The Kingdom of Spain is an amazing land with lush nature, vibrant national traditions, inhabited by smiling people who speak a very beautiful language. The regions of this southern European country hold beautifully preserved testimonies of centuries of history and are a magnet for attracting tourists. Founded in the VIII century. BC e. Cordoba is no exception. A small town in the south of Spain, dating back more than 2.5 thousand years, was once the capital of the Moorish state. About 320 thousand inhabitants permanently live here, but millions of travelers come all year round in search of amazing emotions and impressions.
Mesquite
One of the largest mosques in the world, today a Roman Catholic church, was built in the 8th century and many times in its history it was rebuilt, modernized and enlarged, as a result of which, by 1523, it acquired its present shape. The unity of the 2 religions - Christian and Islam - and their inherent architectural styles speaks of the need to remember the city's past, its multicultural heritage. The Great Mosque is inscribed on the UNESCO List of Sites.
La Huderia, Jewish quarter
The historic quarter of Cordoba was founded during the Roman times, retaining the atmosphere and identity of the old city. It is a web of long narrow streets, old courtyards, restaurants and shops, framed by blooming gardens and unique examples of ancient architecture.
Several important museums and cultural monuments are located in this area:
- Zoko Market - a small courtyard with various workshops, beautiful century-old trees and unique flowers
- Casa de Sepharad is a house-museum of the history of Sephardic Jews, which includes 5 thematic rooms, a concert hall and many interesting exhibits
- The legendary synagogue of the XIV century, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Madina al-Zahra
The ancient ruins of a huge complex, which was once a real palace city - a symbol of the greatness of Cordoba in the 10th century. And although the ensemble has not preserved its original appearance, but what is available for visiting today delights and fascinates: luxurious reception rooms and halls, picturesque gardens, reservoirs and tombs.
Not far from the ruins, there is a museum of the same name, which presents all the archaeological finds of scientists during the excavations of Madina al-Zahra. It is best to plan a trip to this complex in the early morning or evening due to the open space and hot climate.
Alcazar of Cordoba
This palace complex took on a modern look at the beginning of the XIV century. It was built on the basis of a Moorish church, once built on the site of a Roman citadel. More than 4,000 square meters of the fortress and about 50,000 luxurious gardens, parks and reservoirs - this is what awaits tourists who decided to touch the centuries-old history of the majestic structure.
The Alcazar is a square area crowned with towers on the tops:
- Lviv - the oldest part of the palace, made in the Gothic style with Moorish motives
- respect - a reception hall for distinguished guests of the Alcazar
- Inquisition - previously used for demonstration executions, as it was the tallest tower of the fortress
- pigeon - was destroyed in the 19th century and has not yet been fully restored.
The interior decoration of the Alcazar is perfectly preserved: here you will find all kinds of mosaic frescoes, sculptures, bas-reliefs, canvases and ancient paintings, as well as a unique sarcophagus from the times of Ancient Rome, dating back to the 3rd century. n. e.
Claorra Tower and Museum of Three Cultures
A unique Moorish structure, located on the southern bank of the Guadalquivir River, is the oldest fortification building in Cordoba, and perhaps in all of Spain as a whole. The shape of the building is a Latin three-winged cross covered with a central part in the form of a cylinder. The roof of Clorra is used as an observation deck: to get to it, tourists have to climb more than 70 steps, but the views from the tower will definitely meet all expectations.
Inside the building is another landmark of the city - the Al-Andalus Museum, where you can plunge into the life and history of Muslim Spain in the 9th-13th centuries. 14 spacious exhibition halls, which contain unique exhibits from all eras of Andalusia's existence: from the first instruments of medieval surgeons to models of prototypes of modern dams.
