Rising above the modern lower town, the Alhambra and the Albaycin, situated on two adjacent hills, form the medieval part of Granada. To the east of the Alhambra fortress and residence are the magnificent gardens of the Generalife, the former rural residence of the emirs who ruled this part of Spain in the 13th and 14th centuries. The residential district of the Albaycin is a rich repository of Moorish vernacular architecture, into which the traditional Andalusian architecture blends harmoniously.