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).