Route: "Arab Footprint" on the city walls
Historical and cultural visits that evoke the legacy of the Arabs in the city, with its walls and the walled palace of the Alcazar Seguir.
1
Alcazar Seguir: 13th century.
The most monumental architectural remains belong to the Alcázar Seguir or minor Alcazar of the Murcian emirs, most of which can be visited today inside the Sainte Clara la Real Museum. It is a fortified palace built in the mid-13th century on the ruins of an earlier one dating from the 12th century. The museum preserves the hall with alcoves and the north portico, all of which are richly decorated with polychrome plasterwork and monumental arches. Some remains of this fortress have been preserved and can be visited in the basement and exhibition hall of the Las Claras Cultural Centre, annexed to the museum and the church of Sainte Clara.
2
Veronicas Wall: 11th to 13th centuries.
Southern section of the wall dating from the 11th to 13th centuries. The elevation of two towers of the wall (one of them attached to the Veronicas Church Art Centre), the sentry walk and the barbican are preserved in the open air. In its day, the layout of the wall took advantage of the Segura riverbed as a defensive moat that made it difficult to besiege and take the city. This is the section of the wall that best demonstrates its defensive importance and one of the largest preserved sections of the city, both in terms of height and extension. It is also an ideal setting for a variety of cultural activities and concerts.
3
La Muralla Cafeteria.
Inside the cafeteria La Muralla, located in the basement of the traditional hotel Rincón de Pepe, in Cánovas del Castillo street (Val de St. John old street), one of the longest sections of the ravelin of the Andalusian defensive system is preserved.
This site has the peculiarity of being able to enjoy a leisure activity next to the walls of the medieval fence. Here we can perfectly appreciate the hollows that the ravelin had, similar to the arrow slits, designed to repel enemy attacks.
4
La Muralla de Murcia Visitor Centre.
Located in the Sainte Eulalia Square, this centre houses a section of the medieval wall that surrounded the city of Murcia, as well as one of the gates that was used for centuries as access to it: the gate of Santa Eulalia.
In addition to contemplating the remains of the defensive constructions, the visitor can get an insight into the urban evolution of Murcia since its foundation by Abderramán II in the year 825. The Centre consists of several rooms in which daily life in medieval Murcia is recreated virtually. By means of a guided tour and through plasma screens, computer graphics and models, the visitor can go back centuries in time to learn about the evolution of the wall from the Islamic to the Christian period.
