The Andalusian Alcazar of Córdoba, also known as the Umayyad Alcazar, was a Hispano-Muslim palace and fortress. The term 'al-Andalus alcazar' has come to replace the traditional term 'caliphate alcazar' because it was the royal residence of both the Emirate (756-929) and the Caliphate of Córdoba (929-1031), as well as of other Muslim governors until the Christian conquest of 1236.
The Alcazar was composed of a series of heterogeneous buildings ranging from the private quarters of the amirs, caliphs and their relatives to the service areas, including the various official offices from which al-Andalus was governed, all of which were surrounded by a wall covering an area of 39,000 square metres. Few remains have survived today, such as the Caliphal Baths, which have been converted into a museum, while the remaining space was occupied by the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, the Episcopal Palace, the Seminary of San Pelagio and the Campo Santo de los Mártires square. In September 2019, a latrine from the Alcazar of Al-Andalus was discovered inside the Episcopal Palace.
The Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo had built a palace over the ancient Roman castellum and after the conquest of Hispania by the Muslims in 711, the elected governors of the Umayyad Caliphate of Damascus decided to settle in Seville. However, six years later the governor al-Hurr moved the capital of al-Andalus to Córdoba and moved to the ancient Visigothic palace, known in Arabic sources as Balāt al-Lūdriq. This structure was located very close to the Roman Bridge.
The Umayyads fell to the Abbasid Revolt of 750, although the last survivor of the dynasty, Abderraman I, escaped to Córdoba and established his independent Emirate throughout al-Andalus in 756. Abderraman initially settled in several almunias on the outskirts of the city, the best known being Arruzafa.
The Andalusian Alcazar was linked to the al-Andalus Mosque of Córdoba by a sabat or secret passageway so that the amir or caliph could access the mihrab of the temple without being seen. The first sabat was built by Amir Abdullah I (888-912), who was replaced by Caliph al-Hakam II (961-976) when the mosque was enlarged.
Few details are known about the layout of the Citadel, including the names of some of the palaces and gardens, thanks to historians such as Ibn Idari and Ibn Bashquwal, and later by al-Maqqari. According to Ibn Idari there were two gates in the wall: the Iron Gate (Bab al-Hadid) and the Embarcadero Gate (Bab al-Sudda). The Embarcadero Gate was the southern gate, next to the Guadalquivir River, and was the main entrance to the palace. It was preceded by a public square where executions and military parades were held. The gate housed a balcony or platform (sath) from which the Caliph Abderraman III observed the events. The heads of executed enemies were also displayed and there was a prison nearby. The Iron Gate, located to the north, was so called because of its knockers or doorknockers from a gate at Narbonne, which was briefly conquered by the Muslims in the 8th century.
Ibn Bashquwal names three additional entrances: the Garden Gate (Bab el-Jinan), the City Gate (Bab al-Quriya) and the Mosque Gate (Bab al-Jami'). The Garden Gate was another southern entrance, where a large reception pavilion was built that could be seen from the river. The Mosque Gate was located near the sabat or passageway, facing the Great Mosque. There are other gates that historians attempt to locate, such as the Seville Gate (Bab al-Ishbiliya) and the Lion Gate (Bab al-Siba') which were located to the west, the River Gate (Bab al-Wadi) to the south, and the Baths Gate (Bab al-Hammam), which was located near the Caliphate Baths to the north. The Gate of Justice (Bab al-'Adil), located at the southeastern end of the palaces near the Mosque, was so called because citizens would approach it to present their petitions to the amir and he would give justice.
Within the walls, the layout of the Alcazar is scarcely known, although more information is available from the Amiric period than from the Caliphate. There were numerous structures and pavilions that housed the residences of the rulers as well as the offices for administering the state. The House of the Viziers or Ministers (Dar al-Wuzara) was an official building located near the Embarcadero Gate. The main audience hall or throne room, called the Perfect Hall (Majlis al-Kamil), was also located nearby. The complex also included large garden areas, one of which was the rauda or royal cemetery, located near the Garden Gate. This garden housed the Garden Palace (Dar ar-Rawda), built by Abderraman I or perhaps Abderraman III. Among the amirs buried here are Abderraman I (788), Hisham I (796), al-Hakam I (822), Abderraman II (852), Muhammad I (886) and Abdallah I (912), as well as the Caliph Abderraman III (961) and the Hamudid Caliph Ali (1018). In the northern part of the Garden Palace there was another hall or pavilion known as the Luminous Hall (Majlis al-Zahir). Finally, other notable buildings were the Caliphate Baths and the famous library, both created by al-Hakam II.