The Heart of Andalucia

A view of Seville from the bridge over the Guadalquivir river. The bullring is in the foreground and the Giralda can be seen as the tallest building.

The winds were apparently coming off the Sahara Desert - that's what they told me after 4 days of 40 degree heat. Altogether I had 5 days in Seville. Seville is in the middle of the district called Andalucia. To me it's the true or at least, stereotypical, Spain; bullfighting, flamenco, gazpacho, ornate tiles - you name it. It's also incredibly hot and dry - like an Adelaide summer. It is my favourite city in Spain.

Seville was taken over by the Moors in 712 and reconquered in 1248. It was a hugely propserous city due to imports from the New World until the silting up of the Guadalquivir river left the city in relative economic decline.

Plaza Espana

In 1929 Seville hosted the Spanish-American Exhibition and numerous buildings were constructed for the exhibition. I am not sure that the exhibition actually went ahead as the crash of 1929 came just at the wrong time. Apparently it's Moorish Revival Architecture.

Torre del Oro

The Torre del Oro was a defensive position on the river and also the treasury of returning gold from South America (hence its name).

The Giralda

The Cathedral is the third largest in the world and was built in the 15th Century. It was built on the site of the original mosque left by the Moors. The Cathedral reused some columns and elements from the mosque, and, most famously, the Giralda, originally a minaret, was converted into a bell tower. It is topped with a statue, known locally as El Giraldillo, representing Faith. The tower's interior was built with ramps rather than stairs, to allow people to ride to the top (it can fit three horses side-by-side!).

The Cathedral and Giralda

The huge Gothic Cathedral of Sevilla

The Moorish styled Alcazar

The Alcazar is the moorish palace in Seville. It shows all the arabic influences in the designa nd arch work etc. Apparently it is still used by King Juan Carlos of Spain.

The moorish architecture and design is obvious in the arches of the Alcazar

The Garden of the Alcazar

I have no idea what this room was but the reflection off the water made for a good photograph. It is in the cellar of the Alcazar so I assume it was some sort of storage facility.