History & Heritage
Begin your Córdoba vacation by remembering any great, lively, progressive world capital you have ever visited, and understanding that centuries ago, Cordoba was a hub of civilization in exactly the same way. Founded by the Romans, Córdoba’s heyday spanned three hundred years during the early Moorish occupation, begining in 756 when Prince Aba-al-Rahman established it as his capital on the lush south bank of the Rio Guadalquivir. Córdoba was once the largest city in western Europe with a population of 500,000. The city had 500 mosques, 300 public baths and 70 libraries. It even had its own publishing houses where the Koran was painstakingly copied by female scribes, the copies destined for distribution to mosques throughout Spain. Córdoba's streets were paved and the city stood with Baghdad and Constantinople as one of the great cultural centers of the world.

Take in the old, medieval part of Córdoba known as the Juderia, Spain's oldest Jewish quarter. Explore the maze of narrow, winding streets infused with the heady scent of orange blossom and bougainvillea trellissing over wrought iron balconies, calculated to enchant the visitor. The residents of old Córdoba take great pride in their picturesque courtyards and engage in spirited competion to create the best displays. Every year they open their private homes to the public for the Festival of the Patios, and their serene secret gardens festooned with flowers and fountains put on their most flamboyant shows.

Famous Sons
Down through the ages, Córdoba has produced her share of Spanish luminaries from all walks of life. Lucius Annaeus Seneca, born in Córdoba in 4 B.C, noted philosopher, orator, playwright and poet, was a leading literary figure and thinker who became a consul of Rome and tutor to the boy Nero.

Brilliant doctor of medicine and religious philosopher Moses Maimonides was born in here in 1135, but within little more than a dozen years was forced to flee the city as the Jews began to be persecuted. He subsequently traveled North Africa from Algeria to Egypt, with his questioning mind and passion for debate, tirelessly honing his knowledge and intellect. His ideas established much that became the cornerstones of Jewish doctrine.

Manolete, beloved torero and hero of the common folk was born in Córdoba in 1917. Son and grandson of renowned matadors, in 1947 his life was violently cut short on the horns of a giant miura bull named Islero, and all of Spain went into mourning. The are several statues of Manolete around Córdoba, and the museum, Museo Taurino Y De Arte Cordobés, has a replica of his tomb and the hide of Islero on display.

Córdoba photos on this page © photographer Alexandre Fagundes; agency Dreamstime.com

Córdoba Mosque

Best Sights
The heart and soul of historical Córdoba is its 1200 year old mosque or Mezquita. Once upon a time, when Córdoba was the hub of Moorish culture on the European continent, its Mezquita was the largest mosque in the Islamic world. Construction dates back to 785 and the whole magnificent edifice was over a century in the making. By the time it was finished it covered an area the size of several city blocks. A cavernous interior holds a forest of 857 rose-colored jasper and marble columns, supporting as many double-tiered Moorish arches which are strikingly designed with alternating red brick and white stone.

The Mihrab, or prayer niche, is a treasure. Its function was to amplify the voice of the Imam who lead the prayers. Its shell shaped ceiling is carved marble, its arches adorned with stunning pink, blue and gold byzantine mosaics which were reportedly given to the the Caliphs of Córdoba by Emperor Constantine Vll.

Originally the Mezquita's Great Hall contained over 1,000 columns, but after the reconquest of the city by the christian kings, a Baroque Cathedral was erected inside the mosque, thus creating one of the most unique places of worship in the world. Here, as in no other city, Spain's intertwined Arab, Jewish and Christian heritages are visibly merged, one upon and within the other like a Chinese puzzle box.

The Alcázar, just along the river from the mosque, was built in 1328 and was the palace-fortress of King Alfonso Xl. Between 1490 and 1821 it became the headquarters of the Inquisition.
 

Map kindly provided by Map of Spain  
 

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