Seville, Cordoba, and Madrid - Day 8

After Seville we headed towards Madrid with a stop in the perfectly preserved Moorish city of Córdoba.

There we saw the 2,000 year old Roman bridge across the Guadalquivir River, called the Puente Romano, as Cordoba was once a part of the Roman empire.

Entering the city, we visited its centrepiece, the gigantic Mezquita, also known as the mosque-cathedral. It is the only place in the world where you can worship mass in a mosque. The mosque that was built by the Moors in the 8th century was converted to a cathedral in the 13th century not by destroying and rebuilding it as a cathedral but rather by building a cathedral within it, thus preserving the beauty of the mosque.

The key feature of the Mezquita is its most defining characteristic, the unique terracotta and white striped arches. Glimpsed through the dull light they are at once spooky and striking.

Another highlight is the mihrab, the scallop shaped prayer niche that faces towards Mecca that was added in the 10th century.

We continued our journey to Madrid and with little time to rest and freshen up, were off to a three course dinner accompanied by a performance by local opera singers. The waiters and waitresses were also to opera singers!Lue lisää