Córdoba is one of the most fascinating cities in Spain. It has an incredible history; from being the provincial capital under the Romans, to being the largest city in the world under the Muslim caliphate. We spend a lot of time in the city on our
Historic Andalucia and Seville to Granada cycling holidays, and have come to really love everything about it!
Find out more about the history, the culture and what to see, in this guide to our favourite places to visit in Córdoba.
The Mezquita is the building that best symbolizes the diverse cultures and influences on Córdoba over more than 2,000 years. It is a remarkable structure, whose architecture and style combines elements from the Roman, Visigothic, Muslim and Christian eras of the city's history.
Today the Mezquita is Córdoba's main cathedral, a status which it has held for more than seven centuries, since Christian kings reconquered most of Andalucia from Muslim caliphs. Until this point, it had been a grand mosque, one of the most important in the Western Islamic world. And earlier still, the site had also housed a Visigothic Christian basilica and various Roman buildings. It has quite the story!
Roman mosaics can still be seen under the floor of the cathedral, but the Mezquita is most striking for its hybrid of Islamic and Renaissance styles. The great mosque dates from the year 785, and was modified and expanded several times over the following two centuries. The first ruler of Al-Andalus - Abd al-Rahman I - had fled from Syria where his family had been
had been usurped in a power struggle. He fled to Spain and set up Al-Andalus, with its capital in Córdoba, as a rival emirate to the one he had been expelled from.
In order to compete for prestige with the Abbasid caliphate in the east, Abd al-Rahman needed to build a mosque that could rival those in Damascus and Baghdad. So the Mezquita was born - designed to be as grand and elaborate as possible from the outset.
One interesting curiosity of the Mezquita is that it was designed to be faced towards the south. Normally mosques were orientated towards the city of Mecca, which is south-east from Córdoba. But Abd al-Rahman claimed that Córdoba was merely a replica of his home town of Damascus, which was his rightful capital. And so orientated the mosque as if he were still in the Syrian capital.
Before long though, the emirate of Al-Andalus had outgrown its eastern-rival to become one of the most powerful states in the world. The Mezquita grew in both size and prestige as Córdoba expanded, and it became the model for most mosques that would be built in the west; particularly after the impressive minaret was added in the 10th century.
When Córdoba was conquered by the Christian kings of Castile in the 13th century, it was promptly converted into a cathedral. But the building was so spectacular that there was little will to significantly rebuild it. The minaret was repurposed as a bell tower, and Christian rituals were carried out under the distinctive Islamic columns and double-tiered arches that remain in place today.
More significant modifications were carried out in the renaissance period of the 16th century. A new central chapel was built and the bell tower was somewhat re-designed, but most locals remained very fond of the original architecture and so much of it was left untouched.
The result is the incredible hybrid structure that stands today. The outside of the building is impressive enough, with the bell tower and various gates are dotted around the side of the building. Most impressive of all is the
Vizier's Gate which was the official entrance of the emir over 1,000 years ago.
The inside of the Mezquita is even more spectacular. With the vibrant colors and intricate patterns of the fine Islamic arches contrasting with the glittering gold and marble of the Christian iconography. It is a truly remarkable site and one that we highly recommend visiting, even if you are not generally a fan of churches.
Córdoba's glory days were in the 9th to the 11th centuries when, under Muslim rule, it became arguably the most important city on the planet. At this time, the region of Al-Andalus continued to expand through Spain and North Africa and became hugely prosperous. The influential ruler Abd al-Rahman III officially declared himself to to be the Caliph of Córdoba - effectively positioning himself as a powerful emperor.
And Córdoba was at the heart of all this. In the 10th century it was the largest city in the world, receiving visitors from across Europe, Asia and Africa, all looking to win favour with the powerful caliph. And Abd al-Rahman III promoted the city at every turn; he welcomed all comers - whether Muslim, Jewish or Christian, and he also heavily sponsored the sciences, philosophy and poetry. He expanded the Mezquita, but also made major improvements to the infrastructure of the city and surrounding region. Notably, he improved the irrigation systems in the surrounding fields and also introduced new crops, including oranges, lemons, carrots, almonds and high quality figs, the seeds for which had to be smuggled out of rival Caliphates in the eastern Mediterranean.
Attracted by the wealth of the city and the benevolent rule of Abd al-Rahman and (to a lesser extent) his successor Al-Mansur, influential figures began to emerge from the city, and took up residence near to the huge city library. The arabic numerical system was first introduced to Europe here, as well as many mathematical concepts such as algebra, which had either been unknown or lost since the fall of the Roman empire in the west.
It is difficult to overstate just how important and powerful Córdoba was as a city during the Middle Ages. This was when the city that you see today really began to take shape, even though much of the most characteristic buildings were later redeveloped or destroyed.
The Mezquita is the clearest symbol of the prosperity of the muslim caliphate, but there are other reminders dotted around the city. The defensive wall, which was actually Roman in origin, was largely redeveloped and strengthened by the Caliphate, and some of the original baths remain in the heart of the old town. The Muslim influence, however, is best felt just by wandering along the various narrow streets and alleyways of the old town. This was Medieval Córdoba - a bustling center packed with merchants, residents and visitors who were doing business, sightseeing, or simply going about their daily lives.
Situated a few miles outside Córdoba, the Medina Azahara is intimately linked with the city. This was the palace complex of the first Caliph of Córdoba - Abd al-Rahman III - and was an incredibly opulent and spectacular building. Indeed, the New York Times described it as the
Versailles of the Middle Ages. But what exactly is the Medina Azahara?
Well, as we saw above, by the early 10th century Abd al-Rahman III had ascended to the position of caliph, and Córdoba was the most populous city in the world.
Around 20 years into his rule, Abd-al-Rahman III wanted to build a new capital, just outside Córdoba, that would highlight the power of the Caliph, and was to demonstrate the superiority over rival influences in the region.
The new capital was to be the Medina Azahara, a lavish palace city in the foothills of the Sierra Morena mountains, which included government buildings, palatial residences and several mosques.
It was the largest city ever to be built from scratch in Western Europe, and no expense was to be spared. Fine marble, gold, and ivory were shipped across the Mediterranean to be used in its construction, which provided a nice employment opportunity for a significant percentage of the local population. The centrepiece of the city was the reception area of the palace, a vast construction designed to strike awe and fear into visitors to the Caliphate. Amongst many other decadent features, it contained a pool filled with Mercury, which Abd al-Rahman would
strike with a stick, to produce dazzling light displays on the walls - something like a modern laser show! Outside the complex was surrounded by ornate gardens, filled with fountains, pools and other features. Lions were also kept, and their powerful roar became synonymous with the authority of the Caliph himself.
The city, aside from being a show of wealth and power, was also functional as a new capital. The old Roman aqueducts were renovated and extended to ensure an adequate water supply, and the complex also housed many important administrative functions. Government business was carried out here, and it had its own mint and military barracks.
Despite its grandeur and prestige, though, the Medina Azahara ceased to be used as the capital of the Caliphate after the death of Abd al-Rahman's son - al-Hakam II. An effective coup followed, with a man named Al-Mansur seizing power. As an effort to assert his own authority, he vowed to build a new and even more extravagant palace city on the edge of Córdoba. And he nearly did so, but it burnt to the ground before being completed and has left no archaeological trace.
By the year 1010, less than one hundred years after its glorious construction, the Medina Azahara was looted and partially destroyed in a Civil War between the Caliphate and their Berber allies.
Over the following years, it simply became superfluous to requirements. Córdoba the city continued to thrive, and piece by piece, the capital and all the administrative functions were moved back to there. While the Medina Azahara gradually became buried, until excavation began in the year 1910.
The site today is open to visitors and is well worth exploring. Although bear in mind that only about 10% of the vast city has been excavated, and most of that was buried for 800 years, so is not in the best condition. But you can still get
a feel for this magnificent complex; the remains of the central palace area, the reception hall, some large administrative buildings and a mosque are all still identifiable.
The Judería, or Jewish Quarter, of Córdoba is one of the most iconic areas of the city. The narrow cobbled streets, lined with whitewashed buildings are what immediately comes to mind when you envisage Andalucia. But the neighbourhood also tells the story, first of hope and prosperity, and later of sadness and tragedy.
From the 9th - 15th centuries, Córdoba was home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the world. They had relative freedom to practice their beliefs under the rule of the Muslim caliphate and beyond. It was an attractive place to live, compared with the more militant religious Christian kingdoms of the time. It represented the religious tolerance of Al-Andalus in the Middle Ages which, although it is sometimes a little too idealised, was a place where people of different religions and cultures could go about their daily lives free from overbearing restrictions.
In the Judería today we recommend just wandering around and soaking up the atmosphere and centuries of history, with the neighbourhood unchanged in many ways since this period. You can visit the synagogue and also the fantastic Casa de la Sefarad which explains about the life of Jews in the region. Probably the most famous of all the residents was the great philosopher and doctor - Maimonides. He is known for both his work on Jewish law, and his general interest in the sciences, where he studied the human diet and various poisons.
But, following the Christian conquest of Córdoba in the 13th century, the fortunes of the Jews in the city gradually declined. They became subjected to increasing pogroms and riots, and in the year 1492 were given the ultimatum to either convert to Christianity or to leave Spain. Many chose to leave. Those who stayed and converted continued to face hostility from the Spanish Inquistion, and the Judería became a place of fear and mistrust. The narrow streets suddenly became claustrophobic as people were concerned about what their neighbours could hear and would report to the authorities. Over time, this fear gradually dissipated and normal life returned to the neighbourhood, although it was not until
the 19th century that Jews were official allowed back into the city.
It is easy to focus entirely on Córdoba's glory days in the Middle Ages, but the city actually has an illustrious past going back to ancient times, before Islam or Christianity had even become religions! Córdoba was an important commercial center along the Guadalquivir river throughout most of the
1st millennia BCE. The Iberian population of the town were active in the wider Mediterranean trade network and had links with the Greeks and the Carthaginians.
And the city was actually part of the Carthaginian empire in Spain (under the control of the general Hannibal), when it first fell into the sights of the Romans. The great Second Punic War fought between Carthage and Rome (when Hannibal led his elephants over the Alps to attack Italy) resulted in much of Andalucia becoming Roman territory for the first time. They were
attracted by the fertile soils and the prosperous mines of the region and, after defeating Hannibal, simply decided to stay.
In the early 2nd century BCE, southern Spain officially became the Roman province of Hispania Citerior, and its capital was placed at Córdoba. This was quite a coup for the city, which until that point had always been somewhat in the shadow of the powerful Maritime colony of Gades (Cádiz). Over the following centuries, the Romans gradually adorned Córdoba with the kind of buildings and monuments worthy of being a Roman provincial capital.
The great Roman bridge over the River Guadalquivir still stands today (albeit with significant later modifications), and led to the main entrance of the city. The remains of a temple can be seen standing proudly in the center of modern Córdoba and there is a fine selection of local mosaics in the archaeological museum. The Romans also built a solid and thick city wall, parts of which survive today, and which played an important role throughout the Muslim era.
When the Romans built this city wall to protect their new capital, they probably didn't expect that the toughest test of its fortifications would come at the hands of a Roman army. But this was precisely what happened in the year 46 BCE, when Córdoba was besieged by the legions of Julius Caesar. Caesar was the dictator of Rome at this point, having defeated Pompey the Great in a long and bloody civil war which collapsed the Roman Republic. But there were still
significant pockets of resistance to his rule, including the Romans in Andalucia, many of whom had been long time allies of Pompey.
Faced with a potential uprising, Caesar headed to southern Spain in December 46 to assess the situation. When Córdoba and other cities closed their gates to him and declared themselves in favour of his opponents, Caesar began to besiege Córdoba. His many legions surrounded the city and probed to try to find weaknesses in the wall, but eventually had to give up because they were too solid. Caesar did win a decisive battle though in the year 45 at nearby Montilla and later rode into Córdoba with a plan to sack some of the riches of the city. But he found it largely in flames, having been set fire
to by the rebel Roman army, who didn't want Caesar getting his hands on anything valuable.
Caesar's soldiers responded by killing many of the residents of the city in what ancient sources described as a particularly gruesome massacre. The city walls, the temples and the bridge were all badly damaged, but would later be rebuilt as Caesar re-founded Córdoba as a colony and populated it with many of his veteran soldiers. Caesar was assassinated less than a year later, when he returned to Rome in 44 BCE, but his legacy lived on in the newly refounded colony of Córdoba, which quickly regained its prosperous status. It became known for its philosophy and politics in the early days of the Roman Empire, and the great statesman Seneca was among the city's most famous residents. He would become a close advisor to the emperor Nero, although flew a little too close to the sun and ended
up being dispatched by his boss. A statue of Seneca stands in Córdoba today though, positioned next to the Roman wall that had, at least temporarily, withstood the siege of Julius Caesar.
Córdoba's Alcazar was a complex built under King Alfonso XI of Castile in the early 14th century. It was a fortified palace city that was designed to be a royal residence capable of withstanding attack from potentially hostile neighbours.
Similarly to the Alcazar in Seville, its construction was heavily influenced by Muslim and Mudejar architecture. In particular, the magnificent courtyard gardens, lying inside the imposing outer wall, have significant similarities to the Generalife and Alhambra complex in nearby Granada.
The interior of the building is in good condition, with many of the rooms have remained in continual use of the centuries. The Hall of the Mosaics is one of the most impressive rooms, featuring exquisite Roman mosaics that were removed from the nearby Circus complex. The Royal Baths can also be visited, and
highlight how much the early Christian kingdoms of Spain were influenced by the culture of their Muslim neighbours.
Elsewhere, the Tower of the Inquisition is a reminder of one of the darker periods in Andalucia's history. The archives and records of the Spanish Inquisition were stored here during their most active years from the 15th -17th centuries. Taking testimonies from various witnesses they would look to build up dossiers and cases against various Christians who were suspected to be heretics.
Some of the more colorful sights in Córdoba are the patio gardens that are dotted around the historic center - particularly around the narrow streets of the Judería. Some of these today are private houses, which
welcome visitors to admire the pot plants and flowers which adorn the walls.
There is great civic pride amongst many residents to have the most colorful and spectacular looking patio, and it makes for a superb backdrop as you wander around the streets of the old town. Just remember though, that although several of them are open to the public,
many more are simply private homes, so be careful to respect the privacy of the owners.
Like much of Spain, Córdoba has really undergone a revolution in its gastronomy in the last couple of decades. In the city today you can find exquisite tasting menus, Michelin star restaurants, and places specializing in all different kinds of national and international cuisine.
For locals though, tapas is still king here! Whether it's just a few lonchas of jamó Ibérico with a drink, or a full plate of fresh seafood, tapas is part of everyday life in Córdoba. There are excellent bars all over the city, although for the most authentic experience, we recommend joining the locals in one of the
establishments on Plaza de la Corredera (pictured above). Here you can get a huge mound of chipirones (baby squids) or other delicacies at a great price in a beautiful historic setting.
If you visit Córdoba, be sure to also try the flamenquín. This is kind of like a schnitzel, but rolled into the shape of a sausage and also stuffed with ham and sometimes cheese. It's not the most sophisticated food you will find in the city, but it's certainly tasty!
These are just a few of our favourite highlights in Córdoba. They are monuments and places that shed a light on the city's history. But, of course, there is so much more to discover, both here and in the surrounding
region of Andalucia. Check out our guides to Seville and Granada to find out even more.
Or come and join us on either our guided or self-guided cycling holidays
to the region, to witness it all first hand!
Spain
