Villa Zorayda, Moorish Revival museum in St. Augustine, US.

Villa Zorayda is a two-story house of light gray stone blocks at 83 King Street, with a flat crenellated roofline and a square tower above the entrance. A projecting balcony with a red and yellow geometric railing and a small tiled canopy sits over the door, and a dark sign with gold lettering reads "VILLA ZORAYDA". Franklin W. Smith built it in 1883 as the first poured concrete building in St. Augustine, using crushed coquina shells as aggregate.

Franklin W. Smith, a merchant from Boston, built this residence in 1883 as a winter home and introduced Moorish Revival architecture to Florida for the first time. The building's completion marked a new architectural influence in the region.

The name Zorayda reflects Moorish traditions and the interior displays handcrafted objects like perforated brass lamps and Oriental rugs that reveal how wealthy residents of the era gathered exotic cultural goods. These pieces show the taste and interests of families who collected from across the world.

The residence is open to visitors who can tour the rooms and view the collections inside. Check opening hours before visiting, as they may vary depending on the season.

The Egyptian Room holds a rug that the Spanish source dates to 2,400 years ago, part of the collection begun by Franklin W. Smith and continued by the Mussallem family. Look above the front entrance for the Arabic inscription "There is no conqueror but God", the same phrase carved in the Alhambra's tracery.