Mar del Plata – Latin Arabia

The Palacio Árabe in Mar del Plata

Latin Arabia Architecture, Arts, Muslim November 21, 2024November 21, 2024Argentina, Mar del Plata 0 Comment

This is a modified version of a public domain picture on Wikipedia
(Click Here) if you want to see the original.

This story starts in Mar Del Plata, in Argentina. It is Argentina’s second biggest city, and a seaport on the Atlantic Ocean, and also a famous summer resort. Buenos Aires has atrociously hot and humid summers, so a portion of the population flees to Mar del Plata for the season – for its beaches.

One of the landmarks Mar Del Plata, on Córdoba Avenue, is called the Palacio Árabe, and the project was started by a Syrian immigrant. Jalil Mahmud Hassein (which got turned to Julián Galli in Spanish)

He was born in Syria, but as a young man, he had to flee when he approached draft age. No one wanted to serve in the brutal Ottoman army at that time. He first went to Spain, but then set out for New York. By mistake, he ended up in Argentina.

He envisaged this architectural masterpiece to have Islamic styles in a Neo-Mudéjar style.

What is mudéjar style. It refers to the Islamic influenced styles of architecture found in Spain.

For more information, one has to see the video (below).

Posted on YouTube: October 11, 2024
(This video can be auto-translated)

The building is now a landmark in Mar del Plata.

But it shows the major influence that Arabs have had in Argentina.

(Click Here) to see Google Map.

PS: We here at Latin Arabia did an earlier and brief story on this in 2013, about 11 years ago (Click Here).

Arab Palace in Mar del Plata

Latin Arabia Architecture, Arts, Other August 10, 2013November 21, 2024Argentina, Mar del Plata 0 Comment

The is the Palacio Árabe, a major cultural attraction in Mar del Plata, Argentina’s seventh largest city, and a major beach resort.

It was designed in the style of Neo-Mudéjar architecture.

Mudéjar architecture was a blend of Christian and Islamic styles which originated in Spain. In the 19th century the style was revived in Spain as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. It then carried over to Latin-America.

It was built in 1948, thus showing that even at that early date, Arab culture was strong in Argentina.

The Arab society put up a plaque at the entrance which memorializes Mahmoud Khalil-Julian Hassein, the project developer, who died in 1967.

The Lebanese Social Center and the Arab People of Mar del Plata
In memory of: Jalil Mahmoud Hassein
Creater, and builder of this legacy
which is the expression of Arab Architecture in its Maximn Splendor

To see some Google pictures from the area, (Click Here)