Córdoba’s impressive architecture and diverse religious evolution tempted me during our trip to Andalucia. From our base in Seville we made the effort to take a day-trip to Córdoba, less than an hour away by train. Fortunately it’s easy to see the city’s main sights in a day. They are packed into the Old Town, which happens to be the second largest in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage site. At its peak in the Middle Ages, Córdoba’s historic Old Town was the largest and most important city in Western Europe. Remnants of the cohabiting Muslims, Christians and Jewish remain, locked in a maze of sprawling streets and plazas. Read on to see which iconic sights I visited during my 12 hours in Córdoba.
Puente Romano
After spending quite a bit of time wandering around the Old Town, we eventually reached the river. The Roman Bridge was thus first on our sightseeing tour of Córdoba. We emerged from the shady alleys of the historic centre to the glorious sight of the Guadalquivir ahead of us, just as the sun began to shine. Everything on our Córdoba sightseeing list was in the Old Town so there wasn’t actually anything for us to see on the other side of the river. However, we couldn’t resist crossing anyway.
The pedestrian-only bridge is easily distinguishable by the huge abutments that support its arches. It is wide and open, and made of massive blocks of light-coloured stone. The sun was high in the sky by the time we made our way across. It was easy to see why it was used as a Game of Thrones set (Volantis anyone?). We could have been walking across a bridge in Ancient Rome or North Africa . . . or Westeros. Once we got to the other side we gave each other satisfied nods and turned and walked back again.
Calleja de las Flores
Rumoured to be the most photographed street in Córdoba, I was so excited to see the Calleja de las Flores for myself. In hindsight, it would have been sensible to remember which season we were visiting in before getting my hopes up. The end of winter was definitely not an ideal time to visit the calleja! If I return to Córdoba, I’ll be sure to visit in May when they hold the Feria de los Patios. Citizens compete for the most impressive patio, so hopefully I’ll see something more exciting than empty flowerpots!
La Mezquita-Catedral
Once a small church, this site was transformed into a mosque in the 8th century before being reclaimed as a Catholic cathedral 450 years later. It is known as both the Great Mosque of Córdoba and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. With so many contrasting architectural roots there was a lot to see.
Probably the most renowned section of the mezquita, and my favourite part, was the prayer hall. 856 coloured columns stretched out in lines, towering over us with their infamous double arches. Made from stones such as onyx, porphyry and marble, the result was deep purple, green and red pillars that had a weirdly calming ambience. There should have been echoes in such a big space, but the hall was virtually silent and seemed nearly deserted. I know it was full of people because of the long queues outside, but for some reason everyone just melted away into the columns, which seemed to extend forever.
Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos
With its Mudéjar architecture, the Palace of Christian Kings resembles more a fortress. We didn’t actually go inside the museum—we’d heard it was quite underwhelming, and the queue was really long, even in March. Instead we headed straight to the gardens.
Like the Alcázar’s formidable exterior, everything in its gardens was measured out into strict blocks and sections. Strips of identical trees flanked long, rectangular pools. Sharp-edged hedgerows bordered statues raised on plinths. Formations of symmetrical shrubs enclosed neat flowerbeds. Every now and again a rogue palm tree disrupted the skyline. As with the Calleja de las Flores, the flowers were not yet out in all their glory, but it was still enchanting.
There’s something about a water feature when the sun is out that makes me really happy, so we sat by one of the long pools. As we soaked up the heat of the early-afternoon sun, we engaged in some people-watching. We saw so many young girls in white dresses with wreaths upon their heads having confirmation photos taken. It made for a pretty quintessential Spanish experience.
La Casa Andalusí
Moving away from the river, we navigated our way through the whitewashed, cobbled streets of the Jewish Quarter to find Casa Andalusí. The house wasn’t in many Córdoba itineraries that we came across while planning our day trip. I wondered if it would be a gamble to spend some our precious 12 hours on an attraction off the beaten track. I am so glad we took the chance!
Casa Andalusí is a restored 12th-century villa mixing Andalucía with North African styles to recreate Córdoba’s Medieval Muslim heritage. Though it seems small from the outside, the house-museum surprised us with how much it had to offer. Like the Old Town it’s situated in, the house itself consists of winding corridors opening onto airy courtyards. Just when I thought we’d seen everything the little house had to show us, we would come across another section. As book nerds, imagine our glee when we found a whole room dedicated to the paper-making process! Then there was the Roman mosaic hidden in the cellar, or the pool of flowers we nearly missed at the end of a narrow passageway.
In contrast to the dusty heat of the rest of Córdoba’s Old Town, la Casa Andalusí was a hidden refuge of calm. Quiet music and the sound of water filled each room. The patios were dotted with water features and green, leafy plants climbed many of the walls. Even the bathrooms were beautiful. Instead of a siesta, we sat on cracked leather pouffes, entertaining ourselves with the books provided. Though we weren’t the house’s only visitors, it was nice to escape the crowds for a while. Everyone we ran into in the house respected its tranquil quality.
Though this little casa isn’t an iconic religious building or palace, it was my favourite place we visited during our 12 hours in Córdoba. I could have stayed here all afternoon.
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