Just beyond Zaragoza’s historic centre, the Aljafería Palace brings together a fortified outline, quiet courtyards and a layered history that spans more than a thousand years. It began as a palace of the Taifa kingdom of Zaragoza, later served Christian monarchs and state institutions, and now houses the Cortes de Aragón, the region’s parliament. The building is not a single-period monument; its successive uses remain visible in its rooms and walls.
The oldest surviving part is the lower section of the Troubadour Tower, whose origins date to the ninth century. In the eleventh century, the Banu Hud rulers of Zaragoza incorporated the tower into a new palace complex. Patrimonio Cultural de Aragón associates the palace with Abu Ja‘far Ahmad ibn Sulayman, known as al-Muqtadir, who ruled from 1046 to 1082. The name Aljafería developed from his name; the palace was also known as Qasr al-Surur, or Palace of Joy.
