The next stop on my trip was Cordoba, home of the famous Mezquita Cathedral, which is a huge mosque that was turned in to a cathedral. I went to see the Mezquita early in the morning, during the free admissions period. Which is something they had at several top highlights in Andalucia. Setting one hour a day or a week, when admission is free to give a chance for everyone to experience some culture. Of course there were a lot of people with me, but the Mezquita is so huge that everyone found their space to explore and admire it.
Just around the corner from the Mezquita lies Cordoba’s other main highlight; Alcazar. Which is the spanish way of pronouncing the arabic word meaning Palace. Most cities in Andalucia have an Alcazar of some sort, with very lush gardens and usually a water fountain or two.
Cordoba also has some Roman ruins to offer, as well as a jewish quarter with some very narrow streets. And for Game of Thrones fans, the roman bridge of Cordoba was used to shoot the long bridge of Volantis.
Otherwise, I spent my time strolling around the city, which is a good size to cover on foot. I also had the most delicious green olives here at one of the Fruterias (fruit and vegetable shop). They even sold baked sweet potatoes there!!
I had fun in Cordoba and actually ended up staying a day longer than planned here, because the Hostel I was at was quite comfortable and social. One of the locals working there would take out whoever was interested to their favorite neighborhood or restaurant every night. It was a great way to meet some other travelers and see the city from a local’s perspective as well. On one of those nights out at Cordoba’s largest square, I even got to try making those huge soap bubbles using two sticks and some string, which is something I’ve always wanted to try.
Before moving on to the next stop, I also stopped on the outskirts of Cordoba to visit Medina Azahara, which was “the de facto capital of Andalucia“.
The Mezquita’s tower in the early morning sun.
Arches everywhere you look.
This was the Mihrab facing Mecca, when it was still a Mosque.
Did I mention there are a lot of arches? 😛
So it’s hard to decide whether to take this shot…
… or this one.
Or even this one with the stained glass window.
“The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral nave in the middle of the expansive structure. The insertion was constructed by permission of Charles V, king of Castile and Aragon. However, when Charles V visited the completed cathedral he was displeased by the result and famously commented, ‘they have taken something unique in all the world and destroyed it to build something you can find in any city.'”
The Mezquita tower hiding the sun later in the day.
The view of the Alcazar gardens as soon as you enter….
… and from the other side.
Next to the Alcazar was an arena, where they were preparing for a Medieval show.
Here they are carrying in some of their props.
One of the old roman ruins of Cordoba.
The roman bridge or bridge of Volantis.
This was Cordobas main square, where you can find people till late in the night with the ice cream shops open till 2 am!
This was the first time for me to see these kind of shades in Spain. This was in the main shopping area and it made a huge difference!
Creative Electricity box decoration… now I just need to learn how to read music.
Refugees Welcome 🙂
One of the many beautiful courtyards here in Andalucia.
Wandering through the city…
… you come across very authentic and special moments, like this one with the Mother of the Groom or Bride arriving to the Church.
Followed by the actual Bride of course.
Some of the best Olives I’ve ever tasted.
Look what I found walking around…
… almost like a Ying-Yang.
With a little patience, I finally got a good shot of it.
The color of the sky, the buildings and the streets just work so well together, even if there’s nothing special to take a photo of.
The man with no face.
Time for the after party.
This was Medina Azahara from the top, since it’s up in the mountain.
