Room of Justice, Alcázar of Seville, Medieval Mudejar hall in Alcázar of Seville, Spain
The Room of Justice in the Alcázar of Seville is a medieval Mudejar hall featuring ornate plasterwork with geometric patterns and a central fountain beneath a golden octagonal dome. The space shows how Muslim architectural craftsmanship served royal Christian purposes.
King Alfonso XI commissioned this hall between 1340 and 1350, converting the former gathering place of Almohad viziers into a royal courtroom. This transformation marked the shift from an emirate center to a Christian royal seat within the palace.
The hall displays a blend of Muslim architectural elements and Christian heraldic symbols, with coats of arms from Castile, León, and the Order of the Band visible on the walls. This mix of styles shows how different traditions met in medieval Spanish royal spaces.
The hall is accessed through the Patio del León and features uneven floor levels and low doorways typical of medieval architecture. Guided tours provide helpful information about the decorations and how the space was originally used.
The original 14th-century wooden ceiling displays intricate geometric patterns and contains hidden water channels that connect the central fountain to exterior water features. This clever engineering allowed water to flow through the fountain from concealed pipes.
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