Alcázar of Jerez de la Frontera

De **Alcázar of Jerez de la Frontera** be a former Moorish alcázar, now dey house a park, insyd Jerez de la Frontera, insyd de South of Spain. Na dem declare am a Bien de Interés Cultural insyd 1931.

Na dem probably build de first fortress insyd de 11th century, wen na Jerez be part of de small kingdom of de Taifa of Arcos de la Frontera, on a site dem settle since prehistoric times insyd de south-eastern corner of de city. Insyd de 12th century, na dem erect a new structure to be used as both residence den fortress by de Almohad Caliphate. Later, after de *Reconquista*, na e be de seat of de first Christian mayors wey na ein development continue plus a palace den oda structures. De alcázar be one of a few structures wey best exemplify Almohad architecture insyd de Iberian Peninsula.

## Description
De alcázar be made up of a grossly quadrangular line of walls, plus a perimeter of approximately 4,000 meters (13,000 ft). Na dem construct de Octagonal Tower insyd de Almohad style, while na de Palace of Villavicencio, wich dem build insyd 1664, na dem do am insyd Baroque style.

Within de alcázar be a mosque, de only remaining of de 18 once present insyd de city. After de Christian conquest of de fortress insyd 1261, na dem put am under de command of Nuño González de Lara. Later, na dem turn am into a church dem dedicate to de Virgin Mary by King Alfonso X of Castile. De minaret, still extant, na dem turn am into a bell tower. De prayer hall, wey be preceded by a small room of ritual ablutions, dey feature a mihrab, wey dey indicate de direction of Mecca, den a rib vault plus a circular window at de top.

* de Palace of de Patio de Doña Blanca, wey dey date to de 12th-century Islamic structure, originally a leisure pavilion
* de bathhouse (*hammam*), dem include an entrance area for undressing, wey dey lead to de cold den warm rooms, de latter be de largest insyd de complex. De final room be de hot room, wey ein heating system still be partially visible.

### De Alcázar Complex
Na de defenses of de complex consist of a double-walled design wherein na a 4-meter-high battlement-topped outer wall dey locate 4 meters from de inner wall. Na dat inner wall feature towers wey locate at regular intervals; of de original towers, 7 per remain. Na dem mostly build dese dey use rammed earth den brick, though der be portions wey dey utilize stone spolia from nearby sites. De towers demaselves be Albarrana Towers wey dem attach to de wall thru a short arcade rada dan dem build am into de wall.

Na de castle-fortress einself serve as an autonomous fortified city wey be situated within a larger fortified city. Na dis arrangement be a commonplace feature of Almohad building practices. As such, na all de essentials of both military defense den everyday civilian life be contained within ein walls. Na dese include no be living quarters, baths, den mosques per buh sanso dey supply warehouses den water tanks. Na de building of a complex of such scale be both secof de Almohad aptitude for refining de construction process to a degree comparable plus dat of de Romans, den to dema diminished use of decorative elements as dem compare to previous eras.

## Gallery

File:Mezquita,_Alcázar,_Jerez_de_la_Frontera,_España,_2015-12-07,_DD_57.JPG|Mosque entrance
File:Mezquita,_Alcázar,_Jerez_de_la_Frontera,_España,_2015-12-07,_DD_58.JPG|Interior view of mosque
File:Mezquita_del_Alcázar_de_Jerez_(33175653405).jpg|Mihrab detail
File:Jerez_de_la_Frontera_-_011_(30619959021).jpg|Courtyard outsyd mosque
File:Muro_del_Alcázar,_Jerez_de_la_Frontera,_España,_2015-12-07,_DD_72.JPG|Superior view of de wall
File:Muro_del_Alcázar,_Jerez_de_la_Frontera,_España,_2015-12-07,_DD_55.JPG|Interior view of de wall
File:Muro_del_Alcázar,_Jerez_de_la_Frontera,_España,_2015-12-07,_DD_62.JPG|Watchtower
File:AlcazarJerez.JPG|Gardens den Octagonal Tower
File:Baños_moros,_Alcázar,_Jerez_de_la_Frontera,_España,_2015-12-07,_DD_73.jpg|Exterior view of de baths
File:Baños_moros,_Alcázar,_Jerez_de_la_Frontera,_España,_2015-12-07,_DD_82-84_HDR.jpg|Interior of de baths, vaulting detail
File:Palacio_de_Villavicencio,_Alcázar,_Jerez_de_la_Frontera,_España,_2015-12-07,_DD_63.JPG|Palacio de Villavicencio
File:Antigua_farmacia_municipal,_Alcázar,_Jerez_de_la_Frontera,_España,_2015-12-07,_DD_85-87_HDR.JPG|Former municipal pharmacy, Palace of Villavicencio
File:Alcázar_de_Jerez_(32793243220).jpg|Informational plaque


## Notes



## External links

* Torres Balbas, Leopoldo (1981). *Cronica de la España Musulmana*. **1–4**. Spain: Instituto de España.  ISBN&nbsp;.
* Bennison, Amira (2016). *The Almoravid and Almohad Empires*. United States: Edinburgh University Press.  ISBN&nbsp;.