Cordoba City
The main sight in Córdoba City is undoubtedly the Great Mosque, La Mezquita – one of the unsurpassed masterpieces of world architecture. But the entire city, in all its immaculately whitewashed splendour, is a major jewel in Andalucía’s crown. In addition to the mosque and its incongruous but splendid cathedral within, other sights here include fine monuments and palaces from every age, art and history museums, one of Andalucía’s greatest archaeological repositories, and a rather gruesome yet fascinating museum dedicated to the glories of the bullfight.
Alcazar and Baños • Campo Santo de los Mártires • 957 42 01 51 • Open summer: 8:30am–2:30pm Tue–Sat; winter: 8:30am–8:45pm Tue–Fri, 9:30am–4:30pm Sat, 9:30am–2:30pm Sun • Adm Alcázar: 6.80; Baños: €2.50 (both free 8:30–10:30am Tue–Fri)
1. La Mezquita
The world’s third-largest mosque remains a place of grandeur and mystical power (for further details see La Mezquita, Córdoba).
2. Juderia
All around the Mezquita is the city’s ancient Jewish quarter, dating back to the time of the Roman Empire. Its narrow alleyways are brilliantly whitewashed, hung with flowerpots, and graced with beautiful Moorish patios. This district also has Andalucía’s only medieval synagogue, built in 1315.
3. Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos
This fortified palace, built in 1328, was used by the Inquisition (1500s–1820) and as a prison (until the 1950s). But today it is tranquil, with gardens, water terraces and fountains.
4. Banos del Alcazar Califal
Built in the 10th century, these Arab baths reflect the classical order of Roman baths, with cold, warm and hot rooms.
5. Museo de Bellas Artes
A former 16th-century charity hospital is now the city’s main art museum. It has a collection of works by local painters and sculptors, as well as paintings and drawings by Masters such as Goya, Ribera, Murillo, Zurbarán, and Valdés Leal.Museo de Bellas Artes • Plaza del Potro 1 • 957 10 36 59 • Open 10am–8:30pm Tue–Sat (9am–3:30pm Jun–mid-Sep), 10am–5pm Sun • Adm €1.50
6. Plaza del Potro
This small but elegant square, adorned with a 16th-century fountain, was once the livestock market.
7. Museo Arqueologico
Housed in a Renaissance mansion, this is one of the region’s best archaeological museums. A highlight is the 10th-century Moorish bronze of a stag, found at Medina Azahara.Museo Arqueológico • Plaza Jerónimo Páez 7 • 957 35 55 17 • Open: As Museo de Bellas Artes • Adm €1.50
8. Palacio de los Marqueses de Viana
This noble residence (14th- to 18th-century) includes preserved period rooms and furnishings.Palacio de los Marqueses de Viana • Plaza Don Gome 2 • 957 49 67 41 • Open 10am–7pm Tue–Sat, 10am–3pm Sun • Adm €8.00
9. Museo Torre de la Calahorra
Part of a Moorish castle that controlled access to the city, the tower is now home to the Roger Garaudy Three Cultures Museum, which explains how Muslims, Christians and Jews lived side by side in medieval Córdoba. There are impressive views of the city from the tower battlements.Museo Torre de la Calahorra • Puente Romano • 957 29 39 29 • Open 10am–6pm daily (summer: 10am–2pm, 4:30–8:30pm) • Adm €4.50
10. Puente Romano
Crossing the Río Guadalquivir, this massive arched bridge has Roman foundations, although it was rebuilt by the Moors. Halfway across is a statue of the Archangel Raphael, whom the people of the city still honour with flowers for saving it from the plague.
Multicultural Tradition
Córdoba’s brilliance owes much to its rich multicultural history. Its most important edifices are emblematic of the cross-fertilization of Islamic, Christian and Jewish cultures, and at its height in the 10th century, Córdoba was the spiritual and scientific centre of the Western World, due to its policy of religious tolerance (for further details see Moorish Sophistication). However, following the Christian reconquista, many non-Christian thinkers were banished and the city soon fell into decline.
Tip: Head for the Puente Romano at sunset for glowing views.
