Sibyl is a city in Spain. Seville history of seville
Spanish Seville is the capital of the province of the same name and the autonomous community of Andalusia and the fourth most populous city in the country. Seville is located in the south of Spain in the fertile valley of the Guadalquivir River and today is a major economic, industrial and cultural center and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe.
Foundation of the city
The exact date of the founding of Seville is not known for certain. Historians believe that the first settlement was called "Spal" or "Ispal" and already existed during the Phoenician colonization of the Iberian (Iberian) Peninsula, and its first settlers were representatives of the Tartessian culture. An old legend says that the city was founded by a famous hero ancient Greek myths Hercules.
In 206 BC. during the Second Punic War, the city was conquered by the Romans and received the name "Hispalis". In the Roman era, the city actively developed as an important trade port and flourished. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the city was repeatedly attacked, eventually falling under the control of the Vandals and then the Visigoths, who dominated the region in the 6th and 7th centuries. During this period, the city was called "Spali" and was a major cultural center.
In 712, as a result of the Arab invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, the city came under the control of the Arab Caliphate and was renamed Ishbil, from which it subsequently came. modern name city - Seville. The Arabs dominated Seville for almost five centuries, which certainly had a huge impact on its culture and architecture. This period had a positive effect on the economy of the city.
Middle Ages
In November 1248, after a long siege, Seville was conquered by the troops of Ferdinand III of Castile. Moved here royal residence, and the city received a number of privileges, including the right to vote in the Cortes (legislature). Despite a number of demographic and social upheavals (outbreaks of the plague, the anti-Jewish uprising of 1391, etc.), Seville grew and developed both economically and culturally. The city has undergone significant changes in its architectural appearance.
In 1492, Columbus, whose expeditions were generously sponsored by the Spanish monarchs, discovered America, and already in 1503, the so-called “Casa de Contratación” or “House of Trade” was founded in Seville, which controlled all the research and colonization activities of the Spanish Empire. The port of Seville became a monopoly in matters of transoceanic trade, and the city became the commercial center of Spain. The 16th century in the history of Seville is rightfully considered the "golden era" in the field of culture, architecture and art.
In the 17th century, the economy of Seville, against the backdrop of a pan-European crisis and a severe outbreak of plague that claimed almost half of the city's population (mid-17th century), began to decline sharply. The navigation along the Guadalquivir River became increasingly difficult due to shallowing, which ultimately led to the transfer of the Casa de Contratación to the port of Cadiz in 1717. Seville lost its influence and commercial importance.
new time
Global industrialization, which in the 19th century engulfed virtually all of Europe, did not leave Seville aside either. This period in the history of Seville is marked by the construction railway, electrification, as well as large-scale urban development. The city underwent significant changes and modernization in the form of the construction of many new buildings, redevelopment and expansion of city streets and squares in preparation for the Ibero-American international exhibition in 1929, preparations for which began as early as 1910.
From the first days of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), Seville actually became one of its main epicenters. second world war Seville survived relatively calmly, since Spain did not officially participate in it. The post-war decades were marked for the city by large-scale construction, severe floods and an underground trade union movement.
In 1992, two grandiose events took place in Seville - the World Exhibition and the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America. In connection with these events in Seville, the airport was reconstructed, new roads, bridges were built, Train Station, high speed railroad to Madrid and more.
Seville is the capital and The largest city autonomous community in Andalusia and the province of Seville on the plain of the Guadalquivir river and a short distance from the coast. Seville is the fourth city in Spain by population of 703,000 according to the 2011 census. The old city of Seville is the third largest in Europe with an area of 4 square kilometers and three UNESCO heritage sites.
Climate and weather in Seville
Seville holds a certain record, namely, it is the warmest metropolis in Europe, with summer average high temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius. Seville has a subtropical Mediterranean climate, but summers are drier than in other areas. mediterranean sea and winters are wetter. The average annual temperature is 25 degrees. After Cordoba, Seville has the hottest summer among major cities in Europe. Summer temperatures are almost always above 30 degrees Celsius, winter temperatures are from 5 to 15 degrees Celsius.
Population of Seville
With a little over 700,000 inhabitants, Seville is one of the few cities in Spain that has been losing population in recent years, despite the proximity of Africa and the opportunities for potential migrants to get here.
Life of Russians and Ukrainians in Seville, reviews
As for the Russians and Ukrainians in Seville, there are few of them, but they still exist, but it is difficult to single out certain areas of the accumulation of Russian-speaking citizens. Many who wanted to live in Seville were simply fascinated by local attractions, but it is worth remembering that tourist trip and life in a particular city are two different things. Usually the most better life where there are few sights, for example, in Seville there is more architectural and cultural heritage than in all of Canada and Australia combined, but as for the quality of life, this is a completely different opera.
Advantages and disadvantages, advantages, pros and cons of living in Seville
Seville - attractive city for tourists, but as often the tourist life is far from reality, there are problems in Seville in order to find a job, Seville is losing population, locals tend to leave this beautiful garden city for other regions of Spain. Until 2008, Seville experienced a construction boom, which ended abruptly, the region's economy is recovering from the crisis, but at a slower pace than the rest of Spain.
In general, the city is not considered an attractive place to move here for permanent residence.
Standard of living in Seville
Beauty is a terrible thing, it can overcome all other hardships, those who fell in love with the Seville architect and local flavor can hardly prove anything, such people will find themselves in this place. The standard of living in Seville is lower than in other cities in Spain, but at the same time, here are the cheapest prices.
Security and crime in Seville
Seville is a safe city, all the crime may be due to the fact that Seville has a relatively high unemployment rate and too many rich foreign tourists come here, which we advise to be on the lookout.
Economy of Seville
Seville is the most populous city in southern Spain and has the largest GDP. The modern prosperity of Seville began with the World Exhibition in 1992, after which investments flowed into the city, this concerns infrastructure, a large number of innovative enterprises, including the aircraft industry. Seville boasts a great deal of interest from business travelers, with large conference halls and trade show venues being built. Nevertheless, the crisis of 2008 hit the city very hard, the construction boom was knocked down, but at the same time prices fell sharply. Today Seville has restored its economy, unemployment has been reduced.
Seville Tourism
Seville is primarily associated with tourism, here a large number of architectural sights, you can walk around the museums and parks of the city. The main point of attraction is Plaza de España, which has an oval shape, in which different styles are guessed, including art deco, the square was built for the 1929 World Exhibition. In addition, in Seville there are such masterpieces as Cathedral Saint Mary, Alcazar, watchtower of Torre del Oro, city hall, Palace of San Telmo, Archive of the Indies, tourists specially come to the city to visit the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville. You can take a walk in the Parque de Maria Luisa, the gardens of the Alcazar, Murillo, Catalina de Ribera, del Alamilo and the relatively new American Park. During Holy Week, the city hosts the most colorful festivals in Spain.
Cuisine of Seville
The city is known for being the birthplace of Spanish tapas. The city of Seville is buried in trees - Bitter oranges, which in a certain season of the year cover many streets, until recently marmalade was made from these oranges, for example, oranges were sent to the UK for this purpose, today the chemical industry has whitened bitter oranges, which are used today only for compost at the local level. On the Internet you can see many photos where the streets of Valencia were simply drowned in oranges, no one uses such bitter fruits for food, but they can be used to make skin lotion. According to legend, the Arabs brought the bitter orange to Seville from East Asia through Iraq in the 10th century to beautify patios and gardens and provide shade.
Jobs and vacancies in Seville. Salaries in Seville
Seville cannot boast of advanced economic indicators, as for the southern region it has a high GDP, but to compare Seville with northern Spain not legitimate. Average salaries in Seville are relatively low, a big gift would be a salary of 1800 euros for a qualified employee, finding work for young people is a big problem. Young people often choose to leave the city and go to Madrid for big salaries and career opportunities.
Housing, apartments, houses and real estate Seville, rental prices
Seville is a very cheap city by Spanish standards. Prices for renting an apartment can start from 200 euros, the price of a square meter of residential real estate can start from 1000 euros, which is two times lower than the average in Madrid or Barcelona.
Without a doubt, (Sevilla) is one of the the most beautiful cities Europe, the capital of Andalusia. Every year, hundreds of thousands of tourists come here to admire the extraordinary architecture, walk through the legendary places or take part in the world-famous traditional incendiary holidays that will not leave anyone indifferent.
Story
According to surviving sources in antiquity on the territory of modern Seville there was a small settlement of the Iberians, and a little later there was a colony of Ispalis, which belonged to the Phoenicians. Approximately in the III century. BC e. This city was conquered by the Romans, who called it Betica. There is an opinion that it was in Seville, or rather in ancient Baetica, that the famous Roman emperors Hadrian, Trajan and Marcus Aurelius were born. After the fall of the domination of the Roman Empire, Seville was for some time the capital of the Visigoths, as evidenced by the Ruins of Italica that have survived to this day.
In 712, it was conquered by the Arabs, who ruled it for five centuries. This left an indelible mark on the architecture of the city and the culture of its local residents.
In 1248 Seville was conquered by the Spaniards. Some time later, King Ferdinand III of Castile ordered the construction of a shipyard in the city. It was from this moment that the infrastructure of the city began to develop rapidly.
In the XV century. from the port of Seville, the famous navigator and discoverer of America, Christopher Columbus, began his long journey to the shores of India, which in 1492 became famous discovery New World. This time was the beginning of the flourishing of the city's economy, since it only had the right to trade in the newly discovered countries.
The city became a port of world importance, where you could see the treasures brought from different parts of the world. The Arab historian Al Sakundi wrote about this extraordinary city: "Whoever has not been to Seville has not seen a miracle."
Attractions
Rich story Seville is reflected in its appearance. Most of the sights of the city are located in the old part of the city, on the left bank of the river. Guadalquivir(Guadalquivir), the brightest of which is (Catedral de Santa María de la Sede de Sevilla). It was built over more than 100 years, from 1401 to 1519, the height of this structure is 116 meters, and the length is 76 m. The cathedral impresses with its elegant and even solemn appearance, which is perfectly emphasized by the highest dome and monumental columns. 
Another entertainment in Seville that attracts many tourists is horse riding and horse-drawn carriage rides.
And the main spectacular show that can be seen in Seville, of course, is bullfighting. Only in Seville and Madrid can you still see bullfights traditional for Spanish culture.
Kitchen
The multinational history of Seville is reflected not only in the culture of the townspeople and the architecture of the city itself, but also in the cuisine. Since the city is located on a river that flows into the sea, the cuisine here is mainly from seafood.
One of the most famous restaurants in Seville is the Corral del Rey, which is a luxury restaurant with a bar. Visitors prefer to have dinner or lunch on the terrace, which offers a beautiful view of the main attraction of the city. Cathedral Square and the Cathedral. Here you can taste traditional Spanish cuisine of meat and vegetable dishes, as well as fish dishes. And in the bar of the restaurant, visitors are provided with more than 100 types of different cocktails.
Another of the most visited restaurants by tourists is La Giralda, where you can feel the cozy and warm atmosphere combined with reasonable prices. Need about 
It should be noted that the cuisine here is quite original, one can even say that it combines the most delicious dishes from all cultures.
And in the prestigious restaurant Egana Oriza, guests can taste Baco-Andalusian cuisine in an innovative way by the chef, who says that the whole secret of the unique taste of his dishes lies in the skillful use of vinegar and olive oil. These ingredients are of particular value in the preparation of fish dishes.
Seville is one of the most famous cities Spain, which the whole world knows about. Its sunny and fertile climate attracted many civilizations: Carthaginians, Phoenicians and Romans. In ancient times, a very small Iberian village stood on the site of the city. But in the III century. BC. it passed into the hands of the Romans, from which its unprecedented flourishing began. Legends say that Seville is the birthplace of the famous Roman emperors Trajan, Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius. The city also became the birthplace of the legend of the famous libertine and voluptuary Don Juan, who became the most famous artistic character. It was from Seville that Christopher Columbus went to look for New World, and the gypsy Carmen, the heroine of Merime's short story, met with Don Jose and Torero Escamillo.
Seville is distinctive, multicolored and beautiful city, with passionate flamenco, exciting bullfighting and endless holidays, which perfectly reflects the national Spanish character.
Climate and weather
Seville has a Mediterranean climate with continental elements. It is characterized by very hot summers and mild winters without snow. average temperature in a year is 18.6 °C. The coldest month is January (5.2°C) and the warmest is July (35.3°C). At the same time, every year several times the thermometer column certainly rises above 40 ° C.
The average amount of precipitation per year is 500-600 mm, with most of it falling in April and October, and the rainiest month is December. In total, there are 52 rainy days per year and no more than 3 snowy days, when the temperature can drop below 0 °C.
Nature
Seville is located in the province of the same name, which is part of the region of Andalusia. The city is located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, on the banks of the navigable river Guadalquivir. The city blocks of Los Remedios and Triana are located on the opposite side of the river.
Of all the trees that grow in the local parks and squares, bitter oranges and hacaranda stand out.
Bananas, oleander and jasmine are also common.
Attractions
Seville is divided into two parts by the Guadalquivir River. On its left bank is the historical district of the city, and on the right is the colorful and iconic region of Tirana for Spain, which is a favorite place for bullfighters, flamenco performers and sailors. There are a huge number of Spanish restaurants that are very popular among tourists.
In the former Jewish quarter of Santa Cruz is the Cathedral of Santa Maria - the first largest in Spain and the third largest in Europe. The building is designed in the traditional Gothic style, and later extensions belong to the Renaissance style. Here is the symbol of the city - the Giralda Tower, which is a former minaret. With her observation deck open picturesque views to Seville. The palace of the rulers of the city of Alcazar is also noteworthy.
The Moorish Golden Tower, located on the embankment of the river, attracts a keen interest of tourists. It was built to protect the harbor in 1220, but now there is Maritime Museum. Not far from the tower is the university. Its building previously housed a tobacco factory, which became the setting for Mérimée's short story "Carmen". Nearby is a steel bridge that leads to Tirana. It overlooks the bullring and Columbus Avenue.
The symbolic place of Seville is the palace of the Duke of Medinaceli, which combines the Mudéjar, Gothic and Renaissance styles. The palace was nicknamed Pilate's House, because. earlier, processions began from here, symbolizing the Way of the Cross of Christ.
Food
The traditional cuisine of Seville is based on homemade recipes. The menu of all restaurants necessarily includes specialties of the region. The most popular of these are Flemish eggs, stuffed wild artichokes, kidneys in sherry, asparagus omelet, gazpacho and fried fish. There are also many restaurants that offer not only Andalusian and Spanish cuisine, but also dishes from other countries.
First of all, it is customary to order “tapas” from restaurant visitors, i.e. snacks. This is an old tradition with many rituals and customs associated with it. In order to get to know the cuisine of Seville well, you need to try many dishes that are offered in the local taverns and bars: gazpachos, salads, salmorejos, etc. In addition, throughout the year Seville's bars treat guests to excellent ham from the Huelva mountains, lobsters from Sanlúcar and fried fish. All this is washed down with local wine (for example, manzanillas), wine from nearby areas (montilla and sherry) or fresh golden beer.
Accommodation
The city is ready to offer its tourists and guests a wide variety of accommodation options: family hotels, luxury hotels and business hotels, apartments and cottages for rent, private houses, inexpensive hostels and boarding houses. Therefore, here for the duration of your stay, you can easily find accommodation for every taste at an affordable price. However, during the high season it may be necessary to walk around a bit to find suitable accommodation, and for holiday visits it is recommended to book in advance.
The best hotels in Seville are the Hotel Alfonso XIII, the Gran Melia Colon and the Barceló Renacimiento. top quality all amenities are provided, and professional service is not satisfactory (from 100 € per day). Cheaper hotels are located outside the historical part of the city and in the suburbs (from 18 €).
Entertainment and recreation
In the historical part of Seville, there is an entertainment theme park "Magic Island", which allows you to get acquainted with a wide variety of peoples and countries. It is also offered to visit the planetarium, ride the monorail and high-speed slides, watch a laser show or a water show.
But the most favorite entertainment in the city is visiting a party where a flamenco dance is performed. To do this, it is better to head to the Tirana region, where people of creative professions and free views live.
Another traditional Seville entertainment is bullfighting. Nowhere in Spain, except in Seville and Madrid, there are so many fans of this exciting spectacle, nowhere else are so many fights. Big arena built for bullfighting in Seville
Traveling around the city in horse-drawn carriages has also become a popular entertainment for tourists. This type of transport has long been outdated, but its popularity is not waning.
As the main commercial, industrial and tourist center region, Seville has also become the center of constantly changing holidays, which are celebrated here very violently and cheerfully.
Purchases
One of the features that characterize Seville is the old trading tradition of the city, which has developed over many centuries. In Seville, handmade ceramic crafts are very popular, which originate in the era of Arab domination. It was the oriental people who taught the Spanish masters how to paint ceramic products and how to glaze them. The Tirana area is the ceramic center of the city; numerous shops and shops of local craftsmen are concentrated here.
In addition to earthenware vases, plates and pots, you can buy handmade lace, embroidery and mantillas on the city streets. Moreover, one of the fundamental conditions for a successful purchase is bargaining, which is more than appropriate in Seville.
Recently, Seville has been a major center not only for crafts, but also for fashion. The city houses the workshops of eminent designers who are members of the Seville Fashion Association and the Andalusian Fashion Center.
In addition, in Seville there are traditional bazaars under open sky where you can buy absolutely any product.
Transport
Seville has a very convenient system of urban public transport. Most buses run here frequently and allow you to get to almost anywhere in the city. Ticket can be bought at a newsstand, with a green ticket (10 trips) for 5 €, and a red one (10 trips with transfers) for 6 €. Along with them, there are plastic bonobus travel cards that can be replenished and used for a very long time.
The Seville metro is divided into 3 zones, the fare is 1.30 € for one zone and 4.50 € for all 3 zones, and the number of trips per day is not limited.
For cyclists, there are docking stations in the city where you can rent a bike. And you can hand it over at any other docking station. The rental price is the first 30 minutes free of charge and then 1 € per hour.
Connection
In all areas of the city there are telephone booths and Telefonica machines, from where you can make calls abroad. And much cheaper than from a hotel. The call is paid for with coins or Tarjeta telefonica telephone cards sold in hotels and tobacconists (from 6 €).
cellular in Valencia, as well as throughout the country, it is supported by GSM 900/1800 standards. Roaming is available for all major operators in Europe.
For those wishing to use Internet services in the city there are a large number of Internet cafes. The average cost is from 1.4 € per hour on the Web.
Safety
Seville is a major tourist center with a fairly high level of security. However, here, as in other crowded cities, cases of theft are possible. Therefore, when going for a walk in crowded places, you should not take large sums money and valuables, and in restaurants and cafes, bags and clothes should not be left unattended.
In addition, you need to be wary of scammers who come up with all sorts of tricks. For example, a person approaches a tourist, asks to be photographed and disappears. Then his partner accuses the hapless traveler of stealing.
Business climate
In order to start a business in Seville, favorable conditions have been created. However, it must be remembered that the registration of a company does not provide the right to obtain a visa for permanent residence (1 year). Visa problems are solved by buying real estate.
The most profitable investments in Seville are tourism and restaurant business.
Real estate
At the moment, Seville is one of the most promising places to buy property in Spain. To date, prices for it have fallen more than in other regions of the country. This is due to the absence of foreign buyers, who are an influential force in the Spanish real estate market. Analysts are confident that gradually prices in Spain will go up again, and in Seville they will grow most significantly. Now in the city center you can find an apartment for 50,000 €, and for 100,000 € - a house, which is a very profitable offer on the Spanish real estate market.
Tickets for all entertainment and cultural events sold only in specialized kiosks, museums and stadiums. Flamenco and bullfighting performances are quite expensive events, tickets for them must be bought in advance. And in no case should you do it on the street - fraud is possible.
All city beaches are municipal and the entrance to them is free. However, the rental of umbrellas and sun loungers is paid extra.
Private tour to Seville with a Russian guide |
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| Class | quantity passengers | tour with driver guide from the Costa del Sol | tour with local guide | Cathedral ticket |
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| 4 hour | 6 hour | adult | from 10 to 14 years old | discount | |||
| economy | up to 3 pass | 250,00 € | 160,00 € | 240,00 € | 8,00 € | 4,00 € | children up to 10 years 100% |
| average | up to 4 pass | 350,00 € | |||||
| premium | up to 4 pass | 500,00 € | |||||
| Note | Driving tour time 11 hours, extra hour 40,00 € transfer from Costa del Sol about 3 hours |
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| Excursions in Seville | |||||||
Group bus tour to Seville from the Costa del Sol |
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| leaving the city | check-out time | price 1 seat | ||
| shopping in the office | agent and internet | |||
| Malaga | 9:00 | 67,00 € | 80,00 € | |
| Torremolinos Mijas | 8:30-7:30 | 57,00 € / 75,00 € | 80,00 € | |
| Marbella | 7:15 | 75,00 € / 82,00 € | 80,00 € / 87,00 € | |
| Estepona | 6:45 | 88,00 € | 91,00 € | |
| Discount: children under 11 years old 25%, children under 3 years old free of charge (no seat) Refund at the office 100% of the amount if canceled 24 hours before departure, later a fine of 35.00 € Refund from the agent 90% of the amount if canceled 24 hours before departure, later a fine of 45.00 € |
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| Excursion to Seville overview of attractions and prices for all excursions. | ||||
The climate of Seville is Mediterranean with an oceanic influence bringing about 50 rainy days a year. The average annual temperature is 18.6ºC, with mild winters and very hot summers, with an August maximum of up to 47ºC. The valley of the Guadalquivir River, the location of the municipality of Seville, is a developed agricultural area, the products of which are sold both within Spain, and are also exported to many countries of the European continent and to the world market.
The southern part of Spain, the autonomy and its capital Seville, has the richest tourism potential, has a huge number of historical architectural sights, is included in all excursion tours to Spain. The right bank of the Guadalquivir River, occupies the old suburb, Triana district, on the left bank are the main historical sites of the Old City, the Cathedral, the Alcazar, the Golden Tower, protected by the Committee world heritage UNESCO since 1987.
For more than 3,000 years of existence from the era of Tartessus to the present day, the people of the province of Seville embodied the traditions of several cultural groups: Iberian, Romanesque, Visigothic, Muslim, Christian.
Legend has it that the founder of this ancient city is the ancient Greek hero Hercules, but these are legends, and the facts indicate that at the dawn of his education (1200 BC), modern territory province of Seville, was part of the ancient Iberian kingdom of Tartessos.
The capital of this then great kingdom was a beautiful city, which the Phoenicians called Tarssis, the Greeks Tartessos, and the peoples of Asia Minor Tursa. Confirmation of the wealth and grandeur of the kingdom of Tartessos are archaeological finds, among which are plates made of pieces of pure gold, which may have been part of a breastplate.
Even some chapters of the Bible mention that King Solomon equipped his ships to search for the gold of Tartessus, during the construction of his temple. From this, historians concluded that the Phoenicians and Greeks arrived here in search of new lands rich in metals. Here there was a mixture of three different cultures: Turdetan, Iberian and Punic. Unfortunately, there is no reliable historical evidence about the reasons for the disappearance of the ancient city, this happened after the capture of Phoenicia by the Assyrians and during the transition of these lands under the control of Carthage.
After the defeat of Carthage in the Second Punic War, Rome gained complete control over the Iberian Peninsula. In 206 BC. e. Roman troops, under the command of General Scipio, entered Seville. By order of the general, the Romans laid new town Italica, 7 kilometers from Seville. Today, it is a museum on the territory of the town of Santiponce, excavations are ongoing here, now you can see a stone-paved road, we can clearly distinguish the perimeter of city streets, an amphitheater, the foundations of buildings with gardens and mosaic floors.
Seville received a new name, Colonia Iulia Romula Hispalis or Ispalis, becoming one of the three largest cities Roman province of Baetica, with Cordoba as its capital. Ispalis was then an important industrial and commercial center of Roman Spain with a major port. Fortified walls were erected around the entire city, of which only small fragments remain today. Seville gave world history two Roman emperors Trajan (98-117) and Hadrian (117-138).
After the fall of the Roman Empire, a dark period of chaos and robberies began, which was brought to the former Roman lands by semi-savage nomadic tribes of barbarians who were at war with each other. The territories of southern Spain were first taken over by the Vandals. Seville was taken by the army of King Gunderic in 426. However, they were soon forced to leave the conquered lands of Spain, setting off to conquer Africa.
In 441, Seville, once again, was taken by the king of the Sueves, Rehila, who already owned neighboring Galicia.
Meanwhile, the kingdom of the Visigoths was gaining strength and in 531 the troops of King Theudis captured Seville, forever losing the Roman name of Ispalis, the city became known as Spalis.
According to the historian Isidore of Seville, it is known that during the reign of the Visigoth king Agil I (549-554), the future king Atanagild raised an uprising in Seville and soon, with the support of Byzantine emperor Justilian received the Visigothic crown. Byzantium, in turn, took possession of large areas of Spain up to Valencia. After accession to the throne, Atanagild directed his efforts to fight against the former ally, trying to liberate his lands from the Byzantines. We could not find exact data confirming that during the reign of Atanagild (551-567) Seville was occupied by the Byzantines.
Some historians claim that during the Visigothic rule in Andalusia, the cities and Seville had some special status, independent of the Toledo territories.
The beginning of the Arab expansion (711) of large areas of Spain was the crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar, a detachment of Berber mercenaries under the command of the famous Arab commander Tarik ibn Ziyad. After the death of King Roderich in the battle near the Guadalete River on July 19-26, 711, the Arab troops, already under the command of the supreme commander Musa ibn Nusayr, the conqueror of the Maghreb, began to seize the kingdom of the Visigoths.
There are two versions of the capture of Seville in the spring of 712, after which its inhabitants became subjects of the Umayyad Caliphate. The first speaks of a three-month siege of the city by Arab troops. The second says that most of the townspeople of Ibero-Roman and Jewish origin supported the invaders, as they were eager to get rid of the power of the Visigoths. Among the sympathizers was even the Archbishop of Seville, Don Oppas.
The meeting of two different civilizations was not a strong shock for the townspeople. The new city government was made up of Jews who enjoyed the favor of the Arabs. The Jews, oppressed by the Visigoths, who did not have the right to free movement, inhabiting the poorest Jewish quarter of the city juderia, now received equal rights with the rest of the inhabitants of the emirate, the opportunity to participate in political and economic life.
With the consent of the then ruling Damascus, Caliph Al Walid I of the Umayyad dynasty, Musa made Seville the capital of the already occupied territories, giving it the name Ishbilya. Then, leaving his son Abd el Aziz as governor, he continued the conquest of Andalusia.
All the city nobility grouped around the young Abd el Aziz, and the widow of the last Visigoth king Roderich, Egilon, became his wife. An unprecedented era of mixing and prosperity of clans, religions, ethnic groups began. For Seville, the heyday of trade, science, crafts came, the economy of the region experienced a period of growth.
The largest river Betis, the Arabs called, big river, in Arabic it sounded like Guad el Kevir, which gave the river its modern name Guadalquivir. The fertile river valleys, highly valued by the Arabs for the availability of water, were planted with various exotic crops. A prosperous city, located by a full-flowing river, attracted the attention of Viking and Norman sea robbers who attacked Seville on October 1, 844.
During the robberies and robberies, the city was badly damaged, the citizens who did not have time to flee were killed, some were transferred to the island of Captel (now Isla Menor) on the Guadalquivir River, below Seville, demanding a ransom. The troops of Emir Abd ar Rahman II with great difficulty force the warlike Vikings to retreat.
The attack of the Normans forced the emir to strengthen the city walls and think about building a navy. The next Viking invasion of Seville in 859 was less successful. Their ships met the emir's new fleet, forcing the enemy to retreat. After the campaign of 859-861. the Normans stopped disturbing Andalusia for a long time. The last attacks took place in 971-972, but Seville did not suffer then.
During the reign of the first Umayyad caliph, Abd ar Rahman III, two influential families declared Seville (899) an independent state from the power of Cordoba. It was a period of practical civil war between these powerful clans. Only on December 20, 913, after the destruction of the fortress walls, the city was taken by the Caliph's troops.
The beginning of the 11th century, the collapse of the Caliphate of Cordoba, the formation of an independent kingdom (Taifa) of the Beni Abbad or Abbadid dynasty, was a period (1023-1091) of unprecedented prosperity for all the years of the Islamic rule of Seville.
The loss of autocracy was the beginning of the end of the once great state of Al Andalus. The incessant wars with the Christian kingdoms, internecine wars between the taifas, led first to the loss of Toledo and then to the seizure of power over all the taifas called to help the Almoravides.
The last two centuries of the Almoravid era, after 1091, were the time of the last changes in the face of Seville. The fortress walls were restored, the Giralda, the Golden Tower was built.
After the capture of Cordoba (1236) and Jaen (1246), Fernando III of Castile, with the support of the army of King Jaime I of Aragon, reinforced his fleet with ships of the Vasques and Galicia, in August 1247 approached Seville. During the Seville campaign, the Christians were also assisted by the Emir of Granada, Muhammad I. Christian troops had no experience in military operations against such a large, well-fortified city with a military flotilla.
Seville was surrounded by a powerful 7 km wall, the river was protected by the fortress of Triana on the right bank of the Guadalquivir. The siege lasted more than a year, the united Christian fleet under the command of Ramon Bonifas cut off the supply of the surrounded city from the sea, on May 3, 1248, the bridge between the fortress of Triana was destroyed, Seville was doomed. The result of a long siege was the signing of surrender on November 2, 1248. The Emir was given time to leave the city and on November 22, 1248 King Fernando III of Castile entered Seville.
After the end of the reconquista, a stormy process of restoring the destruction began, the reconstruction of Muslim mosques, Jewish synagogues into Christian churches, and the construction of new city blocks.
Shipyards were built for new sailboats, which the Crown of Castile lacked so much, the largest river port in Spain is being modernized.
The XIII-XV centuries are the times when terrible bonfires of the Inquisition light up all over the country, Seville is no exception, Muslims, Jews are expelled from their homes, the number of those killed was in the thousands, the country is going through a difficult period in its history, as a result, there is a significant economic decline everywhere, decreasing the number of the population.
The end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th centuries became for. After the discovery of America, the entire flow of trade with the New World passed through the port of Seville, through the harbor of the Guadalquivir River, which becomes the only port awarded by Royal Decree, monopoly trade with the rich Spanish colonies America. As a result of a sharp rise in trade, the rapid growth of the region's economy, the population increased to one million people.
However, the development of another major port, the division of the monopoly of receiving ships from America significantly reduced trade, the income of the city treasury was greatly reduced. And the sudden outbreak of the Great Plague of 1649 claimed half of the city's population.
The next remarkable historical date was 1729, the date of the signing of the historic tripartite treaty of peace, cooperation, good neighborliness between the three Great European powers: France, England, and later the Netherlands joined them. In 1808, Seville became the center of resistance to the French invasion led by Napoleon. Until the end of the 19th century, the city experienced not better times followed by industrialization, the city again set a course for economic growth, which was characterized by an increase in the urban population.
Modern municipality Seville has eleven administrative districts. Its main part is located on the left bank of the Guadalquivir River, on the right is located, only one of the oldest urban areas, Triana. The northeastern part, the left bank, is occupied by the typical Muslim area of Macarena, the northwestern Christian areas of Santa Clara, San Vicente.
All traditional excursion routes go through Old city, vintage historical quarters, consist of narrow serpentine, intertwined streets, many small cozy squares where beautiful graceful fountains are built. Among the most beautiful city squares, it should be noted: Resurrection Square, Museum Square, Constitution Square, Ducal Square, St. Francisco Square.
The brightest celebrated city celebrations are Semana Santa (Holy Week) and Feria, better known as the April Fair, these holidays are colorful, noisy, fun, lively, with a traditional Andalusian scale, to the sounds of everyone's favorite Sevilla, using national costumes, are arranged street performances, about a thousand special holiday pavilions are being installed.
