Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a 12th-century bath in a popular bar in the city of Seville in southern Spain.
Cerveceria Giralda has been operating in the heart of the city since 1923, but the bar is located in a building with a much longer history.
Although the vaulted ceilings suggest it may have been a bathroom, and historical records said there had been one in the area, no one had found concrete evidence of its existence, CNN reported on Thursday. archaeologist Fernando Amores of the University of Seville.
Skylights and red geometric paintings from the 12th century have now been discovered during the last renovation works.
Restoration of skylights and painting found under the decoration installed in the twenties. Credit: Fernando Amors
In the twelfth century, Seville was ruled by the Almohad caliphate, a North African Berber Muslim empire, which controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula (present-day Spain and Portugal).
Amores was part of a team of experts who collaborated in the restoration of what he called a “very unusual” find.
Skylights are made in the shape of eight-pointed stars and red ocher paints form intertwined geometric patterns.
There are four types of skylights of different sizes. Credit: Fernando Amors
Star-shaped windows are typical of hammams and there are four different types of 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,” Amores said, with light flowing through the windows reminiscent of the stars of the night.
The intricate craftsmanship shows the importance of the bathhouse, which 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 conducting carbon dating on the stucco (a fine plaster) to get a more accurate construction date, Amores added.
Star-shaped windows are typical of hammams. Credit: Alvaro Jiménez
The project has been a collaboration between the building owners, the bar owners and the team of archaeologists, said Amores, who explained that the whole process has been a triumph of cooperation.
“We’re very happy,” he said.
The owners decided to do some renovation work last summer, a bar spokesman told CNN. Until then, the original features had been covered by a layer of decoration installed in the early twentieth century.
As the work revealed evidence from the bathhouse, archaeologists were introduced to monitor them, the spokesman added. The bathrooms were said to have at least three bedrooms, which are now used as a kitchen and two dining rooms.
Architect Francisco Diaz told local television station Canal Sur that archaeologists initially found nothing of interest, but then a skylight was found on the roof. “From there it was like taking off a veil and all the skylights started to appear,” Diaz said.
Cerveceria Giralda serves tapas and beer and is well known in Seville.
“We believe (the bar) could open to the public in a month, combining the restaurant’s operations with possible visits at certain times,” the spokesman said.