Sights in Córdoba
-
A
Mezquita
It’s impossible to overemphasise the beauty of Córdoba’s great mosque, with its remarkably peaceful and spacious interior. The Mezquita hints, with all its lustrous decoration, at a lavish and refined age when Muslims, Jews and Christians lived side by side and enriched their city and surroundings with a heady interaction of diverse and vibrant cultures.
The Visigothic Church of St Vincent was the original building located on the site of the Mezquita, and Arab chronicles recount how Abd ar-Rahman I purchased half of the church for the use of the Muslim community’s Friday prayers. However, the rapid growth of that community soon rendered the space too small and in AD…
reviewed
-
The Cathedral
For three centuries following the Reconquista (Reconquest) in 1236, the Mezquita remained largely unaltered save for minor modifications such as the Mudejar tiling added in the 1370s to the Mozarabic and Almohad Capilla Real (located nine bays north and one east of the mihrab, and now part of the cathedral).
In the 16th century King Carlos I gave permission (against the wishes of Córdoba's city council) for the centre of the Mezquita to be ripped out to allow construction of the Capilla Mayor (the altar area in the cathedral) and coro (choir).However, the king was not enamoured with the results and famously regretted: 'You have built what you or others might have built…
reviewed
-
Patios
For centuries, Córdoba's beautiful leafy patios have provided shade during the searing heat of summer, a haven of peace and quiet, and a place to talk and entertain. They probably originated with the Romans, and the tradition was continued by the Arabs, with the happy addition of a central fountain.
In the first half of May, you'll notice 'Patio' signs in Córdoba's streets and alleys; this means that you're invited to view what is for the rest of the year hidden behind heavy wooden doors or wrought-iron gates. At this time of year, when new blooms proliferate, the patios are at their prettiest. Many patios participate in the annual Concurso de Patios Cordobéses, a…
reviewed
-
B
Madinat al-Zahra
West of Córdoba stand the remains of Madinat al-Zahra, the sumptuous palace-city built by Caliph Abd al-Rahman III in the 10th century. Located at the foot of the Sierra Morena, the complex spills down over three terraces with the caliph’s palace on the highest terrace overlooking what would have been the court and town. A fascinating new museum has been installed at the base of the site.
Legend has it that Abd al-Rahman III built Madinat al-Zahra for his favourite wife, Az-Zahra. Dismayed by her homesickness and yearning for the snowy mountains of Syria, he surrounded his new city with almond and cherry trees, replacing snowflakes with fluffy white blossoms. More…
reviewed
-
C
Plaza de la Corredera
This grand 17th-century square has an elaborate history of public entertainment and gory showbiz. It was the site of Córdoba’s Roman amphitheatre, and the location for horse races, bullfights and Inquisition burnings. Nowadays the square is ringed by balconied apartments and an assortment of lively pubs, cafes and shops.
reviewed
-
The Mihrab & Maksura
Like Abd ar-Rahman II a century earlier, Al-Hakim lengthened the naves of the prayer hall, creating a new mihrab at the south end of the central nave. The bay immediately in front of the mihrab and the bays to each side form the maksura, the area where the caliphs and their retinues would have prayed (now enclosed by railings).
Inside the mihrab a single block of white marble was sculpted into the shape of a scallop shell, a symbol of the Quran. This formed the dome that amplified the voice of the imam throughout the mosque. The art of the Cordoban caliphate can be seen to have reached maturity here, and many of the intricate decorative effects were carried over into Abd…
reviewed
-
Concurso de Patios Cordobeses
In the first half of May you'll notice 'patio' signs in the streets and alleyways, which means that you're invited to enter and view what are for the rest of the year closed to the outside world. At this time of year the patios are at their prettiest, and many are entered in an annual competition, the Concurso de Patios Cordobeses.
A map of patios open for viewing is available from the tourist office. Some of the best patios are on and around Calle San Basilio, about 400m southwest of the Mezquita. During the competition, the patios are generally open from 17:00 to 24:00 Monday to Friday, and 12:00 to 24:00 Saturday and Sunday. Admission is usually free but sometimes…
reviewed
-
D
Patio de los Naranjos & Minaret
Outside the Mezquita, the leafy, walled courtyard and its fountain were the site of ritual ablutions before prayer. The crowning glory of the whole complex was the minaret, which at its peak towered 48m (only 22m of the minaret still survives). Now encased in its 16th-century shell, the original minaret would have looked something like the Giralda in Seville, which was practically a copy. Córdoba’s minaret influenced all the minarets built thereafter throughout the western Islamic world.
reviewed
-
E
Casa de Sefarad
In the heart of the Judería, and once connected by underground tunnel to the Sinagoga, this small museum is devoted to the Sephardic-Judaic tradition in Spain. There is a refreshing focus on music, domestic traditions and on the women intellectuals (poets, singers and thinkers) of Al-Andalus. A program of live music recitals and storytelling events runs most of the year.
reviewed
-
F
Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos
Built by Alfonso XI in the 14th century on the remains of Roman and Arab predecessors, the castle began life as a palace. It hosted both Fernando and Isabel, who made their first acquaintance with Columbus here in 1486. Its terraced gardens – full of fish ponds, fountains, orange trees, flowers and topiary – are a pleasure to stroll and a joy to behold from the tower.
A hall here displays some remarkable Roman mosaics, dug up from the Plaza de la Corredera in the 1950s. Most notable is a portrait of the mythical couple Polyphemus and Galatea, whose story was later retold by the Spanish poet Luis de Góngora.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
G
Judería
Jews were among the most dynamic and prominent citizens of Islamic Córdoba. The medieval judería, extending northwest from the Mezquita almost to Avenida del Gran Capitán, is today a maze of narrow streets and whitewashed buildings with flowery window boxes.
The beautiful little 14th-century Sinagoga is one of only three surviving medieval synagogues in Spain and the only one in Andalucía. In the late 1400s it became a hospital for hydrophobics. Translated Hebrew inscriptions eroded in mid-sentence seem like poignant echoes of a silenced society. The Casa Andalusí is a 12th-century house furnished with objects from Córdoba's medieval Islamic culture and a Roman…
reviewed
-
H
Castle of the Christian Monarchs
The Castle of the Christian Monarchs began as a palace and fort for Alfonso X in the 13th century. From 1490 to 1821 the Inquisition operated from here. Today its gardens are among the most beautiful in Andalucía. The building houses an old royal bathhouse, the Baños Califales. Take time to gaze at the third century Roman sarcophagus, with its reflections on life and death.
reviewed
-
I
Palacio Episcopal
Opposite the Mezquita and next door to the regional tourist office is the Palacio Episcopal, now a conference centre but originally the old Hospital of San Sebastian. A lovely Isabelline-style villa with an internal patio, the palace stages exhibitions, often of regional pottery, to which admission is free if you have a Mezquita ticket. It also houses the Museo Diocesano
reviewed
-
J
Sinagoga
Built in 1315, this is one of the few testaments to the Jewish presence in Andalucía, though it hasn't actually been used as a place of worship since the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492. It is decorated with some extravagant stuccowork that includes Hebrew inscriptions and intricate Mudéjar star and plant patterns.
reviewed
-
K
Museo Julio Romero de Torres
A former hospital houses what is, surprisingly enough, Córdoba’s most visited museum, the Museo Julio Romero de Torres, devoted to revered local painter Julio Romero de Torres (1873–1930). Romero de Torres specialised in sensual yet sympathetic portraits of Cordoban women.
reviewed
-
L
Palacio de Viana
This stunning Renaissance palace is set around 12 beautiful patios that are a genuine pleasure to visit in the spring. Occupied by the Marqueses de Viana until a few decades ago, the 6500-sq-metre building is packed with art and antiques. The charge covers a one-hour guided tour of the rooms and access to the patios and garden. It's about 600m northeast of the Plaza de las Tendillas. Or take bus number 6 to Puerta de Sevilla, get off at Plaza de Colón and walk four blocks east.
reviewed
-
M
Mezquita Mosque
It's hard to exaggerate the beauty of the Córdoba mosque, one of the great creations of Islamic architecture, with its shimmering golden mosaics and rows of red-and-white-striped arches disappearing into infinity.
reviewed
-
N
Archaeological Museum
Córdoba's excellent archaeological museum, provides a real insight into pre-Islamic Córdoba in the suitably historic setting of a Renaissance palace. The upstairs is devoted to medieval Córdoba.
reviewed
-
O
Museo Diocesano
The Palacio Episcopal also houses the Museo Diocesano, which has a collection of religious art. The best of this art is some outstanding medieval woodcarving, including the 13th-century Virgen de las Huertas.
reviewed
-
P
Posada del Potro
Miguel de Cervantes lived for a while in the the legendary 1435 building Posada del Potro, then an inn (which he described in Don Quijote as a ‘den of thieves’) and today a more respectable exhibition hall.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Q
Museo Arqueológico
Córdoba’s excellent archaeological museum provides a real insight into pre-Islamic Córdoba in the suitably historic setting of a Renaissance palace. The upstairs is devoted to medieval Córdoba.
reviewed
-
R
Museo de Bellas Artes
In the same building as the Museo Julio Romero de Torres is the Museo de Bellas Artes, which exhibits Cordoban artists’ work from the 14th to the 20th century.
reviewed
-
S
Puente Romano
Traversing the Río Guadalquivir, the much restored Roman bridge formed part of the ancient Vía Augusta, which extended from Cádiz to Girona. Now it is a favored stroll for cordobeses. Around midway a statue of the archangel San Rafael (one of many throughout the city) stands on a parapet.
reviewed
-
T
Torre de la Calahorra
On the south end of the Puente Romano stands this squat tower, erected under Islamic rule to control access to the bridge. It now houses Museo Vivo de Al-Andalus, an interesting museum highlighting the fusion of Córdoba's three great cultures/religions.
reviewed
-
U
Casa Andalusí
The Casa Andalusí is a 12th-century house furnished with objects from Córdoba’s medieval Islamic culture and a Roman mosaic.
reviewed