More than two and a half million. That is approximately the number of visitors to the Alhambra per year, as it is one of the major tourist attractions not only in Andalusia, but in all of Spain. For this reason, people from all over the world travel here, including the most prominent figures of the time. As a testament to this, we review some of the most notable ‘tourists’ from the world of politics. Their visits have been graphically documented, although many others have surely visited this monumental complex in strict anonymity.
Presidents and Heads of State
A clear indication of the great importance of this monument within Spain is that many foreign Presidents and Heads of State come to discover it during their official visits. Some request it expressly, while on other occasions, public bodies such as the Regional Government of Andalusia or even the Royal Household organize the appointment.
The most significant example of all was Bill Clinton in 1997, while serving as President of the United States. In fact, it was very special for the leader himself, as it represented a déjà vu: during his time as a student, Clinton visited Granada and was captivated by the views of the Alhambra from the San Nicolás viewpoint in the Albaicín. During the official visit, he was accompanied by his family and Spanish authorities, including King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía, their son Prince Felipe, the President of the Regional Government Manuel Chaves, and the Minister of Culture, Esperanza Aguirre.
Another political representative who visited the Alhambra while holding the highest office in his country was German Chancellor Helmut Kohl in 1993, accompanied at that time by the aforementioned Manuel Chaves and the Prime Minister of that year, Felipe González. This list must also include the First Lady of the United States in 2010, although she attended on a private visit.
Three individuals who were visitors to the Alhambra in their capacity as ‘former leaders’ were Belisario Betancur in 1988, after his term as President of Colombia; Mikhail Gorbachev in 1995, 14 years after concluding his presidency of the USSR; and Kofi Annan in 2008, two years after leaving the post of UN Secretary-General.
Muslim Leaders, Distinguished Visitors to the Alhambra
It can certainly be said that, of all the great visitors to the Alhambra, the most interested have been Muslim political leaders. During their stay in Spain, they did not hesitate to visit one of the most important Islamic palace complexes in the world, representing a pinnacle of Andalusi art and medieval Arabic culture.
A good example of this was the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This leader, heavily criticized for converting another World Heritage monument (Hagia Sophia in Istanbul) into a mosque, took the opportunity to visit the Alhambra in 2008. This was something Mohammad Khatami had already done six years earlier while serving as President of Iran.
