Córdoba City

Cordoba city, Spain

Cordoba is an exemplary city; it is one of the most beautiful places in Spain and a UNESCO world heritage site due to it’s large, well conserved historical old town.

The Cordoba Mosque (Mezquita), world heritage

Chosen by the Prince of Omeya, Abd-al Rahman I in 716 as the capital of the Kingdom of Al-andalus, Cordoba became the most dazzling city of the known world. Under the Omeyan Reign Cordoba was at the height of it’s cultural and commercial powers and had a considerable population.

At this time the famous Cordoba Mosque (Mezquita) was completed and was considered the greatest monument of the Western Arab World, and in the outskirts of the city (6 km away) the luxurious city of Medina Azahara was built for Abd ar-Rahmán III. It’s name means ‘City of Azahar’ and story tells that it was built in honour of Azahara, the Califa’s favourite wife.

Some proposals for Cordoba...

Taking a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, tasting the exquisite Andalusian cuisine, having a drink in a bar, relaxing and having a massage in a Hammam (Turkish baths), seeing a flamenco show or even going to the zoo; these are just some of the many options that Cordoba has to offer.

Patios in Cordoba

Cordoba should be discovered on foot, through the narrow streets until you stumble upon patios with dozens of flowerpots containing the most colourful and fragrant flowers. These patios are open to the public from the beginning of May and can be visited as part of a pre-established route (Cordoba Patio Festival, See Festivals).

Map of Córdoba City

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Province

City center

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(37.87759, -4.77905)

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Cordoba tourism - essentials

Hotels in Cordoba
Hostels in Cordoba
Apartments in Cordoba

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The mosque - La Mezquita

The province of Cordoba, Spain
Hotels in the province of Cordoba
Cordoba nature-reserves

Visit Andalusia

Judería district

Moreover la Judería, the Jewish quarter where the Mezquita and the Alcázar can be found, is the most important sector of Cordoba artistically and historically speaking, as it contains a large number of monuments, such as the Synagogue and the Puerta de Almodóvar.

Also in this district is the Gothic style Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos. The construction of this palace began in 1328 by order of Alfonso XI. The Catholic Monarchs, Fernando and Isabel, lived there for eight years and received Christopher Columbus there during his visit. The most beautiful part of the Alcázar is probably it’s magnificent gardens but there are also Roman mosaics, Royal baths and vaults to be seen.

Other places of interest

In the XIII Century, after the town was conquered by the Christians, Cordoba began to fill up with churches marking the transition from Roman to Gothic styles. Some of these churches preserve the remains of primitive Arabic buildings. The ‘Fernandina’ style churches: Santa Marina, San Miguel, San Lorenzo and San Pablo define the art of many córdoban districts.

The Guadalquivir River dissects Cordoba, running alongside most of the built-up areas as well as the Campo de la Verdad and monuments such as the Torre de la Calahorra.

The squares (plazas) of Cordoba are another important feature of the city and range from the red-brick Corredera, once a stage for bullfights, to the simple beauty of the Capuchinos, with it’s Cristo de los Faroles. There are also the Renaissance delights of the Plaza del Potro, fountains and buildings such as the Museum of Fine Arts or the Julio Romero de Torres Museum. There are various other museums in the city, for example the Museum of Archeology or the Bullfighting Museum.