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Mezquita
Córdoba
Straddling a sharp bend of the Guadalquivir River, Córdoba has a glorious Roman and Moorish past, once serving as a regional capital for both empires. It's home to Europe's best Islamic sight after Granada's Alhambra: the Mezquita, a splendid and remarkably well-preserved mosque that dates from AD 784. Beyond the magnificent Mezquita, the city of Córdoba has two sides: the touristy maze of streets immediately surrounding the giant main attraction, lined with trinket shops, hotels, and restaurants; and the workaday but interesting modern city. In between are the side lanes of the Jewish Quarter, humming with history.
At a Glance
▲▲▲ Mezquita Massive and well-preserved mosque, with a church built in its center after the Reconquista, that's the reason people visit Córdoba.
▲ Museum of al-Andalus Life Exhibit filling a fortified gate across the river from the center that works valiantly to re-create the exquisite culture of Moorish Córdoba.
▲ Casa de Sefarad House offering a look at Cordovan Jewish life from centuries past and serves as a modern-day cultural center.
▲ Bullfighting Museum Earnest little museum that explores the Andalusian passion for bullfighting.
▲ Route of the Patios Five flower-filled patios creating a near-year-round home show — a joy and delight of Córdoba.
▲ Museo Julio Romero de Torres Small museum showing off the exquisite and dreamy work of an early-20th-century hometown boy.
Alcázar Old fortress — rebuilt, stripped of nearly all artifacts, and strangely crowded — that's likely not worth your time.
