The Tower of Comares, built by Yusuf I, is 45 meters of intentional intimidation — the most imposing structure in the palace complex. Inside, the Throne Room ceiling is a cosmological diagram of the seven heavens of Islamic paradise, assembled from 8,017 interlocking cedar pieces. Sultans received ambassadors here. The effect was probably the point.
© Sharon Mollerus, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons