Doing sightseeing Córdoba can be perfectly done in one day. I went to Córdoba on a day trip on Saturday by carpooling. From the highway, I was able to see a special shaped mountain “Peña de los Enamorados” also known as “Montaña del Indio” because it looks like a head of an American Indian when seen from certain angels.
Córdoba is a medium-sized city in northern Andalusia which is home, among other things, to the well-known Mezquita a Cathedral-Mosque which is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites and the Alcazar (castle) of the Christian Monarchs.
The Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba is seen as one of the most accomplished monuments of Moorish architecture.
That’s why we went straight to the Mezquita. Hardly remarkable, a lot of other tourists were already standing at the atrium of the Mezquita, eager to get a ticket and explore the impressively huge building which was constructed by the Arabs to serve as a mosque and was transformed into a cathedral after the conquest of the Romans.
It’s believed that originally, a minor Visigoth church called Catholic Basilica of Saint Vincent of Lérnis had stood on the site before the Arab conquest which subsequently led to the construction of a mosque ibidem.
During the Reconquista, Córdoba returned to Christian rule and again the building was transformed into a Roman Catholic church. The Mezquita was even shared for a specific period by Muslims and Christians after the Islamic conquest of the Visigothic.
However, this arrangement changed when Emir Abd al-Rahman I had bought up the Christian half of the Mezquita driven by eagerness to expand the precious masterpiece.
Normally, the mihrab of a mosque faces southeast towards Mecca except the mosque in Córdoba, it oddly points south!
The Mosque-Cathedral epitomizes an unusual and a unique design of all mosques across the word. It comprises various architectural elements from Romans, Gothics and as well from the Moriscos.
Additionally, the building is famous for its hypostyle hall with 856 columns which were used from Roman buildings that were previously housed on the site.
The splendid wine-coloured marble which can be seen on columns and naves were obtained from nearby mountains. On each side of the building, plethora of prayer niches, chapels and mihrabs with images of Maria can be seen whereas the mihrabs, most notably, exhibit astonishing artistic art work.
After having explored the Mezquita, I took a stroll through the city centre and crossed the Guadalquivir River to enjoy the view of the old town.
So, I also went to the Alcázar – Castle of the Christian Monarchs which is located near the Mezquita and is as well a must-see place to learn about the whole story of the city. The Alcázar comes with a huge garden, optimal to stroll through, awe at the beautifully created plants, take some social media worthy photos, and just be one with nature.
To sum it up, the Mezquita in Córdoba is worth a visit so get ready!
