Today we explored the charming city of Seville which had the second largest community of Jews in Andalusia.
After another delicious and lavish breakfast, we went to the wondrous Al Khazar Palace in Seville, Spain. The amazingly crafted palace compound was built in the 1300s by Christians but was based on Moorish style and was adorned with magnificent art. We walked through the beautiful gardens and went through a maze in the garden. After a short cafe lunch, we ventured out on a fascinating guided walking tour of the Jewish quarter led by our tour guide Moses, who is actually a native Sevillian. There we learned about how the Jews lived as property of the crown in Seville until the pogroms in 1391 and the Inquisition which began in 1478. We also went to an underground parking lot where we saw the remnants of a Jewish cemetery.
After this, we ventured to the breathtakingly beautiful plaza d’espana which was the site of the world fair in the early 1900’s. Here, we took a ride on a horse-led carriage and explored the beautiful architecture. Then we had free time for shopping (highlight was finding a Zara’s outlet) followed by a hot meal from Seuda served in a local restaurant. Finally, we had a great time at the Casa De Guitare where we had a taste of authentic Andalusian culture and watched a fabulous traditional Flamenco show! Tomorrow Cordoba!
~Jack H Dweck and Teddy Betesh, Class of 2019