Real Alcazar

Sam and I went on a tour of the famous Real Alcazar, the royal palace in Seville. This famous palace is a spectacular remnant of the glory days of the Spanish Empire. Seville was the port from which Spain launched every trip into the new world bringing back gold, silver and precious cargo of all kinds which brought untold wealth through the port of Seville into the court of the king in this city.

The royal palace is built in architecture (known as Mudejar) unique to Seville, which is a special combination of Muslim and Christian influences. The Almohads, Muslims, had taken Seville in 712 and controlled it until 1248, about five centuries. They had built a palace for the Sultan of their Caliphate. When King Ferdinand freed the city, he was so impressed with the luxury of the Sultan that he wanted a palace built fit for a Sultan. So he brought in artisans and builders from Granada, which was still under Muslim control, and they built the palace in a unique mix of Muslim and Christian architecture and art.

The court of the king is luxurious and huge. The top story of the palace is not open to the public because the current king and queen maintain that story for the royal family in case they wish to stay there when in Seville. The current king has not used it, but the previous king did from time to time. It does require the whole palace to be closed down.

The palace was declared a World Heritage site, along with the Giraldo, in 1987. The palace is so unique and special that it has been used in quite a few movies and TV shows which are set in the Middle Ages. Ridley Scott directed a movie about Jerusalem called The Kingdom of Heaven which used the Palace and its grounds to depict Jerusalem. Also, the Game of Thones TV show was shot here. Apparently, the whole palace had to be closed to the public for two weeks for that shoot.

We spent a couple of hours in the palace but felt we could be spent longer there. The gardens are beautiful as well and represent the gardens of many parts of the world, as the kind received gifts of plants from many countries and these were used to build gardens characteristic of those countries within the palace walls.

The Muslims love to include lots of water fountains and greenery in their courtyards, to create a kind of paradise, and these are found throughout the palace and its grounds.

The Real Alcazar is not to be missed on any visit to beautiful Seville.Read more