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Córdoba information

General information

Situated deep in Andalusian Autonomous Region, Cordoba is a compendium of history and modernity. This ancient city, which has been declared World Heritage Site, is a living legacy of the diverse cultures that settled in it throughout history.
Very few places in the world can boast of having been the capital of Hispania Ulterior under the Roman Empire, and the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate. Such splendour is palpable in the intellectual wealth of this centre of wisdom and knowledge, that has seen the birth of figures like Seneca, Averroes and Maimonides.

To take a stroll through the historic quarter of Cordoba is to discover a beautiful network of small streets, alleys, squares and whitewashed courtyards arranged around the Mosque-Cathedral, which reflects the importance of the city during medieval times and which is a real symbol of the capital.

Cordoba is also synonymous with art, culture and leisure, thanks to a myriad of cultural events that are organised here throughout the year: Flamenco festivals, concerts, ballet and other activities that are complemented by a number of museums and an exciting nightlife.

Meanwhile, the province is home to important buildings of the Andalusian heritage, whose highest expression is the Medina Azahara, located on the outskirts of the city. But there is great spectacle also for nature lovers. The parks of Sierra de Cardeña in Los Pedroches and Montoro, the Hornachuelos Sierra and Sierras Subbéticas offer the possibility of practising all kinds of open-air sports, while at the same time enjoying the natural wealth of this province.

Cordoba Tourist Office

Calle Caballerizas Reales, 1

14004 Córdoba (Córdoba)
Tel. +34 957201774

Fax +34 957200159

The historic quarter

The historic quarter of Cordoba, declared a World Heritage Site, still preserves traces of the ancient splendour of the Caliphate of Cordoba, which made this city one of the most cultured and refined of medieval Europe.

In the tenth century, during the rule of Abd-al-Rahman III, the medina at one point had a thousand mosques, eight hundred public baths, and a very advanced system of street lighting. Its urban layout rivalled the monuments of Constantinople, Damascus and Baghdad.

Dominating the landscape: the Great Mosque. Its fame spread after it was built, due to its ingenious construction and its wealth. The "forest of columns" (there are nearly a thousand of them), set on top of the Visigoth basilica, is one of the main attractions of this place. Nineteen naves make up the quadrangular plan of the early mosque, divided by a double series of arches, which combine Moorish arches and semicircular arches. In addition to alternating brick with stone, and red with white, other decorative elements were used, such as sculpted marble, stucco, mosaics, and plasterwork.

The Cathedral and Mosque now form a unique architectural space because, during the Reconquest, it was decided that a Gothic-style cathedral would be built inside the mosque itself. With the passing of time, Plateresque and Baroque elements came into play. Thus, barrel vaults and Baroque ornaments fuse with geometrical motifs and verses from the Koran.

Another Muslim-Hispanic legacy is the Jewish quarter, which runs from the mosque to the walls and the Almodovar Gate. It is made up of a network of narrow streets with whitewashed façades, adorned with tiles and grilles. The Plazuela de las Flores is located in this district, as well as the house of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia, and the Synagogue, the only one that still stands in the city.

In the 13th century, under the reign of Fernando III, the Saint, new defensive structures were built, such as the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos (the Fortress of the Christian Monarchs) and the Tower of Calahorra. The Alcázar is a defensive structure on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, protecting magnificent gardens, fountains and water channels inside. On the other side of the Triumph of San Rafael sculpture and the Roman bridge, rises the Tower, which used to be part of a walled castle.

he city of Cordoba is organised around numerous squares. The Plaza del Potro, the Plaza de Corredera and the Plaza de Capuchinos, where the Christ of Los Faroles is kept, are three beautiful examples of these meeting points for Cordovans. Among the numerous buildings in the historic quarter, it is pointing out the churches of San Pedro, San Andres and La Compañia.

In addition, there are several outstanding museums, such as the Bullfighting Museum, the Archaeological Museum, the Regional Museum of Fine Arts and the Julio Romero de Torres Museum.

The Archaeological Museum, located in the Renaissance palace of Paez, shows Iberian, Roman, Visigoth, Muslim, Mudejar and Renaissance pieces.

The Fine Arts Museum, located in the old Charity Hospital, houses an interesting collection of work by mainly Andalusian artists. It is worth mentioning the drawings of Valdés Leal, Zurbarán, Murillo, Palomino, Antonio del Castillo and Juan de Peñalosa, as well as the sculptures of Juan de Mesa and Mateo Inurria.

The Julio Romero de Torres Museum shares a courtyard with the Museum of Fine Arts and brings together the works of the Cordovan painter, who achieved great popularity with his populist symbolism, images with a certain aura of mystery.

The recently opened Diocesan Museum of Fine Arts, in the old Episcopal Palace, dedicates a room to artists from the province. The room dedicated to medieval art is outstanding, as is the tapestry collection and the choral books from the Cathedral.

The Casa de las Bulas(16th century) houses the Bullfighting Museum, which displays collections related to the world of bullfighting, many of them closely linked with the city's bullfighting tradition.

Cordoba also has important arts centres very worthy of mention, such as the Merced Palace, headquarters of the provincial council, and the Palace of Viana, also known as the Courtyard Museum. In its halls, besides the rich fittings, important painting, tapestry, porcelain, tile, and firearms collections are kept.

No less remarkable are the numerous Cordovan exhibition halls, such as the Bartolome Bermejo Room, the Alarife Gallery, and the Chapter House.