2-370-723 - Samuel Magal/Sites & Photos/Heritage Images

Interior view, Aljaferia Palace, Zaragoza, Spain, 2007. Arcades leading to the entrance to the prayer hall in the northern part of the palace. The Aljaferia Palace is a fortified palace that was built during the second half of the 11th century in Zaragoza by Abu Jafar Ahmad ibn Sulayman al Muqtadir billah (1047-1082), as the residence of the Banu Hud dynasty. It was originally named Dar al Surur (House of Joy). The name Aljaferia derives from al-Jafariyya, after the name of its founder. The structure holds unique importance in that it is the only conserved testimony of a large building of Spanish Islamic architecture in the era of the Taifas (independent Islamic kingdoms). The most remarkable feature of the Aljaferia is in the systems of interlacing arches with a high degree of complexity. In 2001 Aljaferia Palace was added to the category of Mudejar Architecture of Aragon, that was awarded a World Heritage Site status by UNESCO.