913 AD was when this site first became a fortified palace. Parts have survived the invasions, the change of rulers and time. It has been razed, rebuilt, remodeled and renovated ever since. It is the oldest palace currently in use. Originally build by the Islamic Moors who ruled this part of Spain, it was co-opted by later Christian Kings. Seville was one of the four kingdoms of Andalusia. These Kingdoms were gradually absorbed along with the other kingdoms of proto Spain, Aragon, Navarre and Catalonia to name a few. The building has distinct sections that differ from each other. For instance the Hall of Ambassadors is clearly Moorish with arches, ornate ceilings and tiles everywhere. This section would fit in anywhere in the middle east. There is an entirely different section that is a gothic castle that could fit in nicely in England or France. There were tapestries and religious icons everywhere. What an amazing place! We headed off to the gardens next.
A classic fortified tower
The lion's gate
Other buildings in the square where we are standing in line
Another great sunny day
So many styles of spires
The flag "NO8DO" is Seville's motto. It stands for She has not abandoned me.
Almost inside
Last look back
And we have entered
There are several different phases of this series of buildings
Starting with the Moors and the Islamic styles
We skirted around the bigger tours
Intricate tile work is a hallmark of the Moors
This was shiny and on the ceiling
A modern throne room for today's monarchy
The Moorish Style
Lots of wood accents
A display of tiles
Arches and colonnades
Irises in bloom
Covered walkways
A small hedge area leading to the gardens
The Hall of Ambassadors also featured in Game of Thrones
Tiles and Tourists
The scale is hard to capture in a photo, but this gives you a hint
Putting the "E" in elaborate
Even the shutters are works of beauty
Just a lintel...
Closer look at a shutter for this window
Tall tall tall
Another ceiling of amazing detail
The crest
You can see three different rooms all tiled up magnificently
Some tiles were simple but made great patterns
All along the walls are stretches of tile
This seemed to be plaster work
Even more detailed than the tile
A glassed in ceiling of a courtyard
Layers on layers of detail
A ceiling worthy of a Sultan
Wow!
Lots to read about
Three dimensions of fancy
We seem to be transitioning to a more European style
More Hall of Ambassadors
A chandelier can be seen in a window to the left
You can see three different rooms
A celestial ceiling
Made to impress
The chandelier from earlier
Simple but effective
Leading to a courtyard
No less impressive
Arches within arches
Different colors in this tile work
Putting real cool in Real Alcazar
Everywhere we looked the detail was there for closer inspection
Wine anyone?
Big tiles
An older looking wooden ceiling
The doors were amazing
The door jam shows its true age
Another courtyard in the labyrinth
Such fine work
Is is plaster or concrete?
A huge slab of tile, possible reclaimed from older works?
The gothic castle portion of the assembly
Still tiles but different styles of tiles
More religious iconography
Tall ceilings are still the norm
Stained glass
A gate and arches
Gothic castle
An alcove overlooking the gardens
This maiden makes riding a camel look easy
A tapestry showing proto Barcelona
Another tapestry had a hunting dog
This man has his cask of wine
This man is looking for his lost cask
Off to the gardens we go
