The Knights of Columbus were created as an alternative for Catholic men who were advised not to join the Freemasons. The Order of Alhambra was created in the image of the Shrine for the same reasons, but rather than play on the middle-eastern themes as the Shrine had done, the Catholics chose to concentrate on their victory over the Moors in Spain , near the castle Alhambra, who’s red tower is prominently featured in their symbols of the group.
William Harper Bennett founded the Order of Alhambra on February 29, 1904, in Brooklyn, New York as a Catholic fraternal and social association. It was named after the Alhambra, a Moorish palace in Granada, Spain; where the Moors surrendered to Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492, after occupying Spain for almost 800 years. Within sight of the Alhambra’s red towers the saintly Columbus received the first favorable reply to his lifelong prayers for assistance to embark on his voyage of discovery. The Order, in addition to adopting the name of the Moorish palace, uses the colorful Oriental costuming and settings. The emblem of the Order is the red tower of Castile surmounting the crescent of the Saracen typifying the triumph of Christianity over the Moors. The Fez worn by members of the Order has this emblem as its prominent centerpiece
The structure of the Order comprises its members, who are known as Sir Nobles after experiencing a qualifying ceremonial. Groupings of members are designated as Caravans with a name of Moorish origin, and a number. Caravans currently exist in the United States and Canada. The governing body of the Order is the Supreme Divan, which meets biennially. The Supreme Divan comprises representatives from all Caravans and Supreme Officers. One of the major functions of the Supreme Divan is to elect the Supreme Officers who supervise the operations of the Order between Supreme Divan meetings. Supreme Officers collectively are known as the Council of Viziers, which in commonly used terminology is the Board of Directors. A Headquarters Office is located in Baltimore, Maryland. Its permanent staff, headed by an Executive Secretary, provides administrative support for the Order, its caravans, committees and Supreme Officers. Caravans are grouped by their regions and are governed by Grand Divans, which are the officers elected by the caravan membership, annually. Membership is open to any Catholic male 18 years of age or older who is in good standing in the Catholic church.