sultans. The huge complex contains the Alcazaba, Nasrid palaces, gardens and Generalife. Granada was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Picture by Manuel Cohen
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