Caliphate City of Medina Azahara

Unfortunately we didn't visit the Medina Azahara, even though not being far from Córdoba, but it's possible to find in Córdoba postcards of the Medina

Medina Azahara

Medina Azahara is the ruins of a vast, fortified Moorish medieval palace-city built by Abd-ar-Rahman III (912–961), the first Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba, and located on the western outskirts of Córdoba, Spain. It was a medieval Moorish town and the de facto capital of al-Andalus, or Muslim Spain, as the heart of the administration and government was within its walls.

MedinaAzahara - Upper Basilical Hall

This postcard was sent from Portugal by Tiago

Built beginning in 936-940, the city included ceremonial reception halls, mosques, administrative and government offices, gardens, a mint, workshops, barracks, residences and baths. Water was supplied through aqueducts. - in: wikipedia

Historic Centre of Cordoba

The fifth UNESCO site we visited on this trip through Spain was Cordoba and it was my favorite. I just wish I had more time to visit everything more slowly.

Cordoba

This postcard was sent by Adolfo

The historic centre of Córdoba, Spain is one of the largest of its kind in Europe. In 1984, UNESCO registered the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba as a World Heritage Site. A decade later, it expanded the inscription to include much of the old town. The historic centre has a wealth of monuments preserving large traces of Roman, Arabic, and Christian times.

The historic centre as defined by UNESCO comprises the buildings and narrow winding streets around the cathedral. It is bordered on the south by the River Guadalquivir so as to include the Roman Bridge and the Calahorra Tower, on the east by the Calle San Fernando, and on the north by the commercial centre. To the west, it includes the Alcázar and the San Basilio district. - in: wikipedia

Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba - Anteroom of the Mihrab

The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba (Spanish: Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba), officially known by its ecclesiastical name of Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption (Spanish: Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción), is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Córdoba dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and located in the Spanish region of Andalusia. Due to its status as a former mosque, it is also known as the Mezquita and as the Great Mosque of Córdoba.

Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba - Nave in front of the Mihrab

The Great Mosque was constructed in 785 on the orders of Abd al-Rahman I, founder of the Islamic Emirate and later Caliphate of Córdoba. It was expanded multiple times afterwards under Abd ar-Rahman's successors up to the late 10th century. Among the most notable additions, Abd al-Rahman III added a minaret (finished in 958) and his son al-Hakam II added a richly-decorated new mihrab and maqsurah section (finished in 971).

Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba - Lateral view of the Mihrab

The mosque was converted to a cathedral in 1236 when Córdoba was captured by the Christian forces of Castile during the Reconquista. The structure itself underwent only minor modifications until a major building project in the 16th century inserted a new Renaissance cathedral nave and transept into the center of the building. The former minaret, which had been converted to a bell tower, was also significantly remodelled around this time. Starting in the 19th century, modern restorations have in turn led to the recovery and study of some of the building's Islamic-era elements. Today, the building continues to serve as the city's cathedral and Mass is celebrated therein daily. - in: wikipedia

Calejja de las Flores

The Calleja de las Flores is one of the most popular tourist streets of Córdoba city in Andalusia, Spain. Positioned as an intersection of the street Velázquez Bosco, is a narrow street that ends in a plaza. - in: wikipedia

Puerta del Puente, Roman Bridge and Triumph

The Puerta del Puente (Spanish: "Gate of the Bridge") is a Renaissance gate in Córdoba, Andalusia. Built in the 16th century to commemorate a visit to the city by King Philip II, the gateway is located on the site of the previous Roman gates, linking the city with the Roman bridge and the Via Augusta. - in: wikipedia

The Roman bridge of Córdoba is a bridge in the Historic centre of Córdoba, Andalusia, southern Spain, originally built in the early 1st century BC across the Guadalquivir river, though it has been reconstructed at various times since. It is also known locally as the Old Bridge as for two thousand years, until the construction of the San Rafael Bridge in the mid-twentieth century, it was the city's only bridge across the river. - in: wikipedia

All along the 18th century, the devotion the people of Córdoba felt for San Rafael filled the squares of the city with images of the archangel; these images were called triumphs.

The Triumph of San Rafael resembles a steep stone hill, pierced by a small grotto, with a cylindrical tower at its top. The door, which is a round opening, is decorated with the crest of Bishop Barcia, and next to it a legend in Latin reads: “Only virtue distinguishes the man from the man“. At the entrance of the grotto, we can highlight two decorative elements, a lion with a sphynxed face which has a crest under its claw and represents the weapons of the city. On the other side, on the keystone of the arch, there is an eagle holding a marble board under its talon as a cartouche, where we can read the Archangel San Rafael’s oath before Father Roelas: “I swear to Crucified Christ that I am Angel Rafael to whom God has commissioned to guard this city“. - in: https://www.artencordoba.com/en/triumph-san-rafael-cordoba/

Alcázer de los Reyes Cristianos

The Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos (Spanish for "Castle of the Christian Monarchs"), also known as the Alcázar of Córdoba, is a medieval alcázar located in the historic centre of Córdoba (in Andalusia, Spain), next to the Guadalquivir River and near the Mosque-Cathedral. The fortress served as one of the primary residences of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon.

It is a building of military character whose construction was ordered by the King Alfonso XI of Castile in the year 1328, on previous constructions (the Islamic-era Umayyad Alcázar, also the previous residence of the Roman Governor and the Customs). The architectural ensemble has a sober character in its exterior and splendid in its interior, with the magnificent gardens and courtyards that maintain a Mudéjar inspiration. - in: wikipedia

Monument to Maimonides

Cordoba had been a seat of Jewish life in Andalusia for centuries. The Rambam (Maimonides), who was one of the most influential medieval Rabbis, was a notable resident of the town. There is a Historic Jewish Quarter, from the Medieval Era, that houses one of the oldest synagogues of the world; the Cordoba synagogue (built 1325). - in: wikipedia

Cordoba Synagogue

Córdoba Synagogue (Spanish: Sinagoga de Córdoba) is a historic edifice in the Jewish Quarter of Córdoba, Spain, built in 1315. The synagogue's small size points to it having possibly been the private synagogue of a wealthy man. It is also possible that Córdoba's complex of buildings was a yeshivah, kollel, or study hall. Another possibility is that this was the synagogue of a trade guild, which converted a residence or one of the work rooms into the synagogue. The synagogue was decorated according to the best Mudejar tradition. - in: wikipedia

Christ of the Lanterns

The Christ of Atonement and Mercy, popularly known as the Christ of the Lanterns (Spanish: Cristo de los Faroles), is a large Crucifix located at the Plaza de los Capuchinos in Cordoba, Spain.

The sculpture was created in 1794 by the sculptor Juan Navarro León under a commission by the Capuchin friar Diego José de Cádiz. Its popular name comes from the eight lanterns set on iron mounts that illuminate it. The current appearance of the sculpture has developed with the construction of a fence in the 20th century and the replacement of the lanterns with darker ones in 1984. - in: wikipedia

Antequera Dolmens Site

It wasn't in my plans, but we also visited the Dolmen of Menga and the Dolmen of Vieira. We were passing near Antequera and it was almost luch time, so we decided to make a quick visit. But I regreat that we didn't explore more the city... Some other time.

Dolmen of Menga

This postcard was sent by Nancy

The Dolmen of Menga (Spanish: Dolmen de Menga) is a megalithic burial mound called a tumulus, a long barrow form of dolmen, dating from the 3rd millennium BCE.

It is one of the largest known ancient megalithic structures in Europe. It is 25 metres (82 ft) long, 5 metres (16 ft) wide and 4 metres (13 ft) high, and was built with thirty-two megaliths, the largest weighing about 180 tonnes (200 tons). After completion of the chamber (which probably served as a grave for the ruling families) and the path leading into the center, the stone structure was covered with soil and built up into the hill that can be seen today. When the grave was opened and examined in the 19th century, archaeologists found the skeletons of several hundred people inside. - in: wilipedia

Tholos of El Romeral

This postcard was sent by Jordi

Tholos de El Romeral, situated 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) north east of the town of Antequera (Andalusia), is one of the most important examples of Neolithic architecture in southern Europe. Tholos de El Romeral, also known as Cueva de Romeral (Cave of Romeral) and Dolmen de Romeral, is a megalithic burial site built circa 1800 BCE.

Tholos de El Romeral is a chambered tomb covered by a mound. It consists of a long corridor with drystone walls made of small stones and a ceilings made of megalithic slabs.

El Torcal de Antequera

This postcard was sent by Nancy

El Torcal de Antequera is a nature reserve in the Sierra del Torcal mountain range located south of the city of Antequera, in the province of Málaga (...). It is known for its unusual landforms, and is one of the most impressive karst landscapes in Europe.

The Jurassic age limestone is about 150 million years old and was laid down in a marine corridor that extended from the Gulf of Cádiz to Alicante between the present Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.

Like many massive limestones, the Torcal includes caves and other underground forms, some of them of historical importance like the Cueva del Toro (Cave of the Bull) with its Neolithic artifacts. - in: wikipedia

Peña de los Enamorados

This postcard was sent by Nancy

Peña de los Enamorados ("The Lovers' Rock") is a mountain near the city of Antequera, Málaga Province, Andalusia, Spain. It reaches a height of 880 metres above sea level.

The mountain was named after a legend from the local oral tradition. The most well-known version of the legend says that two young Moorish lovers from rival clans, a young man from Antequera and girl from nearby Archidona, threw themselves from the rock while being pursued by the girl's father and his men. - in: wikipedia

The sites comprised (in red what I have):

• The Manga Dolmen and The Viera Dolmen
• Tholos of El Romeral
• La Pena de los Enamorados
• El Torcal de Antequera

Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville

The third UNESCO site we visited was in Seville. The Archivo de Indias and the Alcázar we only saw it from the outside but we went inside the Cathedral and to the top of the Giralda.

Seville Cathedral

The Seville Cathedral, officially the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See, is considered the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and one of the largest cathedrals in the world. Incorporating parts of the city's former main mosque that was built under the Almohads in the 12th century, the current building is a massive Gothic structure begun after 1401 and finished in 1506, with additional reconstruction occurring between 1511 and 1519. The church contains a number of important tombs, including one of the two claimed burial places of Christopher Columbus, as well as many important artworks, including the largest retable (altarpiece) in Spain. A number of later additions, mostly in Plateresque or Renaissance style, were added around the outside of the Gothic structure after its initial construction. - in: wikipedia

Seville Cathedral and Giralda

The Giralda (Spanish: La Giralda) is the bell tower of Seville Cathedral in Seville, Spain. It was built as the minaret for the Great Mosque of Seville in al-Andalus, Moorish Spain, during the reign of the Almohad dynasty, with a Renaissance-style belfry added by the Catholics after the expulsion of the Muslims from the area. 

Seville Cathedral and Giralda

This postcard was sent by Marco

The tower is 104.1 m (342 ft) in height and remains one of the most important symbols of the city, as it has been since the Middle Ages. - in: wikipedia

Alcázar of Seville

This postcard was sent by Marco

The Royal Alcázars of Seville (Spanish: Reales Alcázares de Sevilla), historically known as al-Qasr al-Muriq (Arabic: القصر المُورِق, The Verdant Palace) and commonly known as the Alcázar of Seville, is a royal palace in Seville, Spain, built for the Christian king Peter of Castile. It was built by Castilian Christians on the site of an Abbadid Muslim alcazar, or residential fortress. The fortress was destroyed after the Christian conquest of Seville in 1248.

Alcázer of Seville

The palace is a preeminent example of Mudéjar style in the Iberian Peninsula, combining Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance structural elements. The upper stories of the Alcázar are still occupied by the royal family when they visit Seville and are administered by the Patrimonio Nacional. - in: wikipedia

Seville Cathedral and Archivo de Indias

The Archivo General de Indias; lit. 'General Archive of the Indies'), housed in the ancient merchants' exchange of Seville, Spain, the Casa Lonja de Mercaderes, is the repository of extremely valuable archival documents illustrating the history of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and Asia. The building itself, an unusually serene and Italianate example of Spanish Renaissance architecture, was designed by Juan de Herrera.

The origin of the structure dates to 1572 when Philip II commissioned the building from Juan de Herrera, the architect of the Escorial to house the Consulado de mercaderes of Seville. - in: wikipedia