The Alcazar
 
 
What a magnificent palace! The Alcazar is a construction undertaken at the end of the 12th century. It certainly emphasizes the grandeur of the Moorish period in Spain. Subsequently it was used by Spain's Christian rulers who luxuriated in the wonderful architectural legacy that the Moors had left.
 
We entered the Alcazar through a nondescript portal--at least it didn't seem inspiring to me--and immediately came upon a pleasant garden. But, as we toured the grounds, we discovered several very imposing passageways for entrance and exit. The arched gate on the left provides access to the gardens. The castellated portico on the right eventually leads to various rooms and buildings within.

 
This beautiful court yard (below) is the oldest part of the Alcazar. It shows how the architecture helped to deal with the climate. The height of the structure and the promenade area behind the arches allows shade even when the summer sun is high over head. The tiled surfaces also help to keep the occupants cool in the summer's heat. When the seasons changed and the weather got chilly, more use was made of the second floors.

 
Here are the harem quarters (below on the left). A balcony with lattice windows surrounds the room. The lattice-work allows the palace's principal occupant to discreetly indulge in voyeuristic pastimes. This kind of sheltered viewing balcony appears to have been a common feature of harem quarters in other palaces as well. We encountered such construction again when we toured in Morocco.

 
Katy O'Leary said, "When you stop, look up!" This is why. Beautifully tiled ceilings were commonplace in buildings constructed according to eastern tastes. Here's a typical example of a beautifully finished palace ceiling. Wow! And the adjacent photo shows that ornate windows were also a standard feature of palace construction.

 
Was the Alcazar fancy throughout? You bet! Even the stables (most recently serving as a garage area) were elaborately tiled!
 
Seville's Royal Palace was the first of several eastern-style, heavily tiled structures used by political leaders and sovereigns that we were to see during our travels. But what an introduction! Our visit gave us a superb "first taste" of eastern splendor.


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