Parkour stunt destroys Granada’s protected Alhambra pillar causing €12,000 damage

Five visitors spent a mere 17 minutes inside one of the restricted corners of Granada’s Alhambra, but that was long enough for one of them to bring down a protected and historical archaeological pillar while apparently filming a parkour stunt. Police are now trying to work out who they were. 

CCTV cameras captured the group’s entire visit

Security cameras at the Alhambra recorded five people entering through the Puerta de la Justicia (Gate of Justice) at 4.09pm on Friday August 28, according to the Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife, the body that manages the site. They made their way to the Casa del Mufti, a non-public archaeological area next to the Palacio de Carlos V (Palace of Charles V) that holds protected remains not normally open to visitors.

One jump was enough to destroy a protected pillar 

Footage reviewed by Alhambra staff appears to show the group setting up a camera to film themselves performing jumps in the restricted zone, followed by one of them knocking down an archaeological pillar in the process, the Patronato said. 

The whole visit lasted just 17 minutes, while cameras showed the group leaving through the Puerta de los Carros (Gate of the Carts) and the Torre de las Cabezas (Tower of the Heads) at around 4.26pm, apparently without realising, or without stopping to report, what they had left behind.

Visitors alerted staff before the group could slip away unnoticed

Other people touring the Alhambra that afternoon noticed what was happening and told site staff, who confirmed the damage once the group had already gone. By the time security reviewed the CCTV footage in full, the five had left the grounds and had not been identified. No description of the individuals has been made public. 

Alhambra reports €12,000 in damage to the National Police 

The Patronato filed a formal complaint with the National Police on Monday August 31, handing over the security footage as evidence. Architects working for the Alhambra put the cost of repairing the pillar at around €12,000, based on an initial assessment of the archaeological damage. The figure could change once a full restoration plan is drawn up.

The National Police have opened an investigation, but no arrests have been made and the five have not yet been identified.

Millions visit the Alhambra each year, but this corner was off-limits

The Alhambra was Andalucía’s most-visited monument in 2025, drawing close to 2.7 million tourists, and remains one of the most recognisable sites in Spain. The Casa del Mufti, however, sits outside the areas open to paying visitors, and its archaeological remains are protected under Spanish heritage law. The Alhambra, along with the neighbouring Generalife gardens, has held UNESCO World Heritage status since 1984.