Córdoba, with about 323,000 inhabitants, stands on the Guadalquivir in the heart of Andalusia. It is one of the most important cities in European history: capital of the Roman province of Baetica, birthplace of Seneca, then capital of the emirate and the Caliphate of Córdoba, when it was perhaps the largest and most learned city in the West, home of the philosopher Averroes and the Jewish philosopher Maimonides. Its historic centre is one of the largest UNESCO sites in the world.
The Mosque-Cathedral
The Mezquita is the greatest monument of western Islam. Begun in 785 by Abd al-Rahman I on the site of a Visigothic basilica, it was enlarged several times up to the tenth century. Its interior is a forest of over 850 columns of marble, jasper and granite, topped by double horseshoe arches striped in red and white. Al-Hakam II's mihrab, decorated with golden Byzantine mosaics, is an absolute masterpiece. After the Christian conquest of 1236 the mosque was consecrated as a cathedral, and in the sixteenth century a Renaissance and Baroque nave was built in its centre, which Charles V himself is said to have criticised for destroying "what was unique in the world". The minaret is now a bell tower, and the Patio de los Naranjos is the orange-tree courtyard. The night visit, with light and sound, is very atmospheric.
What to see
- The Judería, the old Jewish quarter of white lanes, with the 1315 synagogue, one of three medieval synagogues surviving in Spain, the Calleja de las Flores, the statue of Maimonides and the Casa de Sefarad.
- The Roman bridge over the Guadalquivir and the Calahorra tower, with its museum of the three cultures.
- The Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, with terraced gardens and fountains, where the Catholic Monarchs received Columbus.
- Plaza de la Corredera, Andalusia's only enclosed arcaded square, and the Viana Palace, with twelve courtyards.
- The Fernandine churches, built after the conquest, and the Archaeological Museum, above the remains of the Roman theatre.
- The caliphal baths and the Julio Romero de Torres Museum, devoted to the Córdoba painter of Andalusian women.
Flower-filled patios
Every May the Fiesta de los Patios, UNESCO intangible heritage, sees dozens of private homes open their courtyards for free, covered with pots of geraniums, jasmine and bougainvillea, competing for prizes. The same month brings the Battle of Flowers, the May Crosses and the Feria de Nuestra Señora de la Salud (see Spanish festivals).
Medina Azahara
Eight kilometres from the city lie the ruins of Medina Azahara, the palace city of Caliph Abd al-Rahman III, a UNESCO site with a modern visitor centre, reached by tourist bus.
Food
Córdoba is the home of salmorejo, a cold cream of tomato, bread, garlic and oil served with egg and ham, flamenquín, a fried roll of ham and meat, rabo de toro, braised oxtail, fried aubergine with honey and the wines of Montilla-Moriles (see Spanish cuisine).
Practical information
Córdoba is on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line: Madrid is under two hours away, Seville 45 minutes, Málaga an hour. Summers are scorching, among the hottest in Europe: spring, especially May, and autumn are best. For students see Erasmus in Córdoba.