Not Only 'Spolia'

This paper explores how and why the Umayyad-era Ibn ʿAdabbas Mosque (9th century CE) and the later Great Almohad Mosque (12th century), both in Ishbīliyah (Seville), incorporated Classical and Christian materials into their structures, and why the newer mosque also included elements of older Islamic buildings. The title, “not only spolia”, reflects how acts of selection or rejection can be materialized in multiple ways, such in site location and in construction materials, as well as in the spolia proper itself. We start by analysing how sites for the mosques were selected, showing how archaeological evidence refutes traditional narratives. Then, we explain the functional context of spolia at the Ibn ʿAdabbas Mosque and at other mosques in the city, in contrast to the symbolic purpose of spolia at the Almohad, where materials from other Islamic sites were used extensively. Our discussion sheds light on the presence of capitals from the royal city of Madinat al-Zahra in the Great Mosque’s minaret (today the Giralda bell tower of Seville Cathedral) and of Roman spolia at the base of the tower, as well as of the conscious decision to relocate elements from the Ibn ʿAdabbas Mosque such as the older building’s minbar, maqsura and sabīl. We conclude by showing how this approach can be applied more broadly to various areas and periods, and we contrast churches and mosques in Ishbīliyah/Seville with mosques in the Maghrib.