Seville

The main objective for my trip to Spain in 2018 was to see The Alhambra, a well-known palace in Granada. Seville was really only supposed to be a point of entry and a cheap way to add another city to the itinerary. I was in no way prepared for its beauty. The winding streets were full of bright colors and countless plazas. I had no idea the Real Alcázar de Sevilla even existed until the day I arrived. In the end, the 2 days spent in Seville were nowhere near enough – I left already yearning to return.

Most of the pictures here are from the Real Alcázar de Sevilla, the palace which was once the home of the King of Castille Pedro the Cruel. The most southern region of Spain is called Andalucía. It is situated just above the continent of Africa. Andalucía’s history is steeped in the religions of Islam and Christianity and this is particularly evident in its architecture and decorative elements. The word Alcázar itself ties the two cultures together. It is the Spanish word for a palace or fortress of Moorish origin and it comes from the Arabic word al qasr meaning fortress.

Real Alcázar de Sevilla

Colorful tiles adorn most walls in the Alcázar. The patterns are almost always different, though some can seem rather similar. The border at the top made of jagged triangles is a traditional Spanish pattern which can be seen in homes and tapas bars as well. Above the tiling there is often more decoration made from plaster.

The decoration didn’t stop at the walls – the ceilings are just as impressive. The golden honeycomb dome below is carved of cedar wood. It sits above the Hall of Ambassador’s which was once the throne room. I find it difficult to believe the dome is truly wooden. I would just as readily accept that it was carved from gold or honey itself.

This is an up close photo of the honeycomb dome of the Hall of Ambassadors which you can see in full above. I had not noticed the castles and lions in the center of the dome until after I cropped the photo for this album. The attention to detail in the Alcázar is breathtaking. I spent hours walking around in silence admiring every room I entered. I could have easily spent days wandering around seeing something new with each visit.

If you take a moment to look through the plaster work below you can see that many of the patterns are in fact Arabic words. In other areas of the Alcázar you may also find Latin inscriptions. Some of the text simply repeats “The Empire for God” and “There is no Conqueror but God”.

Spanish Courtyards

These first 3 photos are just a few of the many courtyards in the Alcázar. The palace may have some of the most expensive courtyards, but there are plenty more that can be seen throughout Andalucía. In fact, there are courtyards all over Spain. Courtyards themselves are part of the traditional architecture of the region.

Córdoba, another city in Andalucía, celebrates their Courtyards Festival every year in May. This festival was declared part of Córdoba’s Intangible World Heritage by UNESCO in 2012. During the festival, many private courtyards in the historic quarter are open to the public. The owners then compete for the honor of having the most beautiful courtyard in Córdoba. Perhaps next time I’ll try to visit Andalucía in May.

Pictured last is the courtyard of the boutique hotel El Rey Moro. It is my favorite of the courtyards I visited while in Seville probably because of my affection for plants.

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