Toby and Allan Explore Spain 2015: Introduction to Cordoba

Thursday March 12 started cloudy in Cadiz and ended sunny and warm (high 26C) in Cordoba.
We took the 11:40 a.m. train and arrived in Cordoba at 2:50 p.m. The trip went fast- reading guidebooks and looking at hundreds of orange trees, especially between Seville and Cordoba.

Leaving Cadiz- near our apartment en route to train- sewers of flamenco costumes

Orange trees from the train window

We took a cab to the apartment, where we were greeted by the owner's assistant. The apartment building is very interesting. We think it once was a convent. We took an elevator up one floor and then walked up a level to our "attic" apartment. It is very large, modern and spotless. The only downside is the slanted roof in the living room and bedroom that we need to get used to. There is even a private terrace off the kitchen. The weather in Cordoba is the warmest we have encountered, though it still gets cool at night. We can't wait to sit outside on the terrace.

Outside of apartment building- three floors only

Bedroom - large and lots of light

Modern kitchen with door leading to terrace

Living room - there is also a table at the other side of the room, not in the picture

Terrace off kitchen

Bathroom with a tub!

Hall way on second floor- spotless

We walked down the stairs instead of taking the elevator and found a small courtyard off the main floor. We have been very lucky so far with our apartments in the south of Spain. Well equipped, spotless and well located. We have found that the apartments have lots of cleaning materials and basic items for cooking- tea, olive oil and some herbs. They are much better equipped than apartments we have rented in France, Italy or Istanbul. Our apartment in Cordoba is only 63 euros a night.

Courtyard off main floor

We bought some groceries at a nearby supermarket and then walked to nearby Plaza Corredera where the Mercado is located. It was already closed for the day, but there were a number of cafes open in the square.

We walked up Calle Claudio Marcelo and ran into these Roman ruins from a temple dating back to the middle of the first century A.D. Incroyable!

Roman ruins mid 1st century A.D. in middle of busy street

Cordoba is a fascinating city. Ten centuries ago, it was the capital of Muslim Spain, with a population of 900,000 (today the population is about 320,000). Muslims, Christians and Jews lived and worked together to create Europe's largest cultural and intellectual centre. From the 8th-11th centuries, the Umayyad caliphs brought culture and learning to Cordoba while most of Europe was in the dark ages.

Prior to the arrival of the Moors, Cordoba had prospered in Roman times. Seneca the Elder (4 B.C.- 65 A.D.), a great Roman philosopher lived here. The Roman General Claudio Marcelo had established a permanent camp on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, the largest river in Andalucia in 164 B.C. After a brief capture by the Visigoths, the Arabs conquered the area in 711 under Abd al-Rahman I. In 929, Abd al-Rahman III proclaimed an independent Caliphate. During his rule, the town had 1000 mosques, 800 Arab baths and an advanced street lighting system. The city, during its golden years boasted a library with 400, 000 hand-copied books. It was host to the first university in Europe. Infighting among Muslims led to the collapse of Cordoba in 1031, at which time Seville replaced Cordoba as the capital of Iberia. Cordoba was also home to Moises Maimonides (1135-1204), the Jewish philosopher, who did have to flee the Almohads, the rulers at the time. In 1236, the Christian army led by Fernando III captured Cordoba and consecrated the Mezquita (the Muslim Mosque) as a Christian church. A Cathedral was built in the 16th century in the middle of the Mosque.

Cordoba is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We walked up to the tourism office at Plaza de las Tendillas and then headed into La Juderia, the old Jewish neighbourhood, which had actually been home to Christians, Jews and Muslims for several hundred years. It is now a wonderful maze of restaurants, shops and historic buildings. Just minutes away is the Mezquita-Catedral, Cordoba's jewel in the crown, which we will be paying a separate visit to.

Building on one side of Plaza de las Tendillas

Narrow street in la Juderia

We walked through Plaza Maimonides, which had a number of interesting buildings.

Plaza Maimonides

Other building on the Plaza

Down a small street from the Plaza was a sculpture of Maimonides.

Plaque near sculpture

Alano rubbing foot of Maimonides for good luck

We then found a courtyard with a number of artisans' studios. It was called Zoco Artisan Market and dated back to 1960. A young girl dressed for communion (we think) was having her photo taken. We saw her later having her picture taken near the Mesquita- Catedral.

Posing for the cameras with her family

Front photo

We walked to one of Spain's three remaining pre-Inquisition synagogues, built in 1315 in La Juderia. After 1492, the site was turned into a hospital and then a Catholic Chapel in1588. A priest discovered the walls in 1885, when it began to be restored. There was a photography exhibit in the synagogue, which is one large room with the restored walls which contain a number of psalms written in Hebrew. One can see the balcony with the women's section, but one could not go up to the second floor. The synagogue is noted particularly for its stuccowork; the east wall contains an area where the Torah was kept. It is decorated in Mudejar patterns and Hebrew inscriptions.

Outside of La Sinagoga

Courtyard leading to the synagogue

Menorah in front of one wall

Restored wall- with information on translation of the Hebrew

Upper wall over the menorah

Alano in front of photo exhibit and restored wall

We wandered back through Plaza Maimonides and the light caught the arm of a guitarist playing there.

Light on guitarist in Plaza

Cordoba has a number of very large orange trees with vary large oranges. A number have already fallen off the trees.

Very large orange trees in the city

We walked over to the Mezquita, which we plan to visit during our stay. From the 8th to 11th centuries, the Mezquita was the crowning architectural achievement of western Islam. The Roman Catholic 16th century cathedral sits in the middle of the mosque.

Lots of people at wall of Mezquita

Another view

Beautiful door on one side of the building

We then ran into the same little girl having her picture taken by a Mezquita wall.

Photo Op

We also saw this horse and carriage with its driver using his smart phone. The old and the new

Texting with horse and carriage

We decided to have some mint tea and an appetizer at Caravasar de Qurtuba, a lovely tearoom and restaurant with Moroccan pastries and food.

Hummus appy

Inside of restaurant

After a bit more wandering, we stopped at Casa Pepe de la Juderia for a tapas dinner. We shared a wonderful eggplant with honey dish (our landlord had suggested this dish); another amazing cold dip of olive oil, garlic, egg, and raisons, apples and almonds soaked in a wine; and some fried cuttlefish.