[MR] History Blog: Seville Bar Renovation Reveals 12th C. Islamic Bath House

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

Today the History Blog reports on the exciting discovery of a rare 12th
century Islamic bath house hidden inside a popular bar in Seville, Spain.

The Cervecceria Giralda, a tapas bar opened in 1923, was due for
renovation. The workmen uncovered evidence of Islamic architecture, and so
the archaeologists were summoned. What they found under a false ceiling
were 88 lovely skylights, a barrel-vaulted ceiling and geometric murals
indicating this was a long-lost bathhouse, or *hammam*, adjacent to the
Seville's grand mosque ( remnants now part of Seville Cathedral).
Apparently the Christian liberators of Spain weren't too keen on bathing,
and tore down most of the bath houses or put them to other uses.

The bath house's surviving Islamic features will be preserved in the
renovated tapas bar.

Here's the whole story with photos:
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/60788 .

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆