Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a 12th-century bathhouse in a popular pub in the southern Spanish city of Seville.
Cerveceria Giralda has been operating in the heart of the city since 1923, but the bar is housed in a building with a much longer history.
While the vaulted ceilings indicate that it may have been a bathhouse, and according to historical reports that there was one in the area, no one found concrete evidence of its existence, archaeologist Fernando Amores of the University of Seville said on Thursday told CNN.
Now skylights and red geometric paintings from the 12th century have been exposed during recent renovations.
Restoration of skylights and paintings was found under the decoration installed in the 1920s. Credit: Fernando Amores
In the 12th century, Seville was ruled by the Almohad Caliphate, a North African Berber Muslim empire, which at the time controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula – present-day Spain and Portugal.
Amores was part of a team of experts who worked together to restore what he called a ‘very unusual’ find.
The skylights are made in the shape of eight-pointed stars, and the red ocher paintings form geometric patterns that are connected to each other.
There are four types of skylights in different sizes. Credit: Fernando Amores
The star-shaped windows are typical of hammams, and there are four different types in different sizes, Amores said. However, the fact that the paintings completely covered the walls and ceiling is unusual, he added.
“It forms a beautiful sky,” says Amores, with light reminiscent of the windows at night.
The intricate craftsmanship shows the importance of the bathhouse that was located near the city’s main mosque when it was built, he said.
There is more restoration work to be done, Amores said, but additional funding will be needed.
Archaeologists are also making carbon updates on the plaster – a fine plaster – to get a more precise construction date, Amores added.
Star-shaped windows are typical of hammams. Credit: Alvaro Jiménez
The project was a collaboration between the owners of the building, the owners of the bar and the team of archaeologists, Amores said, explaining that the whole process was a triumph of collaboration.
“We are very happy,” he said.
The owners decided last summer to carry out renovations, a bar spokesman told CNN. Until then, the original features were covered by a layer of decoration applied at the beginning of the 20th century.
As the work revealed evidence of the bathhouse, archaeologists were brought in to supervise, the spokesman added. According to them, the baths have at least three rooms, which are now used as a kitchen and two dining rooms.
Architect Francisco Diaz told local TV station Canal Sur that archaeologists initially found nothing of interest, but then one skylight was found in the ceiling. “From there, it was like pulling back a veil and all the skylights started to appear,” Diaz said.
Cerveceria Giralda serves tapas and beer, and is well known in Seville.
“We think it (the bar) could open to the public within a month, which could combine restaurant operations with possible visits at certain times,” the spokesman said.