Spain under the Moors

This article appeared in The Leela Magazine for the Winter ’23 edition. You can see the original digital print here.

Spain is a fascinating country, but undoubtedly the most enthralling region is the southernmost province of Andalucía. While it is famous for its flamenco and bullfighting, the most important reason to visit Andalucía is the stunning architectural and cultural legacy of the Moorish empire that lasted from the early 8th century to the late 15th century. The Moors crossed over from Africa at Gibraltar in 711 AD and quickly swept across Iberia.

Thus began the Golden Age of Al-Andalus during which Spanish culture flourished through the infusion of Islamic art, music and poetry. Some of the greatest monuments of human civilisation like the Alhambra in Granada and La Mezquita in Cordoba were built during the Moorish period. The fame
and influence of Al-Andalus spread far beyond the borders of Spain, with its major cities recognised as great centres of learning, renowned for their art and architecture, and envied for their great wealth. Moorish power began waning after 1031 when Christian forces drove out the Muslim Arabs during the Reconquista. In 1492, Granada, the seat of the Nasrids, the last Muslim dynasty in Al-Andalus, fell to the combined forces of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon.

While Andalucía is a large region with much to offer, we will limit ourselves to Seville, Cordoba and Granada, the three great cities that should be at the top of any first-time visitor’s list.

Seville

To the northwest of Malaga and a two-hour train ride away lies Seville, capital of Andalucía. Seville brilliantly captures the joyous spirit and cultural diversity of the region, showcasing the greatest achievements of the co-existing Muslim and Christian civilisations: the Real Alcazar, the Cathedral of Seville, and the Giralda.

The Real Alcazar (royal palace) epitomises the fusion of cultures and architectural styles that marked the Golden Age of Al-Andalus. It is the oldest living palace in Europe where the Spanish royal family still stays when they are in town. The complex is a fascinating amalgam of architectural styles left by the dynasties that ruled Seville, starting with the Moorish (11th to 12th century), ranging through the Gothic, Mudejar, Renaissance, and ending with the Baroque (17th century). Visitors can walk through magnificent salons with tiled walls and intricate plasterwork, courtyards with beautiful pools, and
delightful gardens.

The pièce de resistance of the Alcazar is the Mudejar Palace which was built for Pedro of Castile in the 1360s when the complex reached its zenith. By this time, the Moorish rulers were in decline and the Spanish Catholic kings were ascendant. Mudejar refers to Moors who lived under Catholic domination but were allowed to keep their religion. Pedro, being a great admirer of Islamic art and culture, built a spectacular new palace inside the Alcazar with the help of Mudejar artisans. The resplendent Salón de los Embajadores (Hall of Ambassadors) was designed to impress visiting emissaries with its stunning gold mirrored cupola representing the heavens and its intricate tile and stucco work. This hall opens out onto an elaborate arcade, the Patio de Las Donacellas (Maidens Courtyard), with its sunken gardens, white marble columns with elaborate stucco arches, and long elegant pool.

The Christian riposte to the Alcazar lies a stone’s throw away. Santa Maria de la Sede, built on the site of the great Aljama mosque, is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, designed to stun with its size and magnificence. The external façade is so imposing that I could not see clearly all the way to the top, and the true power and glory of the Catholic cathedral is only apparent when you step inside. The ultimate masterpiece is a giant retablo comprising 45 carved scenes from the life of Christ, the largest and richest altar piece in the world. Also noteworthy is the casket of Christopher Columbus, carried aloft by four larger-than-life pall-bearers representing the kingdoms of Castille, Aragon, Navarre and Leon.

Exit the cathedral at the back, pass through the last remaining Moorish garden, and climb La Giralda, the bell tower of Seville Cathedral, for some panoramic views of Seville. The bell tower initially served as the minaret of the Aljama mosque, calling the faithful to prayer. But rather than pulling it down, the later Christian conquerors transformed it by surmounting it with a belfry and a bronze weathervane representing faith.

Cordoba

A forty-minute train ride northeast of Seville is Cordoba, home to La Mezquita, the greatest mosque built by the Moors. Abdar-Rahman, the first Moorish conqueror of Andalucía, made Cordoba his new capital and started building the new mosque in 785 AD to celebrate the creation of this new Islamic state. Subsequent Muslim rulers expanded the original rectangular plan so that the completed structure was one of the largest in the Islamic world at the time.

Stepping into the mosque, one is struck by a sense of infinite space, with rows and rows of columns of granite, jasper and marble surmounted by red-and-white striped arches, which in turn support a flat roof, decorated with gold and polychromatic motifs. I wandered around, feeling like a pilgrim who had entered a serene oasis in the desert and passing through a forest of date palms. The most exquisite decoration in the whole complex is found in the mihrab (prayer niche), a small octagonal recess roofed with a single block of white marble that is carved in the form of a shell. Its walls are inlaid with gold mosaic tiling in the Byzantine style and decorated with inscriptions from the Koran.

When Cordoba fell to the Christians in 1236, its new rulers did not immediately raze the mosque but consecrated it as a cathedral and continued to use it as such with the addition of a couple of royal chapels. In 1523, Carlos I gave permission to rip out the heart of La Mezquita and build a grand Catholic cathedral in its place. The cathedral took nearly 250 years to complete, irrevocably altering the profile of La Mezquita. Today you can admire the main chapel’s rich jasper and red marble retablo, the choir box and its fine mahogany stalls and pulpits, and the magnificent Gothic adornments that cover the walls and ceilings.

Granada

Our sojourn through Andalusia ends in Granada, about a twohour train ride southeast of Cordoba. This last great redoubt of the Moors finally fell to Christian forces in 1492. The last Moorish dynasty, the Nasrids, had built a magnificent fortified palace in 1238 called the Alhambra (The Red Palace) on the top of a spur of the Sierra Nevada that protrudes into the main town of Granada. The name probably derived from the reddish colour of the rammed earth of which the outer walls were built. Begin with a quick tour of the Alhambra’s oldest part, the Alcazar (fortified palace), of which only the ramparts and towers now remain, but which afford the best views of Granada.

Next up, see the stunning Nasrid royal palaces and their magnificent foyers, halls, and patios where Islamic art and architecture reached their zenith. The palaces are divided into three sections: one for everyday business; the next, more secluded section for affairs of state and official entertainment; and the last being the private apartments of the king and his household. Water, an important element of Islamic architecture, is present everywhere in fountains, pools, and channels — as much a part of the design as wood, tile, and stone.

The riches of the Nasrid palaces are endless, but three highlights definitely worth seeing are: Sala del Mexuar (Council Hall), where the sultan administered justice to his subjects. Its four majestic columns are surmounted by muqarnas (ornamented vaulting) and a carved ceiling layered with gold motifs; Salón de los Embajadores (Hall of the Ambassadors), the grandest and most opulent room in the palaces. Its domed ceiling is made of over 8,000 cedar pieces set in an intricate star pattern representing the seven heavens of Islam; and Patio de los Leones (Courtyard of the Lions), surrounded by an ornately decorated gallery supported by 124 slender white marble columns and a fountain in the centre supported by 12 marble lions with water pouring out of their mouths.