Tower of the Seven Floors

The Tower of the Seven Floors (Torre de los Siete Suelos), on the southern part of the fortress, was the most important entrance to the Alhambra. The Muslims called it Bib «al-Gudur», which means Gate of the Wells, because of the dungeons that existed in the fields that were in front of the tower, which were used to keep prisoners.

The tradition says that Boabdil, the last Nasrid king, came out through this gate to give the keys of the Alhambra to the Catholic Monarchs and that he asked them not to allow anyone to use it again and therefore to close it down for ever.

Its current name comes from the belief that there are seven underground floors under the bastion that defends it. Only two underground floors have actually been discovered. They have cylindrical vaults with skylights and portholes on their walls.

The tower was built after the gate, which is thought to date from the same period as the Justice Gate (Puerta de la Justicia), because on top of the lintel of both gates the same sentence can be read: «Only God is Victor».