Fantastic engineering.
These bricks should offer a key advantage in earthquakes by allowing the wall to rock and flex at the joints, dissipating energy through friction instead of suffering brittle diagonal cracks.
This would result in localized toe damage only and overall higher seismic resistance compared to traditional mortared masonry.
It's interesting how Muslim accounts of Christians in Spain are very unfavorable, depicting them as barbarians, but even such accounts praise their courage:
"They have great courage and do not contemplate flight when battle is joined, but rather consider death a lesser evil."
@InglezSenor Americans have this thing for going big to avoid looking small. They simply don't appreciate the little things that make the average European tick. Beaches, beer, historic architecture and some good weather. The simple things.