Must-See Historic Places in Córdoba
Córdoba is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain. It has a long history from Roman and Visigoth settlement to an imperial city under the Muslim Caliphate of Córdoba. As it was christianized in 1326, Córdoba is still home to many notable pieces of Moorish architecture such as The Mezquita, which is named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
1. Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba
The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, also known as the Great Mosque of Córdoba and the Mezquita is regarded as one of the most accomplished monuments of Moorish architecture.
According to a traditional account, a small Visigoth church, the Catholic Basilica of Saint Vincent of Lérins, originally stood on the site. In 784 Abd al-Rahman I ordered construction of the Great Mosque, which was considerably expanded by later Muslim rulers. The mosque underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, while in 961 Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the ...
2. Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos
The Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos ('Castle of the Christian Monarchs') served as one of the primary residences of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. It forms part of the Historic Center of Córdoba that was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994.
In early medieval times, the site was occupied by a Visigoth fortress. When the Visigoths fell to the Umayyad conquest of Hispania, the emirs of the Umayyad Caliphate in Damascus rebuilt the structure. The Umayyads fell to the Abbasid Caliphate and the surviving member of the Umayyad Dynasty, Abd ar-Rahman I, ...
3. Roman bridge of Córdoba
The Roman bridge of Córdoba was originally built in the early 1st century BC across the Guadalquivir river, though it has been reconstructed at various times since. Most of the present structure dates from the Moorish reconstruction in the 8th century.
Currently, after the Islamic reconstruction, has 16 arcades, one fewer than originally, and a total length of 247 meters. The width is around 9 meters.
The Via Augusta, which connected Rome to Cádiz, most likely passed through it. During the early Islamic domination the Muslim governor Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani ordered a bridge t ...
4. San Bartolomé Chapel
The Chapel of San Bartolomé is a funerary chapel in the historic centre of Córdoba. It is dated between 1390 and 1410. Richly decorated, it is one of the city"s finest examples of Mudéjar art.
Located on the Calle Averroes in today"s Faculty of Arts building, the relatively unknown chapel is one of the city"s most notable monuments. With the development of the Alcázar Viejo district in 1391 and the later expulsion of the Jews from La Judería, the parish of San Bartolomé was established while a church of the same name was constructed between 1399 and 1410. The little build ...
5. Córdoba Synagogue
Photo from Flickr, copyright Dunphasizer
Córdoba Synagogue is a historic edifice in the Jewish Quarter of Córdoba, built in 1315. The synagogue"s small size points to it having possibly been the private synagogue of a wealthy man. It was decorated according to the best Mudejar tradition.
After the expulsion of the Jews in 1492, the synagogue was seized by the authorities and converted into a hospital for people suffering from rabies (hydrophobia), the Hospital Santo Quiteria. In 1588, the building was acquired by the shoemakers guild, who used it as a community center and small chapel, changing the patron saint of the buildin ...
6. Roman Temple of Córdoba
The construction of Roman temple in Córdoba began during the reign of Emperor Claudius (41-54 AD) and ended some forty years later, during the reign of Emperor Domitian (81-96 CE). Presumably it was dedicated to the imperial cult. The temple underwent some changes in the 2nd century, reforms that coincide with the relocation of the colonial forum.
In the area had already been found architectural elements, such as drums of columns, capitals, etc. all in marble, so the area was known as los marmolejos. This area of Córdoba could become between the 1st century and the 2nd century, as the prov ...
7. Plaza de la Corredera
Photo from Flickr, copyright liakada-web
Plaza de la Corredera is the result of the works carried out between 1683 and 1687 by Chief Magistrate Francisco Ronquillo Briceño. These were motivated by the almost collapse of one of the wooden stalls that were back then installed for the bullfightings held in the square which made the audience panic.
This grand 17th-century square has an elaborate history as a site of public spectacles, including bullfights and Inquisition burnings. Nowadays it"s ringed by balconied apartments and is home to an assortment of popular, though culinarily run-of-the-mill, cafes and restaurants. The Mer ...
8. Palacio de Viana
Palacio de Viana was established as the family estate in 1492 by Gómez Suárez de Figuroea. He died childless and was succeeded by his nephew. The original house has experienced numerous alterations up to our days, of which we can highlight the extension in the 17th century, which gave it its current appearance to a great extent.
The palace covers a surface of more than 6,500 square metres, of which almost 4,000 of them correspond to courtyards, gardens and open spaces. Visitors, more than 70,000 every year, are especially attracted by the elegant patios and the superb 18th century garden o ...
9. Medina Azahara
Photo from Flickr, copyright Jocelyn777
Medina Azahara ("the shining city") is the ruins of a vast, fortified Andalus palace-city built by Abd-ar-Rahman III (912–961), the first Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba. Located on the western outskirts of Córdoba, it was the de facto capital of al-Andalus as the heart of the administration and government was within its walls. In 2018, the site was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Built beginning in 936-940, the city included ceremonial reception halls, mosques, administrative and government offices, gardens, a mint, workshops, barracks, residences and baths. Water was suppli ...