The Mexuar space in the Alhambra served as an audience and throne hall for the Sultan, where public petitions were received via court officials, as the public remained in adjacent courtyards. Its original design, elevated above the courtyard and accessed by three steps, was modified during the 16th century, when it was converted into a Christian chapel, leading to changes such as the sealing of the original western entrance and the addition of a secondary southern entrance. Architecturally distinct, the hall’s rectangular layout featured a central square supported by four columns and was once crowned with a dome.

Though the dome was removed in the 1540s, its legacy remains in the intricate tilework, stucco muqarnas, and geometric designs that decorate the hall, as well as in the annex added during the conversion, adorned with zellij mosaics. The Mexuar reflects the layered history of the Alhambra, combining Nasrid architectural styles with later Christian modifications, offering a key insight into the cultural and architectural exchanges of the Iberian Peninsula.

circa 1250-1350 CE

Mexuar: Council Hall
The Mashwar (Mexuar), historically known in Arabic as the Majlis al-Qu'ūd ("Council Hall"), and referred to in modern Spanish as the Sala del Mexuar, forms a notable part of the Comares Palace. This space functioned as an audience chamber and, at times, as a throne hall for the Sultan during his reception of public petitions. Historical accounts suggest that members of the public did not enter the hall directly but remained in the courtyards outside. Their petitions were inscribed and subsequently delivered to the Sultan by court officials, enabling deliberation and the dispensation of judgment from within the hall itselfated floor level—higher than the adjacent courtyard—was originally accessible via three tall steps leading to a western doorway. This entrance, along with the steps, was sealed off during the hall’s conversion into a Christian chapel in the 16th century. A secondary entrad on the south side and now utilized by visitors, likely dates to modifications made under Muhammad V. This entrance features stucco decoration and an ornate wooden eave, though the original tilework adorning its lower walls has been lost. Historically, this southern passage connected the Council Hall to a larger adjoining chamber to the south. This neighboring space, covered by a dome supported on L-shaped pillars, functioned as a treasury and pay office and was directly accessible from both the Patio de Machuca and the western door of the façade of the Comares palace in the Cuarto Dorado courtyard.

The architectural design is distinctive within the context of Andalusi palace architecture, drawing parallels to Mamluk throne halls in the Middle East and possibly the 11th-century Qal'at Bani Hammad in present-day Algeria. The rectangular hall features a central square eated by four columns supporting the ceiling. This square area was likely covered originally by a dome, known in Arabic sources as the Qubba al-'Ulyā ("High Dome"), which may have featured colored glass windows akin to the Mirador de Lindaraja in the Palace of the Lions. Beneath this dome, the Sultan’s throne likely rested on a carpet. However, the dome was dismantled around 1540 to construct an upper-floor room, leaving the space without its original vertical emphasis.

circa 1250-1350 CE

Interior Decorative Elements of Mexuar
The room’s interior walls are decorated with intricatvibrant tilework. The central columns support stucco muqarnas capitals (inspect), transitioning to a wooden ceiling whose central section is a later addition, though the peripheral ceilings retain their Nasrid geometric designs. The original polychromatic decoration of the marble capitals on the columns is still visible. The window shutters, dating to the 16th-century chapel conversion, further reflect the hall's layered history.

On the northern side of the hall lies a rectangular annex that was initially space but was integrated into the main hall during the 16th-century conversion. A wooden gallery, added above this space, served as the choir, with its railing still visible today. The walls of this annex are adorned with zellij mosaic tilework, repurposed from other parts of the Alhambra. The mosaics feature star-shaped geometric patterns with central emblems, including the Nasrid motto, "And there is no victor but God," alongside symbols such as the double-headed eagle and the coat of arms of the Christian governors of the Alhambra.

The Sala del Mexuar exemplifies the layered transformations of the Alhambra, reflects Nasrid origins and its subsequent adaptation during the Christian period. It remains a critical locus for understanding the interplay of governance, architecture, and cultural exchange in the history of the Iberian Peninsula.

circa 1250-1350 CE

South Entrance
The southern entrance, now used by visitors, is located on the south side and likely dates from the remodeling of Muhammad V (circa 1362-1391 CE). This doorway of this entrance is surrounded by stucco decoration (inspect )and surmounted by an ornate wooden eave, but the tilework of its lower walls has been lost.

The upper most register of the inscription reads:

O! sublime royal dias, how marvellous is your design
Openly you went to an overwhelming victory
And good works and actions
It is a monument of the Imam Muhammad
The shadow of God stooping over all of us

circa 1250-1350 CE

Oratory
Within the Alhambra complex, alongside the Great Mosque, several oratories served as sacred spaces for the Sultan, his family, and the Court. Among these, a notable oratory, located on the northeastern edge of the courtyard and accessible via a private passage from the Bahw an-Naṣr, holds particular historical and architectural interest. This intimate prayer room, reserved for the Sultan, features a mihrab (a niche indicating the direction of Mecca) and double-arched windows that offer breathtaking views of the landscape and city below, reminiscent of the oratory in the Partal Palace.

The mihrab and the walls of the chamber are adorned with intricately carved stucco featuring arabesque motifs. An inscription on the mihrab includes an excerpt from verse 205 of the seventh surah (Al-A'raf) of the Qur'an, underscoring the room's spiritual significance. The design of the windows allowed worshippers to kneel on the floor, resting their arms on the window sills, while contemplating the surrounding beauty—a deliberate architectural feature that facilitated reflection on the majesty of nature and the divine.

Originally, the oratory's ground level corresponded to the height of the stone bench beneath its windows. However, during restoration efforts between 1868 and 1889, the room was incorporated into the Sala del Mexuar by knocking down part of the wall to create a connecting doorway. The floor level was also lowered during this process, as evidenced by the elevated ledge below the windows and at the base of the mihrab. The oratory was restored once more in 1917, preserving its essential features and historical integrity.

In 1590, the oratory had suffered extensive damage when a nearby powderhouse explosion destroyed the room. Its subsequent restorations have ensured its survival as a significant monument within the Alhambra. The inscriptions within the oratory, including those that praise Muhammad V, continue to resonate with its original purpose. A poignant exhortation reads: "Come to prayer. Don't be one of the negligent people!".