In the last blog Melek and I talked about the mosque with a cathedral built inside it. Well today I want to highlight the other things we saw in Cordoba.
Roman Bridge – This wide Roman style bridge is the entrance to the city from across the river. It was originally built in the 1st century BC and helped connect Cadiz with Rome. What is there now was mostly from the 8th century and built by the Moors on remains of the Roman ruins.
Museum of Al-Andalus Life at the Torre de la Calahorra – The Tower of Calahorra is a small fort at the end of the bridge and was built to help protect the bridge and city. Inside there is a museum about life during the 800 years of Muslim rule. It was a nice museum (Melek said it was her favorite), but I wish you could access the whole fort. [Melek – I loved how they animated important people from old times and tell about their philosophy about life]
On top of one of the walls of the fort. The cover photo was looking over the gardens.
Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos – This is a Moorish citadel that was built in the 8th century on the remains of a Visigoth fortress. When Ferdinand and Isabella captured the city, they turned it into their residence. The fortress and palace are really nice with lots of Roman mosaics on display, but the best part is the gardens and fountains!!!!
Synagogue in Cordoba
Synagogue – This is a Jewish synagogue built in 1315 and is one of only three left in all of Spain. It is small, but worth a visit.
Albolafia Water Mill – This is a reconstructed water mill built on the original stone foundation from the Moorish occupation. There are two other buildings in the river also, but they are just buildings.
Archaeological Museum – This is your typical local history museum, but it is built over the remains of parts of the Roman settlement. It is free and worth a visit.
Medina Azahara – This is the ruins of the Moorish capital, built starting in 940. It is part of the World Heritage Site of Cordoba and sits 5km away from the city center. I must admit we were not able to see this site due to running out of time and energy, and I feel we are lesser for it. This is suppose to be spectacular and I want to return and see it.
