Seville Gate

To the southwest of the old town of our city stands the Puerta de Sevilla, which gives access to the traditional and historic neighborhood of Alcázar Viejo, also known as San Basilio, thanks to the old convent of Basilian monks of which only the church remains, today the Parish of Our Lady of Peace.

The Alcázar Viejo Neighborhood

The neighborhood, as we mention in the section dedicated to it, is a clear example of new late medieval Christian urbanism, in sharp contrast to the narrow and winding Muslim layouts inherited in the medina. On the other hand, it is a neighborhood completely surrounded by walled enclosures, such as the Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs, the Castle of the Jewish Quarter, or the walls built during the 14th century.

Historical Origin of the Puerta de Sevilla

Ibn Baskuwal identified a total of seven gates in the walled enclosure of the Medina, among which he mentions the Puerta de Sevilla, known in the Caliphal period as the Gate of the Grocers (Bab al-Ishbiliya or Bab al-Attarin). However, we know that during the early years after the Christian reconquest, the gate was already known as the Puerta de Sevilla. The site was a gathering place for women, a meeting point, from where you could access the Zoco (the market), which must have been in the Alcázar Viejo.

The truth is that the gate mentioned in the Arab sources has little to do with the one we know today, as it must have been located along Calle Caballerizas Reales, where the stretch of wall then ran, at the other end of the San Basilio Neighborhood. The gate we know today was rebuilt in the middle of the last century, after having previously been demolished.

Architectural Description

Built with sandstone ashlar blocks, it has a very simple compositional scheme, with a single lintelled access opening, without any decorative display other than some simple granite plaques bordering the opening. However, crowning the whole is the coat of arms of our city carved in stone.

A few meters from the gate there is a structure consisting of a tower, square in plan, joined to the wall by means of two horseshoe arches, whose voussoirs are arranged in such a way that whole and split ones alternate in their middle. The whole is built with ashlar blocks laid in a header and stretcher pattern.

Both the chronology and the function of this unusual construction have been the subject of debate among scholars. Basilio Pavón suggests the possibility that the arches correspond to an old aqueduct from the Caliphal period. Nowadays, the theory that it is an albarrana tower is increasingly accepted, and that, like the wall, it dates from the 14th century.

Statue of Ibn Hazm

Beneath the arches stands a beautiful bronze sculpture by Mateo Ruiz Olmos, made in 1963, commemorating the ninth centenary of the death of the Cordoban politician, theologian, and jurist Ibn Hazm. Depicted standing, he holds a scroll with his most famous work, “The Dove’s Necklace“, in which he reflects on the true essence of love.

Walls and Surroundings

On the way to the river there are four towers, one octagonal and the other three square, attached to the stretch of wall, built with ashlar blocks arranged in a header and stretcher pattern. Behind the wall lies, as we mentioned before, a historic neighborhood, a neighborhood distinct from the rest of the city.

What to Visit in Córdoba

If you are wondering what to visit in Córdoba, a good option would be the Puerta de Sevilla, choosing one of our guided tours. Opting for quality tourism means choosing ArtenCórdoba.

Text: J.A.S.C.