After centuries of Roman rule (they called it Hispalis) followed by Vandal and Visigoth raids and occupations, Seville was taken by Moors in 712.
Moorish influence is still visible. The cathedral's bell tower, the Giralda, belonged to a 12th century mosque; when built, it was allegedly the world's tallest building and had ramps instead of stairs (so the Muezzin could ride a horse to the top). The Christian belfry was added in 1568 and is topped with a statue, El Giraldillo, representing Faith.
Just across the plaza is the reason for this post, the Alcazar -- the 12th century palace (originally a 10th century fort) of the Almohad (Berber-Muslims from Morocco) rulers.
After the Christian reconquest of 1248, the Alcazar became the Royal Palace. Additions and reconstructions over the centuries make the Alcazar a melting pot of Arab, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles.
You enter through the Puerta del León:
Stroll through and be amazed:
What you're seeing are examples of the so-called Mudejar style -- Iberian Islamic motifs and craftsmanship in the service of Christian patrons. The Alcazar's best example is the Palacio de Don Pedro: in the mid-14th century Pedro the Cruel, a Christian king, had this palace built with the help of workers and designers employed by his long-time ally Mohammed V of Granada. (Read about medieval Christian-Islamic rivalries in Spain and the Levant some time -- rulers often feared their co-religionists more than their ostensible 'enemies'.)
Underscoring the multicultural nature of the project are inscriptions on the facade such as "Don Pedro, by the grace of God, king of Castilla and León" in Spanish and "there is no conqueror but Allah" in Arabic.Other Arabic inscriptions throughout the palace call Pedro "sultan".
Here's the Patio de las Doncellas (Patio of the Maidens), so-called because of a legend that the Moors demanded a tribute of 100 virgins every year from the neighboring Christian enclaves. Needless to say, this story became propaganda in support of the Reconquista movement.
The sunken garden was discovered underneath 16th-century marble flooring in 2004 (meaning that I never saw it like this, but you can):
The Patio de las Muñecas (Patio of the Dolls) is named for two little faces that adorn its arches.
The Salón de Embajadores (Hall of the Ambassadors) was Pedro I’s throne room; it's best known for a starred wooden dome, made in 1427:
Leading into the Salón de Embajadores is the Arco de Pavones, named after its peacock motifs.
See, peacocks!
Here's the other side (I think, it's often hard to tell):
Random ceiling decoration...
and wall decoration:
The Casa de la Contratación (Contracting House) was where all trade with Spain’s American colonies was transacted and regulated. For almost 200 years Seville was the only port that serviced trade with the New World -- the city grew very rich in those heady times.
Inside is the Sala de Audiencias (Audience Hall, now a chapel), said to be where Colombus met with Ferdinand and Isabella after his second voyage. It now contains Alejo Fernández’ 1530s painting Virgen de los Mareantes (Virgin of the Sailors), one of the first paintings to illustrate the discovery of the Americas...
and The Man himself:
The addendum to all this is that the area containing the cathedral, Giralda, and Alcazar is called Santa Cruz -- it has the main sights and is just a litle bit touristic.
However, it's also quite pleasant with its narrow alleys,
hanging gardens,
and al fresco dining:
After Seville was conquered by the Christians (1248, remember?), Ferdinand III of Castile put all the city's Jews into this labyrinthine neighborhood. Later on, the 1492 expulsion of Jews from Spain led to the area's decline. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Santa Cruz got a tourist-oriented remodeling -- bringing with it the 'Barber of Seville' cliches we associate with southern Spain.
(PS. All photos are from the web, my visit was in the pre-digital era.)
