The smoke from street vendors roasting chestnuts hangs in the air on a rainy winter day in Seville. Click on image for larger view. Photo ©Mike Randolph
Tag Archives | seville
Not in Cairo Anymore
Seville’s Plaza de España was built for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition World’s Fair, and is regarded as a shining example of Neo-Mudéjar architecture. While not strictly Islamic, it was good enough for legendary film director David Lean to use as a stand-in for the officer’s club in Cairo in his epic motion picture Continue Reading →
Mudéjar Reflections
Seville’s Alcázar is Europe’s oldest royal palace still in use. Originally built by Almohad Berber-Muslims, the fortress was expanded by later Christian kings and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hidden underneath the palace are the Baths of Lady María de Padilla, above, which were used to collect rainwater. Photo ©Mike Randolph
The coolest street in Seville
The narrow, serpentine streets of Seville were not designed that way by accident. Building houses close together on winding streets has an advantage that anyone who has been to Seville in the summer will be able to appreciate–avoiding the ferocious Andalusian sun. Direct sunlight never penetrates the alleys for long, if at all, and that helps keep the houses as cool as possible.
Echos of Islam
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Geometric patterns decorate the entrance to a bar in Seville, recalling the influence of eight centuries of Islamic rule in Spain. Photo ©Mike Randolph