arabinfluence

Discovering Cartagena

More Articles By Phillip Bruce www.raxomnium.com

Arab influence at old bull ring

One of the most interesting examples of Arab-influenced architectural style is the old bull ring, which sits rather forlornly amidst a wasteland up on the hill across the street from the swish outdoor elevator in Calle Gisbert.

The elevator takes visitors up to the Torres Park and the interesting exhibition in the Concepción castle that tells the story of Cartagena. There are also great views. But it is worth taking a stroll across the street and walking up to have a look at the bull ring. There is also a curious octagonal building right next to it. This was the former autopsy room of the naval hospital.

The bull ring is built on the foundations of Cartagena’s gladiators’ arena. In Spanish, “arena” means “sand” and this was used to soak up the blood of the dead and dying. Later, the foundations were used to erect the building where the blood of bulls still provided gory entertainment.

It is something of a surprise that Cartagena’s tourism authorities don’t make more of their gladiator heritage. After all, Russell Crowe in Gladiator and Kirk Douglas in Spartacus have laid the groundwork.

The Plaza de Toros was built in 1854 and it shows a heavy Arab influence in its architecture. The windows, doors and decorations all feature Islamic elements. Cartagena and Murcia were under Muslim rule for many centuries and the decorative traditions can be seen in many places. These traditions were, themselves, adopted from earlier cultures. One reference explains:

When the Arab armies, composed of uncultured warriors, swept westwards from Arabia to Spain, and even into central France, within a century from the foundation of Islam, and eastwards as far as the frontiers of India and China, they had no domestic architecture of their own, for they were nomads, and their only dwellings were tents of black camel-hair such as the modern Bedouin still use…

In each country that they conquered they utilized the services of local architects and craftsmen to build their mosques and, as they became settled and prosperous, their palaces and tombs.

The architectural circle went round and round, it seems, with the Muslim elements being reincorporated back into the buildings of Spain after the Re-conquest. In Murcia, many churches are built over the former sites of mosques many of which were probably themselves built over the sites of earlier churches.

The bull ring at Cartagena has been closed for many years. It was restored in 1911 but was allegedly unsafe and shut down. One Cartagena bull fight enthusiast explained that this was all a plot on the part of the regional capital of Murcia city.

In fact, there was nothing wrong with the structure. It appears that there are leagues and rankings in bull rings in Spain and Cartagena’s venue was one of the very few to feature in the Premier Division. This rankled with the sybaritic citizens of the regional capital, whose ring ranks much lower, so the Cartagena building was condemned. The expectation was that the Premier ranking would move to Murcia.

However, this plot has not worked out. Plans are now said to be in hand for a completely new bull ring to be erected in Cartagena and this will, once again, rank as one of the most important in Spain.

Meanwhile, archaeological investigations continue at the old bull ring while the façade decays in the sunshine.

Look at the fenced-off area on the waterfront-side of the bullring. The underground entrance for the gladiators can be seen.

By Phillip Bruce

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