Charles Steinberg, age 15, of Rutland, Vt., for his question:

WHEN WAS THE ALHAMBRA PALACE BUILT?

One of the moat famous buildings in the world is the palace fortress called the Alhambra which is built on a hill in Granada, Spain. Considered to be the finest example of Moorish art in Europe, construction took from 1248 to 1354.

The beauty of the Alhambra palace lies in the decorations of the inner courts and halls. Plaster moldings laced with foliage cover the walls and ceilings.

The Alhambra's Court of the Lions and its fountain are famous.

Moorish kings of Granada built the Alhambra on the site of an older fortress. The name "Alhambra" is the Arabic word for "the red." It probably came from the red bricks of which the outer wail is made.

Thirteen towers rise from the outer wall. The wall encloses the 35 acres on which the palace and its grounds stand.

The Alhambra was the last stronghold of the Moors against the Christians in Europe. In 1492, it was captured by the armies of the Spanish rulers, Ferdinand and Isabella.

An account of the Alhambra can be found in Washington Irving's book called "The Alhambra."