Who Were the Abencerrages?

Who Were the Abencerrages?

First all all why are we asking this question? 

As you go around the Nasrid palaces in Granada you will get to the Hall of the 2 Sisters and opposite is the Hall of the Abencerrages.
On the floor is a large flat fountain. On the fountain is a rust stain covering part of the marble basin. If you have a guide they will tell you that  the stain is a bloodstain left by the slain Abencerrages. This post tells you who they were. As you will see, life in the Alhambra was similar to "The game of Thrones". 

The Abencerrages (or Abencerrajes in Spanish) were a noble Muslim family or clan in medieval Granada, especially prominent during the time of the Nasrid dynasty, the last Muslim rulers of Al-Andalus (southern Spain). They’ve become legendary in Andalusian history and literature, partly due to romanticized stories about their fate within the Alhambra.

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 Who were they?

• Noble Moors of North African descent, believed to have settled in Granada in the 13th or 14th century.
• Served as warriors, courtiers, and influential figures at the Nasrid court.
• Their name likely comes from Arabic: Ibn al-Sarr?j, meaning “son of the saddler” or “armorer.”

The Legend of Their Tragic End

The most famous (though possibly fictional) story goes like this:

• The Abencerrages were caught in a deadly feud with the rival Zegríes clan.
• One of the Abencerrages allegedly fell in love with a Nasrid princess, sparking jealousy and scandal at court.
• The reigning Sultan—sometimes said to be Boabdil or his father Muley Hacén—invited them to the Alhambra under false pretenses.
• Once there, 36 Abencerrage knights were massacred in a hall of the palace, now called the Sala de los Abencerrajes (Hall of the Abencerrages).
• A reddish stain on the fountain in that hall is said to be their blood—though it's really just mineral staining.

Legacy

• The Abencerrages became symbols of noble honor, betrayal, and tragedy in Spanish literature and folklore.
• They appear in the 16th-century epic "Guerras civiles de Granada" by Ginés Pérez de Hita.
• Their story inspired European poets, novelists, and composers during the Romantic period.

 

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Last Modified on April 12th, 2025
Created on April 12th, 2025
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