The Alcázar of Segovia is a medieval castle located in the city of Segovia in Castile and León, Spain. Rising out on a rocky crag above the confluence of two rivers near the mountains of Guadarrama, it is one of the most distinctive castle-palaces in Spain by virtue of its shape, resembling the bow of a ship. The alcázar was originally built in the 11th or 12th century by the Almoravid dynasty as a fortress, but has since served as a royal palace where twenty-two kings reigned, a state prison, a royal artillery college, and a military academy. The castle overlooks a valley with the Eresma River and is a symbol of the old city of Segovia. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Today, the alcázar is used as a museum and a military archives building since its declaration as a national archive by royal decree in 1998.Photograph credit: Rafa Esteve