Medina Azahara

Córdoba, Spain

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 supplied through aqueducts. The main reason for its construction was politico-ideological: the dignity of the Caliph required the establishment of a new city, a symbol of his power, imitating other Eastern Caliphates.

The complex was extended during the reign of Abd ar-Rahman III's son Al-Hakam II (r. 961-976), but after his death soon ceased to be the main residence of the Caliphs. In 1010 it was sacked in a civil war, and thereafter abandoned, with many elements re-used elsewhere. Its ruins were excavated starting from the 1910s. Only about 10 percent of the 112 hectares have been excavated and restored. A new museum on the edge of the site has been built low, with much of the space underground, to minimize disruption to the views of the landscape from the ruins, which are also beginning to be affected by modern housing.

References:

Comments

Your name

Website (optional)


Address

Córdoba, Spain
See all sites in Córdoba

Details

Founded: 936 AD
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Spain

More Information

www.medinaazahara.org
en.wikipedia.org
whc.unesco.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba (7,8 km)
Puerta del Puente (7,8 km)
Royal Stables of Córdoba (7,5 km)
Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos (7,6 km)
Caliphal Baths (7,5 km)
Roman bridge of Córdoba (8 km)
San Bartolomé Chapel (7,5 km)
Córdoba Synagogue (7,4 km)
Roman Walls of Córdoba (7,4 km)


Calahorra Tower (8,1 km)
Plaza de la Corredera (8,2 km)
Julio Romero de Torres Museum (8,2 km)
San Pablo Church (8,1 km)
Palacio de Viana (8,2 km)
Santa Marina Church (8,2 km)
Almodóvar del Río Castle (16,3 km)
El Moral Castle (63 km)
San Pedro Church (8,4 km)

User Reviews

Nora Alnofal (10 months ago)
That is amazing historical place there is pus and show to know about alzahra it is unique
Yuki Tanabe (10 months ago)
Be warned that the main part of this attraction that you often see with the Arabic arches, is currently closed. I made a detour to visit Cordoba just to visit this site, which I wasn't able to visit back in 2014, so it was a big disappointment and a total waste of time and money (€10 return bus fare from the city centre) Having said that, it is still an impressive site to imagine that once here stood a Muslim palace of such grandeur. Unfortunately it does leave a lot to imagination as the site has been destroyed over the years and various parts which once we're parts of the buildings here have been looted and used as buildings material for other buildings scattered across the Mediterranean.
erima rehan (11 months ago)
Great feeling to walk among the old city and imagine life in a different era. Just check weather as there are no rain covers or shelters
Adam Nasraddin (13 months ago)
Such an overwhelming place, thinking about the history and the events that occurred in this place is mind blowing with the remain of the rooms, corridors and the main halls. We had a chat with security guards (a lovely lady called Theresa) she got emotional telling us about the history and how proud she was. She was really helpful and passionate that we all were impressed with her warm chat. The website says that visits ends at 13:00 but actually you can catch the assigned coach at 19:00 to go to the place and then every 10 min (I have posted a photo of their opening hours). The only downside in our visit was that we were not able to visit 90% of the site, they said that the rest should be open next year. There is a a video about the site inside next to the car park were you catch the coach. It is a very informative video which you can also watch on YouTube including checking the remains and stuff recovered from Alzahraa and surrounding.
R Palmer (13 months ago)
Avoid going before scheduled closing. We arrived at 1 pm and was advised at the ticket office to visit the site first (as the shuttle bus between museum and site was running late) and to return to the museum when we returned from the site. We went to the site, which was well worth seeing. When were returned to the museum and ticket office it was 2.35 pm with the site closing at 3 pm. We went to the museum and was told it would close in 20 minutes, which was fine. However, as another set of visitors entered (less than a minute later) they were told it closes in 10 minutes. The steward then started shutting up areas of the museum so we could only see the first display and as a I was the last in the museum (at 2.45) I dashed out as the doors were closing. My advice to the site management is to clearly specify if the museum opening times are different to the site. To future visitors I advise planning to leave the site 30 minutes before the advertised closing.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania
Photo from Flickr, copyright Maciek Lulko

Historic Site of the week

Wroclaw Town Hall

The Old Town Hall of Wrocław is one of the main landmarks of the city. The Old Town Hall's long history reflects developments that have taken place in the city since its initial construction. The town hall serves the city of Wroclaw and is used for civic and cultural events such as concerts held in its Great Hall. In addition, it houses a museum and a basement restaurant.

The town hall was developed over a period of about 250 years, from the end of 13th century to the middle of 16th century. The structure and floor plan changed over this extended period in response to the changing needs of the city. The exact date of the initial construction is not known. However, between 1299 and 1301 a single-storey structure with cellars and a tower called the consistory was built. The oldest parts of the current building, the Burghers’ Hall and the lower floors of the tower, may date to this time. In these early days the primary purpose of the building was trade rather than civic administration activities.

Between 1328 and 1333 an upper storey was added to include the Council room and the Aldermen’s room. Expansion continued during the 14th century with the addition of extra rooms, most notably the Court room. The building became a key location for the city’s commercial and administrative functions.

The 15th and 16th centuries were times of prosperity for Wroclaw as was reflected in the rapid development of the building during that period. The construction program gathered momentum, particularly from 1470 to 1510, when several rooms were added. The Burghers’ Hall was re-vaulted to take on its current shape, and the upper story began to take shape with the development of the Great Hall and the addition of the Treasury and Little Treasury.

Further innovations during the 16th century included the addition of the city’s Coat of arms (1536), and the rebuilding of the upper part of the tower (1558–59). This was the final stage of the main building program. By 1560, the major features of today’s Stray Rates were established.

The second half of the 17th century was a period of decline for the city, and this decline was reflected in the Stray Rates. Perhaps by way of compensation, efforts were made to enrich the interior decorations of the hall. In 1741, Wroclaw became a part of Prussia, and the power of the City diminished. Much of the Stray Rates was allocated to administering justice.

During the 19th century there were two major changes. The courts moved to a separate building, and the Rates became the site of the city council and supporting functions. There was also a major program of renovation because the building had been neglected and was covered with creeping vines. The town hall now has several en-Gothic features including some sculptural decoration from this period.

In the early years of the 20th century improvements continued with various repair work and the addition of the Little Bear statue in 1902. During the 1930s, the official role of the Rates was reduced and it was converted into a museum. By the end of World War II Town Hall suffered minor damage, such as aerial bomb pierced the roof (but not exploded) and some sculptural elements were lost. Restoration work began in the 1950s following a period of research, and this conservation effort continued throughout the 20th century. It included refurbishment of the clock on the east facade.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2020 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.