Cordoba, Spain, (with the accent on the first syllable), is a very historical city that includes notable Roman ruins.
Our time there was short and I left feeling that I would like to spend more time there. I was impressed with the way traffic was organized around the important Guadalquivir river and the cleanliness is notable. It is still in Andalusia which is southern Spain mind you, and generally boasts a more “fun-loving” mentality in their celebrations and fiestas.
Originally a Roman settlement, it was briefly conquered by the Visigoths, (you will have to look them up), and then conquered once again in the eighth century by the Muslims. A major Muslim architectural site on Cordoba’s western outskirts are the ruins of the fortified palace-city of Medina Azahara built in the 10th century. There are three active Roman aqueducts to visit in Cordoba.
The Muslim period was one of advanced education and learning and produced the architecture that we are so fascinated with today. The Christian conquest was in the 13th Century and turned the Muslim Mosque into a Catholic Cathedral; thus the name, The Mezquita-Cathedral. Everyone knows what you are looking for when you say that name. It was the main reason for our visit there and we weren’t disappointed. It is at the center of the whole historic center in Cordoba. You will see our pictures on our website, PlacesPeoplePurpose.com.
Upon entering, I was in total awe of the Muslim architecture so obvious in the many well-preserved arches. The Christian chapels and main altar are also beautifully preserved and it is so easy to take a step back in time. One needs to give it proper time to imagine how it came about and the way people were living and moving in that time.
Food in Cordoba is everywhere and some of the best in Spain. Tapas are their specialty. It is said that you will find the BEST Spanish olive oil in Cordoba. That was no surprise to us because on our drive in, we witnessed miles and miles of olive tree groves kept in mint condition. I can only imagine that Spain’s olive oil export business is a big part of their economy. We were told that it is “hotter” in Cordoba. While looking at the weather map, I can see that may be true. We were there in mid-September and relished the warm weather. I would say the best times to be there would be May, September and most of October. Their Feria, (annual fair), is in late May and the month is full of interesting events. This would be a good time to be there to see their elaborate floral displays and interesting courtyards. Visiting a Spanish town during their annual Feria is an unforgettable experience.
We loved our old hotel. It had a lovely courtyard and we were able to feel the Spanish experience. The only problem was that it was more than an easy walk for me to get to the Mezquita-Cathedral so we had to take a cab. The streets are very narrow but as I mentioned earlier, they are well marked and engineered. We relied on our “Waze” GPS and had very few problems. I decided my daughter is a great and undaunted driver.
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