Córdoba was a change in our itinerary. Originally, I had planned to take a day trip to see Córdoba's great mosque, but based on travel times, I don't think that would have happened.
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| Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba |
But, when we changed our plans at Picos de Europa, Scott said he wanted to see a bullfight. I googled and found only ONE being held anywhere near where we were going. It was in Córdoba.
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| The only option |
So, I rearranged the schedule to go to Córdoba and, because we were getting a bit tired of cities and wanted at least one more relaxed beach day, I added a day in Denia on the Mediterranean. That meant that we dropped Alicante (which is also on the ocean, but was now too far away) and Valencia.
I am so glad we changed plans to see the bullfight (which I will cover in my next post) because we got to visit the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba/Great Mosque of Córdoba/Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption (Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción), known as the Mezquita.
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The most memorable building we visited in Spain |
The drive to Córdoba was astonishing because it was miles and miles and miles and miles of olive trees, punctuated with an occasional olive oil manufacturing facility. I had no idea that there could be that many olive trees -- and this was just Spain! They also grow them in Italy and Greece and France and lots of other countries.
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| So many olive trees |
Every now and then, there was a break in trees for small towns -- many, like Espejo, with the obligatory castle.
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| Castle above a white-washed town: so Spanish! |
When we got to Córdoba, we tried to use the GPS to reach the hotel. I had booked it while traveling and had not looked closely at directions. I should have.
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| Bell tower |
After driving through increasingly smaller cobblestone streets (including one that we had to back out of because it was too narrow for our car), we called and found out that we couldn't drive to the hotel. Rather, we needed to park in the Mezquita parking garage and walk. Unfortunately the lot was full, so we found another lot about a mile or so away.
Then, we got off track trying to walk to the hotel (we didn't have a map and we couldn't keep the Mezquita bell tower in sight because the buildings and walls blocked the view).
Finally, I employed my phone GPS and we found it.
We stayed in the Caireles Suites, which was literally across the street (a street as wide as a car) from the Mezquita.
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| This photo is from our balcony |
As soon as we checked in, I went across the street to see the Mezquita. The crowd in the plaza was insane and, at first glance, it looked like there was a giant line waiting to get in. But, it turns out that most were either tours gathering or people waiting to climb up the bell tower. The Mezquita was closed for a religious service that ended right before I walked up. I was the third person in!
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| Oh. My. God. |
The Mezquita is regarded as one of the best examples of Moorish architecture. Originally a Catholic Church built by the Visigoths, it was divided into Muslim and Christian halves when Muslims conquered Spain. This arrangement lasted until 784, when the Christian half was purchased by the caliph, who demolished the entire structure and built the grand mosque. After the Reconquista, the mosque was converted to a Roman Catholic Church, culminating in the insertion of a Renaissance cathedral nave (the central part of a church building) in the 16th century.
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| Blend of two faiths |
The building is notable for its arcaded hall, with 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble and granite made from pieces of the Roman temple that previously occupied the site, as well as from other destroyed Roman buildings. The double arches were a new introduction to architecture, permitting higher ceilings than would otherwise be possible with relatively low columns. The double arches consist of a lower horseshoe arch and an upper semi-circular arch.
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| Gilded prayer niche |
The double arches were a new introduction to architecture, permitting higher ceilings than would otherwise be possible with relatively low columns. The double arches consist of a lower horseshoe arch and an upper semi-circular arch.
The famous alternating red and white voussoirs of the arches were inspired by those in the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and also resemble those of the Aachen Cathedral in Germany, which were built almost at the same time.
Panels of scented woods were fastened with nails of pure gold. The design features mosaic floors ...
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| Inlaid design |
... ornate ceilings of wood...
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| Mind-boggling detail |
... and plaster ...
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| Fancy arched dome |
It has arches ...
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| There are even arches over arches |
... statues ...
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| Some are very life-like |
... stained glass windows ...
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| Some cast reflections on the stone floors |
... ornate domes ...
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| Some look Moorish; some look Christian |
There is a carved choir ...
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| Oh my! |
... and lots of chapels ...
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| Most are separated by barred doors |
On the main altar was a beautiful statue of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (Our Lady of the Sorrows) surrounded by unlit candles.
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| Gorgeous |
The altar was decked with flowers and the nave was flanked by pipe organs ...
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Stunning in both directions |
It was almost more beauty that a person can comprehend.
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| Simple marble columns and golden walls |
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| The bells were captured from Santiago de Compostela |
The Great Mosque of Córdoba held a place of importance among the Islamic community of al-Andalus for three centuries.
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| The Mosque was seen as the heart and central focus of the city |
The main hall of the mosque was used for a variety of purposes, including central prayer hall for personal devotion, the five daily Muslim prayers and the special Friday prayers. It also served as a hall for teaching and for hearing Sharia Law cases.
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| Main hall |
Since the early 2000s, Spanish Muslims have lobbied the Roman Catholic Church to allow them to pray in the cathedral. They have been rejected on multiple occasions, both by the church authorities in Spain and by the Vatican.
After visiting the Mezquita, I walked around the old quarter among houses with patios, outdoor cafes and thousands and thousands of tourists. One patio was strikingly modern ...
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| Pretty |
... compared to the majority of buildings ...
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| Also pretty |
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| I matched! Photo: Scott Stevens |
The weekend we were there was the Patio Festival, where homeowners and businesses decorate their patios with flowers and compete for awards.
We did not visit any of the patios because each had a line of at least 100 people, but we were able to peek in as we walked past and we saw some coverage on TV.
Frankly, nothing I saw would warrant spending hours in line; the flowers that are normally there are plenty for me.
I wasn't fast enough with my camera to get a shot of the woman I passed who was walking a ferret on a leash. That was different.
After touring about, we walked to our car and then to the bullfight (probably about a two-mile hike in blazing heat). Afterwards, when we returned, we had a lovely dinner at a restaurant next door ...
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| Cool and inviting |
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| The food was good, too; Photo: Scott Stevens |
No, we didn't eat at the Burger King that was right next door, even though it was the most crowded place in town ...
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| Burger King is popular in Europe |
We then planned to walk through the Mezquita plaza, which was still open. But, it was even more crowded that ever and it appeared that some sort of event was going on.
So, to escape the crowd, we went back to our room and watched everything from the balcony.
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| It was some sort of religious ceremony that included officials with banners |
We had a perfect view.
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| Smoking censors |
Finally the Nuestra Señora de los Dolores statue I had seen earlier with all the candles lit.
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| They carried her out into the street and around the corner |
I tried to find out what was going on, but, as of yet, can't find any mention of a special celebration.
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| It was magical to watch from the balcony |
I didn't really include an overview of Córdoba, so here's a brief rundown.
The city is located on the banks of the Guadalquivir river and has seven bridges, many of them old.
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| The bridge |
The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 42,000 to 35,000 BC.
Córdoba was the capital of Hispania Ulterior during the Roman Republic and capital of Hispania Baetica during the Roman Empire. It was conquered by invading Islamic armies in the 8th century and it became the capital of the Islamic Emirate and then Caliphate of Córdoba, including most of the Iberian Peninsula.
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| Very Moorish |
It has been estimated that in the 10th century, Córdoba was the most populous city in the world. Today it is a moderately sized modern city, with a population of around 350,000.
During the Spanish Reconquista, Córdoba was captured by King Ferdinand III in 1236, after a siege of several months. The city was divided into 14 colaciones, and numerous new church buildings were added. The city declined, especially after Renaissance times. In the 18th century it was reduced to just 20,000 inhabitants. The population and economy started to increase only in the early 20th century.
Córdoba has the warmest summer high temperatures in Spain and Europe -- it was definitely the hottest place we went.
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At least Spaniards have fans!
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Trip date: April 25-May 15, 2015
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