Alcázar of the Caliphs (Córdoba)
The Alcázar of the Caliphs or Caliphal Alcázar, also known as the Umayyad Alcázar[1] and the Andalusian Alcazar of Cordoba,[2] was a fortress-palace (alcázar) located in Córdoba, in present-day Spain. It was the seat of the government of Al-Andalus and the residence of the emirs and caliphs of Córdoba from the 8th century until the 11th century and the residence of local Muslim governors from the 11th century until the Christian conquest in 1236. The site was composed of heterogeneous constructions ranging from the private residences of the rulers and their households to the government offices and administrative areas. Today, only minor remains of the palace have survived, including the Caliphal Baths which have been converted into a museum. The rest of the site is occupied by later structures including the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, the Episcopal Palace, the Seminary of San Pelagio, and the Campo Santos de los Mártires public square.[2]
History
When the Visigoths fell to the
The Umayyads fell to the
Abd ar-Rahman I and his successors (who eventually declared a new
In the 10th century the official seat of government was moved to a new palace complex,
Description
Location and size
The palace complex covered a large area situated to the southwest of the
Gates
Of the configuration of the Alcázar we know only few details including the names of some of its renowned palaces and gardens thanks to historians like
Ibn Bashquwal names at least three additional gates: Bab el-Jinan ("Gate of the Garden"), Bab al-Quriya or Bab al-Qariya ("Village Gate"), and Bab al-Jami' ("Gate of the Mosque").[4] Bab al-Jinan was another southern gate, above which a reception pavilion was built which gave views over the river.[3] Bab al-Jami' was a gate near the sabbat passage, facing the mosque.[3] A number of other gate names are also attested which historians have attempted to locate. These include Bab al-'Adil ("Gate of Justice"), Bab al-Wadi ("Gate of the River"), Bab al-Ishbiliya ("Gate of Seville"), Bab al-Siba' ("Gate of the Lion"), Bab al-Asad, and Bab al-Hammam ("Gate of the Bathhouse").[2][3] Bab al-'Adil, a gate located at the southeast corner of the palaces (near the mosque), was known as the Gate of Justice because this is where citizens would present their petitions to the emir and the latter would dispense justice.[4][3] Bab al-Hammam, as its name suggests, was located near the Caliphal Baths (or hammam) to the north. Bab al-Ishbiliya, as its name also implies, was located to the east (facing Seville), as was Bab al-Siba'.[3][2]
Interior layout
Inside the walls, the layout of the Alcazar is only roughly known, with more information available about its arrangement during the emirate period than during the caliphal period.[3] There were numerous structures and pavilions which housed the residences of the rulers as well as the offices of the state's administration. The Dar al-Wuzara ("House of the Viziers" or "House of the Ministries") was an official building located near Bab al-Sudda.[3]: 22 The main audience hall or throne room, the Majlis al-Kamil (roughly, "Perfect Hall"), was located nearby. The grounds also included extensive gardens, of which one was the Rawda, the royal cemetery or necropolis, located near the Bab al-Jinan ("Gate of the Garden").[2] This garden was encompassed by the Dar al-Rawda ("Garden Palace") a palace built by Abd ar-Rahman I[3] (if not by Abd ar-Rahman III[2]). The emirs and caliphs buried here included Abd ar-Rahman I (d. 788), Hisham I (d. 796), Al-Hakam I (d. 822), Abd ar-Rahman II (d. 852), Muhammad I (d. 886), Abdallah (d. 912), Abd ar-Rahman III (d. 961), and the Hammudid caliph 'Ali (d. 1018). On the north side of the Dar al-Rawda was another hall or pavilion known as the Majlis al-Zahir ("Luminous Hall").[3] Lastly, the other notable buildings included the Caliphal Baths and a famous library, both created by al-Hakam II.[2] The baths were located in the northwest area of the palace complex, near the private apartments of the emirs and caliphs whom they served. Other service-oriented structures and areas were also located near here.[3]
Current status
After the Christian conquest, the complex lost its function as the center of political power and was transformed for other uses. One part of it became a religious center with the construction of the Episcopal Palace, taking advantage of the remains of the walls of the alcázar which can be seen integrated into the facade of the palace itself today, as well as part of the walls of the adjoining Palacio de los Congresos.[2] A larger part of the site was converted into the Alcazar of the Christian Kings, still present today and accessible to visitors.[18]
In addition to these remains, the only thing that is conserved of the alcázar are its baths, called Caliphal Baths, located in Campo Santo de los Mártires. As for the sabbat, it disappeared after the disappearance of the alcázar itself; however, it is still possible to see on the western facade of the mosque - almost on the corner with the north facade - a small door that gave access to the corridor behind the qibla wall.
References
- ^ ISBN 3822896322.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "The andalusi Alcazar". ArqueoCordoba. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
- ^ ISBN 9780190624552.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Marçais, Georges (1954). L'architecture musulmane d'Occident. Paris: Arts et métiers graphiques. pp. 153–154.
- S2CID 202373296.
- ^ Reed, Tony (2005). "Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos – Córdoba". Infocordoba.com. Archived from the original on 11 May 2006. Retrieved April 4, 2006.
- ISBN 9780195309911.
- S2CID 108444717.
- ISBN 9788882654337.
- ^ "Albolafia (2 o 2) - Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs | Virtual Tour". alcazardelosreyescristianos.cordoba.es. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ "Arab Baths of the Caliphal Alcázar of Córdoba - "Caliphal Baths"". Arte en Córdoba. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ "CVC. El jardín andalusí. Jardines de la Córdoba califal. Alcázar". cvc.cervantes.es. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
- ISBN 9781317870418.
- ^ Farfán, Lourdes María Morales. "Córdoba: El Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos". www.unaventanadesdemadrid.com. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
- ^ "Arab Baths of the Caliphal Alcázar of Córdoba - "Caliphal Baths"". Arte en Córdoba. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ Fatima (7 October 2014). "El sabat de la Mezquita". Arte en Córdoba (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2020-10-06.
- ^ "CVC. El jardín andalusí. Jardines de la Córdoba califal. Alcázar". cvc.cervantes.es. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
- ^ "Arab Baths of the Caliphal Alcázar of Córdoba - "Caliphal Baths"". Arte en Córdoba. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-10-04.