The Al-Qasr al-Sagir (Alcázar Menor), is former Muslim palace from the 13th century in

Arrixaca Arrixaca (later San Esteban) was an ''arrabal'' (suburb) of Murcia, although it is now in the centre of the expanded city. It is the site of the Al-Andalusian palatial complex and neighborhood of San Esteban. Etymology The name may have Basque ...

, a northern suburb of

Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. The site is now occupied by a Poor Clare convent. It is one of the most historically significant buildings in the city, containing remains of the Arab palace, which are among the most important examples of

Islamic art Islamic art is a part of Islamic culture and encompasses the visual arts produced since the 7th century CE by people who lived within territories inhabited or ruled by Muslims, Muslim populations. Referring to characteristic traditions across ...

in Murcia.

Dar As-Sugra (12th century)

The earliest known use of the site dates back to a palace built before 1145, first referenced in historical records as ''Dar As-Sugra''. It was a recreational palace located outside the walls of the Arab

medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

. This residential area had access to water from the

Acequia Mayor Aljufía The Acequia Mayor Aljufía is one of the two major ''Acequia'' (irrigation canals) that structure the traditional irrigation network of the Huerta de Murcia (Region of Murcia, Spain), drawing its water from the Segura River. It is one of the most ...

irrigation canal, which runs along the southern side of the monastery. This late

Almoravid The Almoravid dynasty () was a Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus, starting in the 1050s and lasting until its fall to the Almo ...

structure was later renovated or rebuilt by Ibn Mardanis (the Wolf King) during his reign (1147-1172), enhancing its dimensions and luxurious features. After the

Almohad The Almohad Caliphate (; or or from ) or Almohad Empire was a North African Berber Muslim empire founded in the 12th century. At its height, it controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) and North Africa (the Maghreb). The Almohad ...

conquest of Murcia in 1172, the building fell into disuse. Archaeological evidence of its muqarnas dome suggests that its paintings were concealed due to Almohad religious orthodoxy.

Al-Qasr Al-Sagir (1228–1266)

During the rule of

Ibn Hud Abū ’Abd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf ibn Hūd al-Judhamī (Arabic: محمد بن يوسف بن هود, died 1238), commonly known as Ibn Hud, was a taifa emir who controlled much of al-Andalus from 1228 to 1238. He was a descendant of the Hudi ...

, between 1228 and 1238, the previous palace was transformed into '' Al-Qasr al-Sagir'' (Alcázar Menor), a new recreational palace in the Arrixaca area. It was smaller than its predecessor but still maintained significant grandeur. The monastery largely preserves the structure of ''Al-Qasr al-Sagir'', making its remains among the most valuable archaeological elements of the complex. The ruling family also possessed the Alcázar Mayor, the primary royal residence located in the southern part of the city, near the

Segura River Segura (Spanish and Valencian: ; ; , or ) is a medium-sized river in southeastern Spain. It has its source in the Sierra de Segura. Course The 325-km (202 mi) long river begins at Santiago Pontones (Jaén Province, Spain, province of J ...

. Following Ibn Hud's assassination in 1238 and the signing of the Treaty of Alcaraz (1243), Murcia became a

protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over ...

of the

Crown of Castile The Crown of Castile was a medieval polity in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and, some decades later, the parliaments of the kingdoms of Kingdom of Castile, Castile and Kingd ...

, retaining autonomy for its Muslim population. Under the treaty, the Alcázar Mayor was occupied by a Christian garrison, making the Alcázar Menor the primary residence of the Murcian royal family led by Ibn Hud al-Dawla.

Residence of Christian monarchs (1266–1365)

After the

Mudéjar revolt of 1264-1266 Mudéjar were Muslims who remained in Iberia in the late medieval period following the Christian reconquest. It is also a term for Mudéjar art, which was greatly influenced by Islamic art, but produced typically by Christian craftsmen for Chri ...

was suppressed by

James I of Aragon James I the Conqueror ( Catalan/Valencian: ''Jaume I or Jaume el Conqueridor''; Aragonese: ''Chaime I'' ''o Conqueridor''; ; 2 February 1208 – 27 July 1276) was King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1 ...

, and Murcia was permanently incorporated into Castilian control on February 2, 1266, the Alcázar Menor became a royal residence. It hosted notable figures such as

Alfonso X of Castile Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, ; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, Kingdom of León, León and Kingdom of Galicia, Galicia from 1 June 1252 until his death in 1284. During the April 1257 Imperial election, election of 1 ...

Violant of Aragon Violant or Violante of Aragon, also known as Yolanda of Aragon (8 June 1236 – 1301), was Queen consort of Castile and León from 1252 to 1284 as the wife of King Alfonso X of Castile. Life Violant was born in Zaragoza, the daughter of Kin ...

, and James I of Aragon during their visits to the

Kingdom of Murcia After roughly two decades as a protectorate of the Crown of Castile, the territory of the Taifa of Murcia became the Kingdom of Murcia (, a territorial jurisdiction of the Crown of Castile) in the wake of its Conquest of Murcia (1265–66), conq ...

. During this period, the palace estate, which included other structures, baths, gardens, and orchards, was subdivided among various royal beneficiaries. This resulted in separate properties like the ''Real de la Reina'' and the estate of Infante Don Fernando. King James I stayed in Murcia again in 1274 at these estates.

Convent (1365–1367)

Previously, sections of the palace had already been granted to the

Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...

. However, in 1365,

Peter I of Castile Peter (; 30 August 133423 March 1369), called Peter the Cruel () or the Just (), was King of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369. Peter was the last ruler of the main branch of the House of Ivrea. He was excommunicated by Pope Urban V for his ...

donated his royal chambers to Abbess Berenguela de Espín and the

Poor Clares The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare (Latin language, Latin: ''Ordo Sanctae Clarae''), originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and also known as the Clarisses or Clarissines, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Or ...

, which have owned it ever since. In 1367, the nuns obtained permission from Bishop Nicolás de Aguilar to repurpose the semi-ruined palace into a convent. The old Muslim courtyard became the center of monastic life, with arcades and additional buildings gradually added.

References

{{coord, 37.9881, -1.1304, type:landmark_region:ES, display=title Murcia Former palaces in Spain