Entertainment in Spain
Essential Guide to What's on when and where in Spain 2008
 Spanish Fiestas, Concerts, Festivals, Events,

Cordoba

Handsome, honourable and forthright,
 




 

  
Cordoba
 
Cordoba Things To Do
Cordoba Historic Sight Seeing
Cordoba Fiestas
Cordoba Festivals
Cordoba Quick Guide
Cordoba Patios
Cordoba Gardens
Cordoba Travel &
Tourism
Cordoba Mosque
Cordoba Juderia
Cordoba Alcasar de los Reyes
Cordoba Shopping
Cordoba Walks
Cordoba Medina Azahara
 
 
 
 
In Cordoba the walls of the Mezquita dominate the town, while the alleyways of Cordoba's old Jewish and Muslim quarters, with their overflowing pots of geraniums, are a delight to explore.
Cordoba
 
Province: Cordoba / Autonomous Region: Andalusia
Tourist Office: Calle Caballerizas Reales, 1 - 14004 Córdoba (Cordoba)
Tel. +34 957201774 Fax +34 957200159
 
Tourist Office:
Plaza de las Tendillas, 5-3ª - 14002
Córdoba (Cordoba)
Tel. +34 957491677
Fax +34 957492061
 
Tourist Office:
Avenida de la Constitución, 21 B - 41001 Seville (Seville)
Tel. +34 954221404 Fax +34 954229753

http://www.cordobaturismo.es/
 
Handsome, honourable and forthright, Cordoba is more harsh than Seville and without the benefit of a marked gypsy grace to soften its keen masculine edge. In its no nonsense streets there is no sense of the benign chaos that chokes rush hour Seville, nor is there in the town centre a subtle layer of era's as in Granada.
 
There are just the old and new, clearly demarcated by an intermittent, well tended Moorish wall. To one side are the twisted ancient alleyways, to the other side, straight streets with a contemporary purpose.
 
Córdoba is a city in Andalucía, southern Spain, and the capital of the province of Córdoba. Located at  on the Guadalquivir river, it was founded in ancient Roman times as Corduba by Claudius Marcellus. Its population is 321,164 as of 2005.
 

Cordoba stands on the site of an ancient Iberian settlement and as far back as the first century AD it held strategic importance for the Romans as the highest navigable point of the Guadalquivir River. But it was under Moorish domination that Cordoba enjoyed its glorious era as one of the most opulent, dazzling and greatest cities the world had ever seen. It's a city where Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities have co-existed peacefully in days gone by and left a rich legacy to be enjoyed by those who visit in the 21st century.
Today a moderately-sized modern city, the old town contains many impressive architectural reminders of when Córdoba was the thriving capital of the Caliphate of Córdoba that governed almost all of the Iberian peninsula. It has been estimated that Córdoba, with up to 500,000 inhabitants in the tenth century, was the largest city in Western Europe and, perhaps, in the world
 


Situated deep in Andalusian Autonomous Region, Cordoba is a compendium of history and modernity. This ancient city, which has been declared World Heritage Site, is a living legacy of the diverse cultures that settled in it throughout history.
Very few places in the world can boast of having been the capital of Hispania Ulterior under the Roman Empire, and the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate. Such splendour is palpable in the intellectual wealth of this centre of wisdom and knowledge, that has seen the birth of figures like Seneca, Averroes and Maimonides.

To take a stroll through the historic quarter of Cordoba is to discover a beautiful network of small streets, alleys, squares and whitewashed courtyards arranged around the Mosque-Cathedral, which reflects the importance of the city during medieval times and which is a real symbol of the capital.
 

Without disregarding its splendid past, Cordoba is definitely a modern city that has been able to adapt to the present day, offering the most modern infrastructures and services, as well as a large network of hotels.

Very well connected to the other Andalusian capitals, Cordoba also has the high speed train (AVE) and a very extensive railway network linking it to all the big cities, like Madrid and Seville. Once inside the city, a large network of buses and taxis enable visitors to reach any destination in a few minutes.
 

Cordoba is also synonymous with art, culture and leisure, thanks to a myriad of cultural events that are organised here throughout the year: Flamenco festivals, concerts, ballet and other activities that are complemented by a number of museums and an exciting nightlife.

Meanwhile, the province is home to important buildings of the Andalusian heritage, whose highest expression is the Medina Azahara, located on the outskirts of the city. But there is great spectacle also for nature lovers. The parks of Sierra de Cardeña in Los Pedroches and Montoro, the Hornachuelos Sierra and Sierras Subbéticas offer the possibility of practising all kinds of open-air sports, while at the same time enjoying the natural wealth of this province.
 
 
More about Cordoba
The city flourished as a major Roman settlement from the 1st to the 5th century AD when local produce such as olive oil, wine and wheat were shipped back to Ancient Rome via the Guadalavir which connects Cordoba with the Atlantic Ocean. It was the Romans who built the mighty bridge across the river. The bridge, with 16 arches, once formed part of the Roman Via Augusta and is still a major tourist attraction today.

Cordoba spawned many great philosophers, writers, poets and artists including Lucio Anneo Seneca who was tutor and mentor to the notorious Roman emperor Nero. Seneca had great influence over the emperor during the first five years of his reign but the great philosopher's success and wealth aroused Nero's jealousy. The emperor tried (unsuccessfully) to poison Seneca who in turn was involved in an equally unsuccessful attempt on Nero's life in 65AD. A statue of Seneca, whose plays and poems had a huge influence on the subsequent development of classical theatre in Italy, can be seen today in the city's Jewish quarter.

The Moors invaded Iberia in the 8th century and the powerful and wise caliph Abd al-Rahman made Cordoba the capital of Moorish Spain. The Arab ruler was a great lover of learning and laid the foundations for Cordoba to become one of the world's great intellectual centres for the next 250 years.

Ironically, by today's standards, it was under Arab domination that Cordoba became the seat of Jewish learning and culture largely due to the influence of Jewish doctor, diplomat and scholar Hasdai Ibn Shaprut. Hasdai rose to meteoric heights serving the Moorish rules; his family's subsequent wealth and power were key factors behind the wealthy and vibrant Jewish community which flourished in Cordoba at that time. Today the city's charming Juderia (Jewish quarter) bears witness to that golden age when Arabs and Jews lived in harmony in a city which was the envy of the world in terms of its wealth, culture, architecture and academic advancement.

Another great son of Cordoba, whose statue can be seen in the old Jewish quarter, was philosopher Moses Maimonides (1135-1204). His life's work included writing the "Mishneh Torah" which became the definitive guide to good Jewish practice. The book was designed to show Jews how to behave in every situation without the need to wade through Judaism's holiest book, the Talmud.

The golden era of the Jews in Cordoba came to and end after the city was recaptured in 1236 and made part of Roman Catholic Spain by King Ferdinand III of Castille. Ferdinand and his queen Isabella ruled from the city's Alcazar of the Catholic Kings from where they planned the overthrow of the Arabs in Granada (the last Moorish stronghold). Between 1492 and 1821 the Alcazar fortress served as the local headquarters of the brutal Spanish Inquisition which set about purging the country of Jews and heretics in the most bloodthirsty manner.

Thankfully the Christians were so impressed by the beauty of the Moorish mosque that they resisted the temptation to destroy it and instead built a cathedral inside it. Even though the building has officially been a cathedral for more than 750 years the locals still call it La Mezquita - the mosque. There are few cities in the world where the great religions of Islam, Judaism and Christianity are so obviously and inextricably interwoven in the 21st century
 
Cordoba Fair
At the end of May Cordoba celebrates the Fair in honour of Nuestra Señora de la Salud (Our Lady of Health).

The fiesta has a marked Andalusian flavour. There are “casetas” (marquees with food, drink and music) erected at the city’s fair ground, most of which are open to the general public. The central thoroughfare and the surrounding streets fill with horse-drawn carriages, flamenco dress, “Sevillana” music and wine. The origins of the fair go back to the old livestock market – this market is now held on the outskirts of the city. During the period of the fair there are various bullfights that take place in the Los Califas Bullring.



Cordoba
THE MAY CROSSES
Cordoba starts the month of May awash with colour in its streets, patios and squares. The city dons its spring party clothes and gets ready for an explosion of elegance in every corner of this magical city. This fiesta is a colourful tradition, consisting of installing crosses made out of flowers around the city. Decorative objects are placed around them, especially flowers, plants and Manila shawls. Come and explore the streets and patios of Cordoba, where huge crosses are erected to welcome the arrival of spring. The May “Cruces” turn Cordoba into a picture-postcard scene, and fill its streets with fiesta.





 

Villaralto Christmas Tradition
"se canta ó se reza?"
Children visit houses during the Christmas period and when the door is answered ask the question "Song or Prayer?"
"se canta ó se reza?"
They then sing either a christmas song or a christmas prayer.
They will be rewarded with a Christmas gift
 

Vitoria-Gasteiz Tourist Office
Location:
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Address:
Plaza General Loma, s/n, 01008 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Phone:
+34 945 161 598
 

 

Important buildings

Religious architecture
The Mezquita: The mosque, which dates back to the Umayyad period (its construction started in 784), was converted to a Cathedral after the Reconquista.
Synagogue (14th century)
Fernandine- and Alphonsine-style churches (13th century)
Monasteries and broods (some of them are desafected)



 Civil and military architecture
Alcázar of the Christian Kings (14th century)
Palace of Viana with its flowered patios (16th century)
Royal residences and palaces
The Tower of Calahorra (14th century)
The Door of the Bridge (16th century)
The Plaza Vieja or Plaza Mayor
Walls and towers of the Muslim and Christian period

Archaeological sites
Roman archaeological remains (temple, mausoleum)
Islamic archaeological remains (minarets preserved in the churches, Arab baths)
Archaeological site of Madinat Al-Zahra (10th century)
The Roman Bridge



 Parks & Gardens
Garden of the Victory
Garden of the Rivas Duc
Garden of the Agriculture
Garden of the Conde de Vallellano
Garden of Juan Carlos I
Park Cruz Conde
Sotos de la Albolafia
Balcón del Guadalquivir
Peri-urban park of Los Villares
Park of the Miraflores
 

Famous people born in Córdoba, Spain


Córdoba, Spain was the birthplace of four famous philosophers:
 in Roman times the stoic Seneca,
 in Islamic times the Muslim Averroes,
one of Islam's most famous
and eminant scholars Imam Abu 'Abdullah Al-Qurtubi
 and the Jewish scholar Maimonides and,
 in the Renaissance, possibly Abraham Cohen de Herrera.
Córdoba was also the birthplace of the Roman poet Lucan, the medieval Spanish poet Juan de Mena, and the Renaissance Luis de Góngora, who lived most of his life and wrote all his most important works but one in Córdoba.
More recently, several flamenco artists including Paco Peña, Vicente Amigo, and Joaquín Cortés were born here as well.
 
More History of Cordoba

The city of Córdoba is located on the north bank of the Guadalquivir River in the southern region of Spain known today as Andalusia.


Though the city is perhaps best known as the capital of a branch of the Umayyad dynasty that ruled the Iberian Peninsula from the middle of the eighth-century until the early eleventh-century, Córdoba was heir to a distinguished history before the advent of Islamic rule in the region. Originally a Phoenician city, Córdoba was conquered for Rome in 152 BC and eventually became the capital of the Roman province of Hispania Ulterior. In the sixth-century the city was conquered by Visigothic forces, and in 711 by a combined Arab and Berber army. This last conquest paved the way for Abd al-Rahman I, an Umayyad prince from Syria, to establish himself as an independent ruler on the Iberian Peninsula.


During the period of Umayyad rule, which ended in 1035, the city's Roman walls and famous bridge were repaired, hydrological infrastructure appropriated and expanded, an impressive number of urban foundations were constructed in the city, and numerous suburbs developed around the original walled Roman/Visigothic city (madina). The rectangular madina was divided into four quarters by the intersection of the Roman cardo and decumanus, forming two major arteries from which others branched and around which development occurred. The decumanus was the main north-south thoroughfare, terminating at the southern end of the madina. This southern section was the city's most important civic space, distinguished by a concentration of government, religious, and commercial institutions. Here travelers entered the city from the rebuilt Roman bridge and would have emerged into an open space from which the city's principal thoroughfares opened, and which was bordered by government buildings to the northwest, including the palace of the Umayyad rulers (no longer extant). Córdoba's most famous monument, the Great Mosque, is located in this section of the city, where it was once connected to the Umayyad palace with a covered passage over the street (sabat).


Founded by Abd al-Rahman I, the Great Mosque was considered a wonder of the medieval world and was appropriated as the cathedral of Córdoba when the Christian forces of the Castilian crown conquered the city in 1236. The most important thoroughfare, al-Rasif, stretched along the river in this southern section of the medina, and was used for public processions. This section of Córdoba boasted a concentration of markets, including the royal market for luxury goods known as al-Qayseriyya, as well as taverns, caravanserais, baths, and inns that catered to the merchants and other travelers that flocked to this cultural capital of the western Mediterranean. Although it is difficult to verify the accounts of the medieval geographers, poets, and authors who wrote admiringly of the city's thousands of mosques, shops, baths, and palaces, Córdoba was perhaps the most important cultural center of the medieval western Mediterranean.


Abd al-Rahman III began construction of Madinat al-Zahra, a planned palatine city 4 kilometers west of Córdoba, that further stimulated development of suburban and country estates in the western zone.


Constructed on a series of rectangular terraces at the foot of the Sierra Morena mountain range, Madinat al-Zahra boasted its own markets, mosques, and population that served the caliph, his administrators, and the army who relocated to the new city from old Córdoba. Madinat al-Zahra was sacked and destroyed in the early eleventh-century, a tumultuous period in Cordoba's history. Excavations ongoing since the early twentieth-century in the official and residential areas of the upper two terraces have revealed a fraction of the palatine city. Its former luxury are reflected in the reception halls, residential quarters, gardens and pavilions located on the city's upper two terraces.