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The monuments of CórdobaLa Mezquita de Córdoba The third biggest mosque in the world, with a surface of over 23,000 m² (large enough to hold 20,000 people), best-known for its 850 columns and 365 arches. Sultan Abderramán started the project and under his direction the first part was built, a huge space with 11 naves and 110 columns. His succesor Abderramán II added 8 archways with columns that were used in old Roman and Visigoth monuments. In 961 the most beautiful part of the building was constructed: the Mihrab, decorated with hand-crafted marble. The Kliba, the octagonal cupola was also built. The next expansion took place in the 10th century, but because of the river Guadalquivir was blocking the southside, it was decided to expand to the east. After the reconquest of 1236 the mosque was altered to serve as cathedral, while using the arab architecture as a base, which made construction a lot easier, like the Capilla Mayor for example, that was built underneath the arab windows. The parts of the building that weren’t needed by the Christians were not destroyed, making the building a unique mixture of two cultures. Construction of the cathedral continued and during the 16th century a proposal to enlarge the cathedral caused such a great controversy that emperor Carlos V had to intervene and order the continuation of the works, but it has been said that afterwards he felt sorry for giving the order, because they had to destroy a part of the building. After the big renovation of the 16th century the building received only small modifications and additions. Nowadays it is considered to be a perfect mixture of both Christian and Arab cultures and it remains the pride of the city. The Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos Alfonso XI of Castilla ordered the construction of this fort, from where the Catholic Kings directed their campaign against the Kingdom of Granada for 8 years until 1492. In this palace Christopher Columbus received the money he needed for his now famous journeys. With the reconquest of Spain complete, the Catholic Kings left Córdoba and ceded the Alcázar to the local authorities. Between 1812 and 1931 the building was used as a civil prison. The building has four towers, impressive gardens (with a surface of 55,000 m²) and patios. The Sala de los Mosaicos is the most impressive room and contains beautiful mosaics. In the basement you can see remains of the old baths from the Arab era. Today the Alcázar is used for municipal events. The Puente Romano and the Torre de la Calahorra Composed of 16 arches and most likely built in the first century a.C. It was the only point where the river could be crossed without a boat. The bridge has been repaired several times because it fell victim to various wars and revolts. On the other side of the river the Torre de la Calahorra was built, mainly for defense purposes. It is now used as an audiovisual museum of the Middle Ages in Córdoba. The Plaza de la Corredera The Plaza de la Corredera looks a lot like both Plazas Mayores in Madrid and Salamanca, but is the only rectangular square in Andalucía, and like its sister squares it is located in the centre of the city. It probably rests on the old remains of the Circo Romano, so we can say that througout the centuries its function has remained the same: to entertain the people, until the day of today, when the square is used for events like bullfighting and festivals. The form of the square as it is today was created in 1863 by the Salmantino architect Antonio Ramós Valdés, who designed the 113 meters long and 55 meter wide rectangle. In 1896 a small buidling was erected in the center of the square but this was deconstructed and replaced by a subterranean one. During construction varios mosaics were found that you can see now in the Sala de los Mosaicos of the Alcázar de los Reyes Católicos. What are you looking for in Córdoba? | ||
