Building of the Congress of Puebla, Legislative building in Puebla City, Mexico
The Building of the Congress of Puebla is a legislative seat featuring Moorish Revival architecture in the city of Puebla. It contains intricate tile work and arched passages that Eduardo Tamariz Almendaro incorporated into its design, with decorative elements forming much of its exterior and interior appearance.
Built in 1833 by Rafael Guerrero for the Philharmonic Literary Society of the Immaculate Conception, which gave free music lessons there until 1891. It later housed the Casino "Teruel" (1884), the Teatro "Miranda" (1894–1902) and the Círculo Católico. The Congress bought the house at 5 Poniente 128 in 1902 and opened it as the Palacio Legislativo on 1 February 1905 with the XVIII Legislature.
The decoration was entrusted to Eduardo Tamariz Almendaro, who studied in Paris and travelled through southern Spain and North Africa. The neo-Arab or Moorish style he derived from those influences covers the four facades and the staircase. Above the entrance, a Quranic phrase welcomes visitors and wishes them a pleasant stay.
The building stands at 5 Poniente 128, on the corner of Calle 5 Poniente in Puebla's historic center, a short walk from the Zócalo. It is a working legislature, so access to the interior depends on the session calendar; the neo-Arabesque facades and the staircase decoration are the elements to look for. The Quranic inscription above the entrance is on the upper part of the doorway.
The upper part of the entrance carries a phrase from the Quran: "It is the will of the Supreme Being that there be order in humanity, you are welcome, may your stay be pleasant and may you continue on the right path." The inscription is easy to miss above the doorway.
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