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Alcázar of Jerez de la Frontera

The Alcázar is a 12th-century Almohad fortress in the south-west corner of Jerez's old city wall, next to the Alameda Vieja. It preserves the only mosque left of the eighteen the city had in Islamic times, with its minaret, the ablutions courtyard, the prayer hall and the mihrab; the first Christian chapel, Santa María del Alcázar, was later fitted out over it. Very close by are the Arab baths, three brick rooms with star-shaped skylights in the vaults, and the octagonal tower, of Almohad construction with double banding. The Baroque Villavicencio Palace was built on earlier remains, and its main tower houses the Camera Obscura, which uses lenses and mirrors to project live images of the streets, monuments and surrounding countryside. The gardens, with olive trees, cypresses and ponds with fish, complete the complex. It was declared a national monument in 1931.

Things to do at Alcázar of Jerez de la Frontera: 4 missions

• Walk around the octagonal tower and the pondsWalk once around the octagonal tower, noting the double banding of its Almohad construction. Then go down to the gardens and look for the ponds with fish.
• Count the star-shaped skylights in the Arab bathsWalk through the three brick rooms of the baths and look for the star-shaped skylights in the vaults. Count how many you can see in each room.
• See Jerez live in the Camera ObscuraClimb the tower of the Villavicencio Palace and step into the Camera Obscura. Look in the projected image for a street or monument you recognise.
• Find the mihrab of the Almohad mosqueEnter the mosque's prayer hall and find the mihrab. Then step out into the ablutions courtyard and see where the minaret stands.

Near Alcázar of Jerez de la Frontera

Source: Web oficial - Conjunto Monumental del Alcázar de Jerez