- Almohad — the North African dynasty that rebuilt Seville in the twelfth century. The Giralda is their minaret.
- Aljama — the Friday mosque of a city. In Seville that floor is now the cathedral, with the orange-tree court still in front.
- Ribat — a fortified religious house on a frontier. Villalba del Alcor keeps one inside the later church.
- Zawiya — a small religious lodge. The cemetery chapel at Aznalcollar holds the remains of one.
Islamic Seville and Huelva — Almohad walls, the Giralda and the ribats
Seville was a taifa capital under al-Mutamid, who wrote about the city as if it were a person. The Almohads then made it their western capital. Most of what you still touch in the streets — the minaret, the orange-tree court, the long wall toward the Macarena, the river towers — is theirs, twelfth and early thirteenth century. Huelva keeps the next layer: red walls at Niebla, a mosque inside a castle at Almonaster.
This is not the Morisco story. That comes after the conquest, when Muslims who stayed were told to convert. The buildings on this page were raised while Seville was still Islamic. Related pages: Seville, Huelva.
*The cathedral precinct and the Alcazar need tickets. Village ribats and hermitages keep local hours.
Words you will meet
Seville city
Start in the cathedral square. The Giralda is the minaret of the Almohad Friday mosque, finished in the late twelfth century. The Renaissance belfry sits on top; the brick shaft with its sebka pattern is the Islamic tower. Beside it, the Patio de los Naranjos is the mosque courtyard, with two of the old gates still in use as church doors. You pay the cathedral ticket for both.
A short walk away, the Church of El Salvador stands near the remains of an older Friday mosque, that of Ibn Adabbas, ninth century — the city mosque before the Almohads rebuilt on the present cathedral site. Between the Gate of Cordoba and the Arch of the Macarena runs the best stretch of wall: Roman in origin, recut by the Almoravids, lengthened by the Almohads and then by the Christians. It is a street walk, not a ticket.
Toward the river the defence tightens: the Tower of Abdelaziz, the Tower of Silver, and the Tower of Gold, an Almohad watchtower of the early thirteenth century on the bank. Inside the Alcazar, the Patio del Yeso is late Almohad work — plaster and a pool — from the years just before the city fell. The Baths of La Reina Mora belong to the earlier taifa. Book the Alcazar if you want those rooms.
Aljarafe, Niebla and Almonaster
West of the city the Aljarafe hills hold smaller religious houses. The hermitage of Cuatrovitas, at Bollullos de la Mitacion, keeps the memory of a rural sanctuary. In the cemetery of Aznalcollar the chapel incorporates a zawiya — a rare survival of that kind of lodge. At Villalba del Alcor the church of San Bartolome contains an Almohad ribat: a fortified prayer house that later became the parish.
- Hermitage of Cuatrovitas — map
- Aznalcollar cemetery chapel — map
- San Bartolome, Villalba del Alcor — map
Niebla is the town that still looks like a fortress from the road: a complete circuit of red walls, towers and gates on the old county of the same name. Walk the perimeter. It is the western wall-walk of this page.
- Walls of Niebla — map
Further into the Sierra de Aracena, Almonaster la Real keeps a tenth-century mosque inside the castle, now a hermitage. The mihrab is among the oldest still standing in the western Islamic world. That is the interior to enter if you only drive into Huelva once.
- Mosque of Almonaster la Real — map
Carmona, Marchena and Palma del Rio
East of Seville, Carmona keeps an Almohad mosque in the orange-tree patio of Santa Maria. The walls and the Gate of Seville are older still — Roman work reused through the Islamic centuries. Marchena has two alcazars with Islamic fabric and a long run of eleventh-century wall, sometimes swallowed by later houses. Palma del Rio, already toward Cordoba, is another walled town of the same family: towers, arches, gates.
How to reach the Giralda, Niebla and Almonaster
The Giralda, the patio and the Macarena wall are a walk in Seville. Carmona is a short drive or a bus. Niebla and Almonaster need a car. From the Costa del Sol the road is the A-92 to Seville; Huelva is then west.
Car hire: the flexible option
The way to add Niebla or Almonaster after the city, or Carmona without watching a bus clock.
Hire a car at Malaga Airport
Taxi or private transfer
From Malaga Airport to a hotel in Seville. A same-day return covers the Giralda and the wall. Niebla is a longer day.
Book a transfer*No credit-card details are required to request a quote. Book the cathedral and the Alcazar if you want the patio and the Patio del Yeso.
Other options
Trains serve Seville, Huelva and Palma del Rio. Buses reach Carmona and Niebla. Almonaster is a hill town; the last stretch is easier with a car.
Practical tips
- Give the cathedral precinct a morning: Giralda shaft and Patio de los Naranjos first, then the Macarena wall if you still have legs.
- The Tower of Gold is the river landmark. The Patio del Yeso is inside the Alcazar ticket.
- Niebla is the wall-walk west of the city. Almonaster is the mosque if you are willing to climb into the sierra.
- Cuatrovitas and Aznalcollar are small stops on an Aljarafe loop, not reasons to skip Niebla.
- Carmona works as the extra town east if you only leave Seville once.
Frequently asked questions about Islamic Seville and Huelva
Is the Giralda a church tower?
The brick shaft is the Almohad minaret of the Friday mosque. The belfry on top is sixteenth-century. The cathedral ticket covers the climb.
What is a ribat?
A fortified religious house, often on a frontier. The church of San Bartolome in Villalba del Alcor contains an Almohad one.
Where should I start in Seville?
The Giralda and the Patio de los Naranjos, then the wall toward the Macarena. Add the Alcazar if you want the Patio del Yeso.
Is Almonaster worth the drive?
If you want a standing tenth-century mosque with its mihrab, yes. It is a sierra town, not a suburb of Seville.
Can I walk the walls of Niebla?
Yes. The circuit of red towers and gates is the reason to stop. The town sits inside it.
Do I need a car?
Not for the Giralda and the Macarena wall. Yes for Niebla plus Almonaster, or for an Aljarafe loop of ribats.
