lechua photography

There is quite a difference between Seville the capital of Andalucia, and Granada. The sight of Santa Justa train station itself with its many platforms, shops and extra long elevated elevators illustrates a more developed side of Andalucia as compared to the isolated Granada station.

Day 3: Seville – Cathedral & La Giralda, Alcazar, Barrio de Santa Cruz, Rio Guadalquivir, Flamenco

Seville’s most famous landmark, the Cathedral and La Giralda stand tall in the centre of the city. The Cathedral of Seville was built over the main Almohad mosque in the 9th century and is the largest cathedral in the world. What still remains of the mosque is the minaret known today as the Giralda, a tower as high as 96m with a belltop. The bell tower can be reached by climbing up 35 ramps. Ramps instead of steps were built so that the muezzin responsible for calling the prayer in the olden days could ride all the way up on a horse. For me, the highlight of the Cathedral is the view from the top of the minaret – a climb that is worth making.

Seville Cathedral and La Giralda

Gothic architecture of the Cathedral                statues on the arch of the Cathedral

soaring columns in the interor of the Cathedral

    1 of 35 ramps to climb up the minaret           arriving at the 2nd last ramp to the top

view midway of the climb, of the Cathedral pinnacles and Orange Tree Courtyard

the Giralda belltower of 25 bells

splendid view of Barrio de Santa Cruz and the rest of Seville from the belltower

Just a few steps away from the Giralda across Plaza del Triunfo, is the Alcazar. The Alcazar in Seville can be considered as a smaller scale of Granada’s Alhambra (would probably have been a better idea for us to visit the Alcazar before the Alhambra). Originally built as a fort, this fortress palace exhibits one of the finest Moorish architecture in the region.

exterior facade of Palacio de Don Pedro

Islamic carvings above glazed tiles

in awe of the multi-colured arches, high walls, and dizzying effect of the dome ceiling at Salon de Embajadores (Hall of Ambassadors or Throne Room)

Patio de las Munecas (Patio of the Dolls) – the palace’s private quarters

Patio de las Doncellas (Patio of the Maidens) – the heart of the palace surrounded by lobe shaped arches

(left) Mercury’s Pond (dedicated to the god Mercury) used originally to irrigate the gardens;                (right) Grotto Gallery, a vantage point overlookng the palace’s gardens

Outside the Alcazar, one can choose to take a horse and carriage ride for sightseeing around the city of Seville.

line-up of horses and carriages at Plaza Triunfo

tourists riding on a horse carriage for a Seville experience

After a late tapas lunch, we head towards Barrio de Santa Cruz situated north east of the Alcazar. This old Jewish quarter is made up of narrow lanes twisting and turning around squares decorated with orange trees. We make our way to Plaza de Dona Elvira, the barrio’s prettiest square with benches covered in colourful tiles under the shade of orange trees. From this square, explore the street Gloria and the lanes perpendicular to this street. Take a stroll through Calle Pimienta (Pepper Street) said to be named after a Jewish spice merchant discovered a pepper tree on this street. Calle Pimienta joins Callejon de Agua, a tree-shaded street that runs along the walls of the gardens of Alcazar. We walk along Callejon de Agua in the north east direction, and eventually come to Plaza de Santa Cruz, another famous square where a wrought-iron cross stands in the middle of the square. It is this central cross that the barrio is named after.

Plaza de Dona Elvira

narrow Calle Pimienta                                                     shady Callejon de Agua

the cross at Plaza de Santa Cruz

As dark falls, we decide to head towards Rio Guadalquivir for a view of the other side of the river bank where the Triana neighbourhood resides. We pass Torre del Oro (Tower of Gold), a 13th century watch tower and walk across the bridge Puente de San Telmo. From here we have view of the brightly lit Puente de Isabel II, also known as the Triana Bridge. 

passing by the main post office at Avenida de La Constitucion

lamppost by the river bank

moonlit Torre del Oro

Puente de Isabel II stretching across the river

We end the night by watching a flamenco performance held at Tablao El Arenal. Flamenco originated from the Gypsies and has grown to be an important part of Spanish culture. Traditionally the flamenco is performed by a singer, guitarist and a solo dancer, with the music accompanied by the clapping of the hands. The flamenco dance today has evolved with the influence of a mix of other dances which can often turn out to be quite a lively group performance. At Tablao El Arenal, the performance was made up of a series of solo dances with a group of guitarists and singers, followed by a group dance at the end. The show is targetted for tourists and is more of an entertaining performance rather than a traditional one.

flamenco finale performance at Tablao El Arenal

Seville attractions map