This is the only palace from the Taifa period that has retained its main elements: a large central rectangular courtyard with pools on the short sides in front of porticoes leading to the rooms. Built on the banks of the Ebro River as a recreational residence, its original name was the palace of joy, although it has always been known as al-Ya’fariya (Aljafería) after its founder Abu Ya’far.
The interior decoration was inspired by the art of the Caliphate of Córdoba, although a taste for exuberance gave rise to a baroque combination of interlaced poly-lobed and mixtilinear arches