View source for Alcázar of the Caliphs (Córdoba)

{{Short description|Royal home now government owned in Spain, designed by prominent Alcazar architect family}}
[[File:Alcazar remains cordoba (Episcopal Palace) DSCF6976.jpg|thumb|Remains of the outer wall of the Umayyad Alcazar incorporated into the façade of the [[Episcopal Palace, Cordoba|Episcopal Palace]] today]]
The '''Alcázar of the Caliphs''' or '''Caliphal Alcázar''', also known as the '''Umayyad Alcázar'''<ref name=":2" /> and the '''Andalusian Alcazar of Cordoba''',<ref name=":0" /> was a fortress-palace (''[[alcázar]]'') located in [[Córdoba, Spain|Córdoba]], in present-day [[Spain]]. It was the seat of the government of [[Al-Andalus]] and the residence of the [[Emir|emirs]] and [[Caliphate|caliphs]] of Córdoba from the 8th century until the 11th century and the residence of local Muslim governors from the 11th century until the [[Reconquista|Christian conquest]] in 1236. The site was composed of heterogeneous constructions ranging from the private residences of the rulers and their households to the government offices and administrative areas. Today, only minor remains of the palace have survived, including the [[Caliphal Baths]] which have been converted into a museum. The rest of the site is occupied by later structures including the [[Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos]], the [[Episcopal Palace, Cordoba|Episcopal Palace]], the Seminary of San Pelagio, and the ''Campo Santos de los Mártires'' public square.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=The andalusi Alcazar|url=http://www.arqueocordoba.com/en/historia/medieval/alcazar-andalusi/|access-date=2020-10-08|website=ArqueoCordoba|language=en-US}}</ref>
== History ==
When the Visigoths fell to the [[Umayyad conquest of Hispania|Muslim conquest of Hispania]] in 711, marking the beginning of [[Al-Andalus]], the governors appointed by the [[Umayyad Caliphate]] in [[Damascus]] established themselves initially in [[Seville]]. In 717 the governor, al-Ḥurr, moved the capital of al-Andalus to Cordoba, the former Visigothic capital, and moved into the former palace of the Visigothic king, known in [[Arabic]] sources as the ''Balāt al-Lūdriq''.<ref name=":322">{{Cite book|last=Arnold|first=Felix|title=Islamic Palace Architecture in the Western Mediterranean: A History|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2017|isbn=9780190624552}}</ref>{{Rp|17}} The palace was located near the [[Roman bridge of Córdoba|Roman bridge]] as well as near the first mosque of the city (which was a Christian [[basilica]] being shared with the Muslim community).<ref name=":322" />
[[File:Córdoba 2015 10 23 2593 (25944141760) (cropped).jpg|thumb|The [[Albolafia]] [[Water wheel|waterwheel]] on the banks of the [[Guadalquivir]] river, built to provide water to the Alcázar and its gardens]]
The Umayyads fell to the [[Abbasid Caliphate]] in 750 but the surviving member of the Umayyad Dynasty, [[Abd ar-Rahman I]], fled to Córdoba and established an [[Emirate of Córdoba|Umayyad Emirate]] over al-Andalus in 756. Abd ar-Rahman initially resided in several palace-[[Villa|villas]] on the outskirts of the city, most notably one called ''ar-Ruṣāfa.''<ref name=":02" /> Ar''-''Ruṣāfa may have originally been a [[Roman villa]] or a Roman-Visigothic estate which was taken over and adapted by a [[Berbers|Berber]] chieftain named Razin al-Burnusi who accompanied the original Muslim invasion by [[Tariq ibn Ziyad]] earlier that century.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Forcada|first=Miquel|date=2019|title=The garden in Umayyad society in al-Andalus|journal=Early Medieval Europe|volume=27|issue=3|pages=349–373|doi=10.1111/emed.12347|s2cid=202373296 }}</ref> After a failed plot against him in 784, Abd ar-Rahman moved his residence definitively to the site of the palace in the city, which he transformed into the new Alcázar.<ref name=":02" /> A year later he also began construction of the [[Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba|Great Mosque]] next door.<ref name=":02" />
Abd ar-Rahman I and his successors (who eventually declared a new [[Caliphate of Córdoba|Caliphate]]) built and continuously developed the Alcázar into the official royal residence and seat of power in Al-Andalus.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book|last=Marçais|first=Georges|title=L'architecture musulmane d'Occident|publisher=Arts et métiers graphiques|year=1954|location=Paris|pages=153–154}}</ref> During this period the city flourished as a key political and cultural center, and the Alcázar was expanded into a very large and widely used area with baths, gardens, and the largest library in [[Western Europe]].<ref name="infocordoba">{{cite web|last=Reed|first=Tony|year=2005|title=Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos – Córdoba|url=http://www.infocordoba.com/spain/andalusia/cordoba/cordoba_alcazar.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060511164315/http://www.infocordoba.com/spain/andalusia/cordoba/cordoba_alcazar.htm|archive-date=11 May 2006|accessdate=April 4, 2006|publisher=Infocordoba.com}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]), especially for the strong claim about the largest library.|date=December 2023}} [[Abd al-Rahman II|Abd ar-Rahman II]] was responsible for improving the water supply for both the city and the palace gardens.<ref name=":24">{{Cite book|title=The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2009|isbn=9780195309911|editor-last=M. Bloom|editor-first=Jonathan|chapter=Córdoba|editor-last2=S. Blair|editor-first2=Sheila}}</ref> He may have also built the [[Albolafia]] and other [[Noria|norias]] ([[Water wheel|waterwheels]]) along the [[Guadalquivir|Guadalquivir River]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Headworth|first=H. G.|date=2004|title=Early Arab Water Technology in Southern Spain|journal=Water and Environment Journal|volume=18|issue=3|pages=161–165|doi=10.1111/j.1747-6593.2004.tb00519.x|s2cid=108444717 |doi-access=free}}</ref> (Although the Albolafia is also attributed by historians to either the 10th century<ref>{{Cite book|last=Miranda|first=Adriana de|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D6rsB59RRZkC&q=cordoba&pg=PA55|title=Water Architecture in the Lands of Syria: The Water-wheels|publisher=L'Erma di Bretschneider|year=2007|isbn=9788882654337|pages=55}}</ref> or to the 12th century under the [[Almoravid dynasty|Almoravids]].<ref name=":34">{{Cite web|title=Albolafia (2 o 2) - Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs {{!}} Virtual Tour|url=https://alcazardelosreyescristianos.cordoba.es/?id=666&lang=3|access-date=2021-02-20|website=alcazardelosreyescristianos.cordoba.es}}</ref>) The palace complex was also equipped with a [[Turkish bath|bathhouse (''hammam'')]], known today as the [[Caliphal Baths]] (''Baños Califales''), which dates from the reign of al-Hakam II and was later expanded under the [[Almohad Caliphate|Almohads]] (12th to early 13th century).<ref name=":32">{{Cite web|title=Arab Baths of the Caliphal Alcázar of Córdoba - "Caliphal Baths"|url=https://www.artencordoba.com/en/arab-baths-caliphal-alcazar-cordoba/|access-date=2020-10-04|website=Arte en Córdoba|date=10 July 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref>
In the 10th century the official seat of government was moved to a new palace complex, [[Medina Azahara|Madinat al-Zahara]], built by Caliph [[Abd al-Rahman III|Abd ar-Rahman III]] outside the city. In spite of this move, the original Alcázar retained its importance. Abd-ar-Rahman III himself carried out many works here,<ref name=":02" /> building new water infrastructure as well as possibly the ''Dar al-Rawda'' or Garden House which, by its name, was probably located next to the ''Rawda'' cemetery and garden.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CVC. El jardín andalusí. Jardines de la Córdoba califal. Alcázar|url=https://cvc.cervantes.es/ACTCULT/jardin_andalusi/cordoba/alcazar.htm|access-date=2020-10-08|website=cvc.cervantes.es}}</ref> Madinat al-Zahara was in turn ruined during the collapse of the caliphate in the early 11th century, causing the seat of power in Cordoba to return to the Alcázar, where local governors resided under later regimes.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kennedy|first=Hugh|title=Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of al-Andalus|publisher=Routledge|year=1996|isbn=9781317870418}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web|last=Farfán|first=Lourdes María Morales|title=Córdoba: El Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos|url=https://www.unaventanadesdemadrid.com/otras-comunidades/alcazar-reyes-cristianos.html|access-date=2020-10-08|website=www.unaventanadesdemadrid.com}}</ref> Following the [[Reconquista|Christian conquest]] of the city by [[Ferdinand III of Castile|Ferdinand III]] in 1236, one part of the Alcázar was donated to the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Córdoba|bishop of Cordoba]] (today the [[Episcopal Palace, Cordoba|Episcopal Palace]]) and converted into various structures, while a large part of it was transformed into the [[Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos|Alcazar of the Christian Kings]], a royal residence of the Spanish monarchy.<ref name=":33">{{Cite web|title=Arab Baths of the Caliphal Alcázar of Córdoba - "Caliphal Baths"|url=https://www.artencordoba.com/en/arab-baths-caliphal-alcazar-cordoba/|access-date=2020-10-04|website=Arte en Córdoba|date=10 July 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref> Few traces of the original Islamic-era palaces remains today.
== Description ==
=== Location and size ===
The palace complex covered a large area situated to the southwest of the [[Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba|Great Mosque]], encompassing what is today the [[Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos]], the [[Episcopal Palace, Cordoba|Episcopal Palace]], the Seminary of San Pelagio, the ''Campo Santos de los Mártires'' public square (which now covers the Caliphal Baths), and other nearby buildings.<ref name=":0" /> The palace complex was surrounded by walls<ref name=":0" /> which enclosed an area of 39,000 square meters.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} The palaces were linked to the Great Mosque via a high covered passage (''sabbat'') which was raised over the street between them, allowing the caliph direct access to the ''[[maqsurah]]'' area of the mosque via a corridor behind the ''[[qibla]]'' wall. The first ''sabbat'' was built by the Umayyad emir [[Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Umawi|Abdallah]] (reigned 888-912) for security reasons and was replaced by [[al-Hakam II]] when he expanded the mosque.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last1=Barrucand|first1=Marianne|title=Moorish architecture in Andalusia|last2=Bednorz|first2=Achim|publisher=Taschen|year=1992|isbn=3822896322}}</ref>{{Rp|70}}<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fatima|title=El sabat de la Mezquita|url=https://www.artencordoba.com/blog/cordoba/el-sabat-de-la-mezquita/|access-date=2020-10-06|website=Arte en Córdoba|date=7 October 2014 |language=es-ES}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":322" />{{Rp|21}}
=== Gates ===
Of the configuration of the Alcázar we know only few details including the names of some of its renowned palaces and gardens thanks to historians like [[Ibn Idhari]] and Ibn Bashquwal (also reported by later historians like [[Ahmed Mohammed al-Maqqari|al-Maqqari]]).<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=CVC. El jardín andalusí. Jardines de la Córdoba califal. Alcázar|url=https://cvc.cervantes.es/ACTCULT/jardin_andalusi/cordoba/alcazar.htm|access-date=2020-10-06|website=cvc.cervantes.es}}</ref> According to Ibn Idhari there were two gates in its walls: Bab al-Hadid ("Iron Gate") and Bab al-Sudda ("Gate of the Embankment").<ref name=":02" /> Bab al-Sudda was the southern gate, facing the river, and was the main gate of the palace. It was fronted by a public square where executions and military parades took place. The gate itself included a balcony or platform (called a ''saṭḥ'') from which Caliph Abd ar-Rahman III could observe the events. The heads of executed enemies were also hung here on display and a prison stood nearby.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":322" /> The "Iron Gate" (Bab al-Hadid), located to the north, was supposedly named because its door knockers were notably looted from one of the gates of [[Narbonne]] ([[Umayyad invasion of Gaul|briefly occupied by Muslims]] in the early 8th century).<ref name=":02" />
Ibn Bashquwal names at least three additional gates: Bab el-Jinan ("Gate of the Garden"), Bab al-Quriya or Bab al-Qariya ("Village Gate"), and Bab al-Jami' ("Gate of the Mosque").<ref name=":02" /> Bab al-Jinan was another southern gate, above which a reception pavilion was built which gave views over the river.<ref name=":322" /> Bab al-Jami' was a gate near the ''sabbat'' passage, facing the mosque.<ref name=":322" /> A number of other gate names are also attested which historians have attempted to locate. These include Bab al-'Adil ("Gate of Justice"), Bab al-Wadi ("Gate of the River"), Bab al-Ishbiliya ("Gate of Seville"), Bab al-Siba' ("Gate of the Lion"), Bab al-Asad, and Bab al-Hammam ("Gate of the Bathhouse").<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":322" /> Bab al-'Adil, a gate located at the southeast corner of the palaces (near the mosque), was known as the Gate of Justice because this is where citizens would present their petitions to the emir and the latter would dispense justice.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":322" /> Bab al-Hammam, as its name suggests, was located near the [[Caliphal Baths]] (or hammam) to the north. Bab al-Ishbiliya, as its name also implies, was located to the east (facing Seville), as was Bab al-Siba'.<ref name=":322" /><ref name=":0" />[[File:Córdoba-Baños_califales-1992.jpg|alt=|thumb|The uncovered remains of the [[Caliphal Baths]] complex at the ''Campo Santos de los Mártires'' (photo from the 1990s, before the baths were converted to a museum)]]
=== Interior layout ===
Inside the walls, the layout of the Alcazar is only roughly known, with more information available about its arrangement during the [[Emirate of Córdoba|emirate]] period than during the [[Caliphate of Córdoba|caliphal]] period.<ref name=":322" /> There were numerous structures and pavilions which housed the residences of the rulers as well as the offices of the state's administration. The Dar al-Wuzara ("House of the [[Vizier|Viziers]]" or "House of the [[Ministry (government department)|Ministries]]") was an official building located near Bab al-Sudda.<ref name=":322" />{{Rp|22}} The main audience hall or throne room, the Majlis al-Kamil (roughly, "Perfect Hall"), was located nearby. The grounds also included extensive gardens, of which one was the ''Rawda'', the royal cemetery or necropolis, located near the Bab al-Jinan ("Gate of the Garden").<ref name=":0" /> This garden was encompassed by the Dar al-Rawda ("Garden Palace") a palace built by Abd ar-Rahman I<ref name=":322" /> (if not by Abd ar-Rahman III<ref name=":0" />). The emirs and caliphs buried here included Abd ar-Rahman I (d. 788), [[Hisham I of Córdoba|Hisham I]] (d. 796), [[Al-Hakam I]] (d. 822), Abd ar-Rahman II (d. 852), [[Muhammad I of Córdoba|Muhammad I]] (d. 886), Abdallah (d. 912), Abd ar-Rahman III (d. 961), and the [[Hammudid dynasty|Hammudid]] caliph [[Ali ibn Hammud al-Nasir|'Ali]] (d. 1018). On the north side of the Dar al-Rawda was another hall or pavilion known as the Majlis al-Zahir ("Luminous Hall").<ref name=":322" /> Lastly, the other notable buildings included the Caliphal Baths and a famous library, both created by al-Hakam II.<ref name=":0" /> The baths were located in the northwest area of the palace complex, near the private apartments of the emirs and caliphs whom they served. Other service-oriented structures and areas were also located near here.<ref name=":322" />
== Current status ==
[[File:Cordoba-Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos03.jpg|thumb|The gardens and castle of the [[Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos|Alcazar of the Christian Kings]] today]]
After the Christian conquest, the complex lost its function as the center of political power and was transformed for other uses. One part of it became a religious center with the construction of the [[Episcopal Palace, Cordoba|Episcopal Palace]], taking advantage of the remains of the walls of the alcázar which can be seen integrated into the facade of the palace itself today, as well as part of the walls of the adjoining Palacio de los Congresos.<ref name=":0" /> A larger part of the site was converted into the [[Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos|Alcazar of the Christian Kings]], still present today and accessible to visitors.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Arab Baths of the Caliphal Alcázar of Córdoba - "Caliphal Baths"|url=https://www.artencordoba.com/en/arab-baths-caliphal-alcazar-cordoba/|access-date=2020-10-04|website=Arte en Córdoba|date=10 July 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref>
In addition to these remains, the only thing that is conserved of the alcázar are its baths, called [[Caliphal Baths]], located in Campo Santo de los Mártires. As for the ''sabbat'', it disappeared after the disappearance of the alcázar itself; however, it is still possible to see on the western facade of the mosque - almost on the corner with the north facade - a small door that gave access to the corridor behind the ''[[qibla]]'' wall.
== References ==
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{{Spanish royal sites}}
{{Córdoba, Andalusia}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Spain]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Córdoba, Spain]]
[[Category:Historic centre of Córdoba, Spain]]
[[Category:Alcazars and Alcazabas in Spain|Córdoba]]
[[Category:Castles in Andalusia]]
[[Category:Royal residences in Spain]]
[[Category:Former castles in Spain]]
[[Category:Former palaces in Spain]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures demolished in the 14th century]]
[[Category:8th-century fortifications]]
[[Category:1236 in Europe]]
[[Category:13th century in Castile]]
[[Category:8th-century establishments in al-Andalus]]
[[Category:Architecture of the Emirate of Córdoba]]
[[Category:Architecture of the Caliphate of Córdoba]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Andalusia]]
[[Category:Military history of Córdoba, Spain]]