Submitted by Dakota Edwards on the 2017 summer session program in Granada, Spain sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…
Seville is an exquisite study in contradictions. The Royal Alcázar, a beautiful and iconic example of mudéjar architecture, is situated directly next to the Seville cathedral (Catedral de Sevilla), the largest Roman Catholic cathedral in Spain. Like the Alhambra, the Alcázar was marked on its exterior to signify the fall of the Islamic empire in Spain. Its marking can be seen at the Puerta del León (Lion’s door), which was referred to as “de la Montería” during Muslim times in Spain. Now, a crowned lion holding a cross can be seen above the door. 
The palace has been built and refurbished various times throughout history by the Umayyads, Abbadí, Almohades, Castillians, and the Holy Roman Empire.
The Seville Cathedral was first constructed by the Byzantine Empire. It is the third-largest church in the world as well as the largest Gothic church. Therefore, standing in the middle of the street, one can see clearly both an Islamic palace and a Catholic place of worship at the same moment, touched by displays of power and the Inquisition.