Seville

Seville (in Spanish, Sevilla), city in southern Spain, capital of Andalusia Region and of Seville Province, a port on the Guadalquivir River. The port is accessible to ocean-going ships. Among the city's exports are wine, olives, oranges, and metal ores. Industries include fish canneries, distilleries, and the manufacture of iron, porcelain and earthenware, tobacco, textiles, soap, and furniture. Tourism is an important part of Seville's economy.

Many landmarks in the city date from the Middle Ages, such as the Alcázar, a royal palace built by the Moors in 1181. Traces of early Moorish civilization are also evident in the small winding streets, the low white houses with balconies, the courtyards, and the fountains, as well as in the remains of an ancient wall that once surrounded the city. A vast Gothic cathedral, started in 1402 and finished in 1519, stands on the site of a 12th-century Muslim mosque. The cathedral houses paintings by such important Spanish artists as El Greco, Murillo, and Zurbarán. The Giralda, the cathedral's bell tower, standing more than 91 m (300 ft) high, originally served as the minaret (calling tower) for the mosque. The city’s most important institute of higher education is the University of Seville (1502). The Archivo de los Indios, a large collection of books, manuscripts, and documents on the history and administration of the Spanish Empire in the Americas, has been stored at the Casa Lonja in the city since 1785. The medieval monuments of Seville were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

Called Hispalis in ancient times, Seville was captured in 45 bc by Julius Caesar. After the 4th century ad, Seville was ruled successively by the Vandals, the Visigoths, and the Moors. It flourished as a cultural centre under Moorish domination, which lasted from 712 until 1248. It was then conquered by Ferdinand III of Castile and León. The opening of America to Spanish commerce in 1492 proved very profitable for the city, and trading developed rapidly between the two continents. By the 17th and 18th centuries, Seville had become the centre of Spanish culture. The Spanish-American Exhibition of 1929, an expression of Hispano-American relations, was held in Seville. A world fair, Expo '92, opened in Seville in April 1992. Population 704,414 (2006 estimate).