• GoJenCalCarrEuropean SummerTraveler
    We had a great guide for an hour long tour, barely scratching the surface on what there is to see.
    The building was expanded 4 times, each time they tried to honor the original design concept.When you look through the columns it is supposed to give you a sense of infinity.Central area that still has elements of the original Mosque.More of the original mosque, hard to capture the expanse and beauty.Wooden doors that used to be left open during the day to let the light in.And in the middle of what was a mosque you find a Christian church.The choir was verily intricately carved out of mahogany, with unique characters throughout.View of cathedral tower from the plaza.Moorish architecture and graffiti around the outside of the mosque-cathedral.Door knocker on one of the external doors on the mosque-cathedral.Cordoba is full of narrow streets lined with flowers like these.Homes in the Jewish quarter of town hosts open gardens during a special annual festival.A few of the homes stay open thru the summer. We got to see two.This open courtyard was part of a communal house (where several families used to live.The woman in the picture is the owner of this house/garden. She proudly tells us about her plants.Cordoba is also known for flamenco and for being home to the royal equestrian center.The historic district of Cordoba next to the River GuadaIquivir.1

    A visit to historic Cordoba

    June 22, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Our second day tour from Seville was to Cordoba, a city famous for its interesting mix of ancient Roman, Moorish, and Spanish history, architecture and culture. The city was founded by the Romans 169 BC. For many years Cordoba was a place of peaceful coexistence of three different cultures: Jews, Muslims and Christians. In the 10th century, Cordoba was the world’s largest city counting about one million residents.

    The city's iconic feature that draws visitors from all over the world is the Mezquita-Catedral, an elegant mosque converted into a Renaissance-style church. The Great Mosque was originally constructed in 785 and was expanded over the next 500 years to a point that 40,000 could attend Muslim services inside. The mosque was converted to a cathedral in 1236 and since then only Christian services are held (they kick out any Muslims that attempt to pray inside).

    The historic center of Cordoba also has a large Jewish quarter with narrow winding streets. Home owners in that part of the town participate in a garden contest every year, inviting the public in to see their gardens in the courtyards of their homes. The contest officially happens in May but typically 2-3 homes keep their courtyards open to visitors thru the summer (no fees are taken, it’s the home owners pleasure to share the fruits of their labors). We got to visit two of the gardens.

    It was a hot day in Cordoba, one of our hottest, but we were able to still enjoy our time there. Now back to Seville for a few more days before we head to San Sebastián in the north of Spain.    Read more