Holiday in Spain 西班牙假期

Seville

What the three Andalusian cities have in common is a rich Moorish cultural heritage, since the region was under almost 800 years of Arab rule (roughly from 700 to 1500). Today, Moorish art and architecture is still everywhere, and has become the main tourist attraction of the region.

I took the fast train from Madrid to Seville (Sevilla in Spanish). Orange trees were everywhere, and in late March, the city was full of the scent of orange flower.

The following photos show what travel guidebooks refer to as the "Cathedral and Giralda". It has three main parts. The first is the Cathedral, the largest Gothic church in the world, which was built on the original site of a mosque. The second is the Patio lined with oranges trees (The patio is an important part of Moorish buildings and homes. More on this later). The third is the Giralda, a tower structure which was the minaret of the original mosque.

(1) & (2) - The outside and inside of the Cathedral
(3) - The Patio, as seen from the Giralda
(4) - The Giralda at night
(5) & (6) - Two views of Seville from the Giralda

The second major attraction is the Real Alcazar, the royal palace. The Alcazar was the palace of the Moorish ruler, later taken over by the Christian king.

Although I hate bull fighting, the whitewashed Maestranza bullring was nevertheless worth visiting.

Other photos of Seville:
(1) - Looking up inside the Cathedral
(2) - An enclosed pool structure inside the Real Alcazar, providing a magical view
(3) - Arches of the Plaza de Espana
(4) - The patio of a 5-star hotel
(5) - The front entrance of someone's home
(6) - Torre del Oro, an octagonal tower near the river