From Granada (via Fortaleza de la Mota) we drove northwest to Córdoba (about 200 km or 124 miles). Córdoba is located on the same river (Guadalquivir) that flows through Seville. Seville, Granada and Córdoba form a triangle (of sorts), with Seville in the southwest corner, Granada in the southeast corner and Córdoba in the north. It is common for tourists to visit Córdoba as a day trip (by train or car) from Seville, and this would not be a bad option, except that you would miss seeing little gems like Fortaleza de la Mota along the way.
Although there are many reasons to visit Córdoba, the primary tourist sight is La Mezquita. Since we were covering so much ground in southern Spain on this trip, we were in Córdoba just long enough to visit La Mezquita and spend the night here. Our apartment was on the south side of the Guadalquivir River, right next to the Roman bridge (Puente Romano, which leads directly to La Mezquita) – a perfect location to stay in Córdoba when traveling by car – it offers easy access to the old city and convenient parking.
The history of this amazing juxtaposition of structures, cultures, religions and eras is fascinating – learn more here. There is some debate as to the origins of this site of worship (likely dating back to the Roman and Visigoth eras), but much of the present structure dates from the 8th century onwards and served as a Moorish mosque. In the 13th century Córdoba was captured by the Christians as part of the Reconquista and the mosque underwent some modifications. The present structure of the Christian cathedral (incongruently built into the middle of the mosque) we see today was begun in the 16th century.
Below are images from our visit to La Mezquita, we were there on a March afternoon and pretty much had the site to ourselves – just a few other tourists at that time of year. Allow about 2 hours for your visit. Tickets may be purchased on site. After our visit, we wandered through the old town and enjoyed an excellent good dinner. A very enjoyable stay in Córdoba!
If you have the chance, visit Córdoba. Even if you have visited many European Christian Cathedrals, I’ll guarantee haven’t experienced one quite like La Mezquita! I am grateful that so much has been preserved of the original mosque, providing unique insights into the Iberian peninsula’s Moorish era.