The Alcázar of Jerez de la Frontera is a former

Moorish The term Moor is an exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a single, distinct or self-defi ...

, now housing a park, in

Jerez de la Frontera Jerez de la Frontera () or simply Jerez, also cited in old English-language sources as , is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Sp ...

, in the South of Spain. It was declared a

Bien de Interés Cultural (, , , ) is a category of the heritage register in Spain. The term is also used in Colombia and other Spanish-speaking countries. The term literally means a "good of cultural interest" ("goods" in the economic sense). It includes not only mater ...

in 1931. The first fortress was probably built in the 11th century, when Jerez was part of the small kingdom of the Taifa of Arcos de la Frontera, on a site settled since prehistoric times in the south-eastern corner of the city. In the 12th century, a new structure was erected to be used as both residence and fortress by the

Almohad Caliphate The Almohad Caliphate (; or or from ) or Almohad Empire was a North African Berbers, Berber Muslim empire founded in the 12th century. At its height, it controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) and North Africa (the Maghreb). Th ...

. Later, after the ''

Reconquista The ''Reconquista'' (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese for ) or the fall of al-Andalus was a series of military and cultural campaigns that European Christian Reconquista#Northern Christian realms, kingdoms waged ag ...

'', it was the seat of the first Christian mayors and its development continued with a palace and other structures. The alcázar is one of a few structures that best exemplify Almohad architecture in the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

Description

The is made up of a grossly quadrangular line of walls, with a perimeter of approximately . The Octagonal Tower was constructed in the

Almohad The Almohad Caliphate (; or or from ) or Almohad Empire was a North African Berber Muslim empire founded in the 12th century. At its height, it controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) and North Africa (the Maghreb). The Almohad ...

style, while the Palace of Villavicencio, which built in 1664, was done in

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

style. Within the is a mosque, the only remaining of the 18 once present in the city. After the Christian conquest of the fortress in 1261, it was put under the command of Nuño González de Lara. Later, it was turned into a church dedicated to the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

by King

Alfonso X of Castile Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, ; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, Kingdom of León, León and Kingdom of Galicia, Galicia from 1 June 1252 until his death in 1284. During the April 1257 Imperial election, election of 1 ...

. The

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

, still extant, was turned into a bell tower. The prayer hall, preceded by a small room of ritual ablutions, features a

mihrab ''Mihrab'' (, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "''qibla'' wall". ...

, indicating the direction of

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

, and a

rib vault A rib vault or ribbed vault is an architectural feature for covering a wide space, such as a church nave, composed of a framework of crossed or diagonal arched ribs. Variations were used in Roman architecture, Byzantine architecture, Islamic a ...

with a circular window at the top. *the Palace of the Patio de

Doña Blanca Doña Blanca (Spanish "White Lady", also known as Dona Branca in Portuguese) is a white Spanish (wine), Spanish and Portuguese wine, Portuguese grape variety that is grown primarily in the northwest Galicia (wine), Galicia region of Spain and ...

, dating to the 12th-century Islamic structure, originally a leisure pavilion *the bathhouse (''hammam''), they include an entrance area for undressing, leading to the cold and warm rooms, the latter being the largest in the complex. The final room is the hot room, whose heating system is still partially visible.

The Alcázar Complex

The defenses of the complex consisted of a double-walled design wherein a 4-meter-high

battlement A battlement, in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals ...

-topped outer wall was located 4 meters from the inner wall. That inner wall featured towers located at regular intervals; of the original towers, only 7 remain. These were mostly built using

rammed earth Rammed earth is a technique for construction, constructing foundations, floors, and walls using compacted natural raw materials such as soil, earth, chalk, Lime (material), lime, or gravel. It is an ancient method that has been revived recently ...

and brick, though there are portions that utilize stone spolia from nearby sites. The towers themselves are Albarrana Towers and attached to the wall through a short arcade rather than being built into the wall. The castle-fortress itself served as an autonomous fortified city situated within a larger fortified city. This arrangement was a commonplace feature of Almohad building practices. As such, all the essentials of both military defense and everyday civilian life were contained within its walls. These included not only living quarters, baths, and mosques but also supply warehouses and water tanks. The building of a complex of such scale was both due to the Almohad aptitude for refining the construction process to a degree comparable with that of the Romans, and to their diminished use of decorative elements as compared to previous eras.

Gallery

File:Mezquita, Alcázar, Jerez de la Frontera, España, 2015-12-07, DD 57.JPG, Mosque entrance File:Mezquita, Alcázar, Jerez de la Frontera, España, 2015-12-07, DD 58.JPG, Interior view of mosque File:Mezquita del Alcázar de Jerez (33175653405).jpg, Mihrab detail File:Jerez de la Frontera - 011 (30619959021).jpg, Courtyard outside mosque File:Muro del Alcázar, Jerez de la Frontera, España, 2015-12-07, DD 72.JPG, Superior view of the wall File:Muro del Alcázar, Jerez de la Frontera, España, 2015-12-07, DD 55.JPG, Interior view of the wall File:Muro del Alcázar, Jerez de la Frontera, España, 2015-12-07, DD 62.JPG, Watchtower File:AlcazarJerez.JPG, Gardens and Octagonal Tower File:Baños moros, Alcázar, Jerez de la Frontera, España, 2015-12-07, DD 73.jpg, Exterior view of the baths File:Baños moros, Alcázar, Jerez de la Frontera, España, 2015-12-07, DD 82-84 HDR.jpg, Interior of the baths, vaulting detail File:Palacio de Villavicencio, Alcázar, Jerez de la Frontera, España, 2015-12-07, DD 63.JPG, Palacio de Villavicencio File:Antigua farmacia municipal, Alcázar, Jerez de la Frontera, España, 2015-12-07, DD 85-87 HDR.JPG, Former municipal pharmacy, Palace of Villavicencio File:Alcázar de Jerez (32793243220).jpg, Informational plaque

Notes

References

* *Torres Balbas, Leopoldo (1981). ''Cronica de la España Musulmana''. 1–4. Spain: Instituto de España. . *Bennison, Amira (2016). ''The Almoravid and Almohad Empires''. United States: Edinburgh University Press. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Alcazar of Jerez de la Frontera Buildings and structures completed in the 12th century

Jerez Jerez de la Frontera () or simply Jerez, also cited in old English-language sources as , is a city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Located in southwestern Iberia, it lies on the Campi� ...

Former mosques in Spain Buildings and structures in Jerez de la Frontera Octagonal buildings Tourist attractions in Andalusia Castles in Andalusia Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Province of Cádiz

Description

The Alcázar Complex

Gallery

See also

Notes

References