After yesterday’s whirlwind of activities, today was a day set aside for touring the famous Real Alcazar de Sevilla (Royal Alcazar of Seville). It’s a historic royal palace and one of the official residences of the Spanish royal family (although most certainly not during the summer when temperatures soar to above 100 degrees and the palace, for all its beauty remains unairconditioned).
It was formerly the site of the Islamic-era citadel of the city, begun in the 10th century and then developed into a larger palace complex by the Abbasid dynasty (11th century) and the Almohads (12th to early 13th centuries). After the Castilian conquest of the city in 1248, the site was progressively rebuilt and replaced by new palaces and gardens.
Today it remains one of the world’s great architectural treasures and a must-see destination for tens of thousands of visitors every year - who will stand in line (if they didn’t buy tickets online well in advance) even in the middle of a scorching August heat wave!
We breezed our way through the entrance past the lines and guided ourselves through the maze of rooms and fountains and gardens and history. It was one of those experiences where every time you look up from your audio guide (conveniently downloaded onto your phone and playing on your ear buds) you saw another and then another picture book image waiting to be captured. It was a job to just take it all in as so much was there to enjoy and appreciate.
And judging by the number of tourists all sharing the same experience, I can see that the Real Alcazar de Sevilla is much beloved all over the world!
It’s a definite must see destination if you ever get the opportunity to do so.
I’m curious to hear your thoughts comparing the two after you’ve visited the Alhambra in Granada. We did them in the opposite order (Alhambra first) and the Alcazar felt like an appetizer in comparison!
ReplyDeleteI’ll let you know. But I love appetizers too. They’re kind of like tapas dishes when you think about it.
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