Cordoba is an amazingly beautiful city, located on the banks of the river Guadalquivir, and is the capital of the province of the same name. Enjoying a moderate Mediterranean climate, Cordoba cannot be easily called a large city today, with low rise buildings. Although it has adapted a lot of the modern culture in look and in the lifestyle and industries, its origin dates back to the times of the Roman rule Spain, when Claudius Marcellus founded it. Till today, you can find many of the impressive architectures that date back to that era. Its small size is however, something that it not always had. Under the Caliphate rule, it was the largest city in the world and most prosperous as well. Amongst the numerous places of interest in Cordoba, some which account for must visits are:
- Mosque-Cathedral or La Mezquita-Catedral – The symbol of Cordoba, this incredible cathedral was once a mosque previously, which was and still is considered one of the largest mosques in the world, of the strength of the mosques of Mecca, Damascus, Cairo and Istanbul. Its exquisite beauty still overwhelms the onlooker. The mosque was built by the Moors in the place of an ancient church and later under the rule of Charles V, it was transformed into a cathedral by the building of the imposing church in the place of the mosque’s prayer hall.
- La Mezquita-Catedral Mihrab Nuevo – This mosque is a master piece of Islamic style of architecture, and it date, it is considered as an architectural marvel. This is primarily due to the dome of the mosque, which is made out of one block of marble and decorated with floral designs and texts from the Koran. This is the place where the Koran remains open perpetually.
- Prayer Hall – This is the part of the cathedral and is located on the interior of the cathedral. It is a huge and fabulous hall which produces the image of a forest in the semi darkness with innumerable columns. These columns are made of marble, jasper and porphyry connected with arches in the shape of horseshoe in red and white.
- Alcázar of the Christian Kings; Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos – This is a fortress and some of its walls date back to the times of the Moorish rule in Spain, but today the one we see had been rebuilt by king Alfonso XI of the 14th Century. Within the premises you can see beautifully designed gardens, fountains and pools.
spaintravelhub.com gives you well researched information on Cordoba and explores in detail, all its various faces and aspects are of great interest. So browse though the links of the site to get a fabulous tour of the colorful nation of Spain from your seat!
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