Sightseeing in Cordoba - what to see. Complete travel guide

Cordoba is a small provincial town that has managed to retain the atmosphere of the medieval. Its architecture is more usual for medieval Islamic town rather than to modern resorts. The streets in Cordoba are narrow and twisting, with numerous little squares and fountains located in most unexpected places. Each one is decorated with wonderful sculptures.

The center of the city is the location of the Central Mosque, which is surrounded by a large trading district. Mezquita Mosque is one of the main sights of this district. Its building started in 785 and lasted for several centuries. When the Christians conquered this city from the Moors, they were amazed by the magnificent look of the mosque and couldn’t destroy such a wonderful building. The mosque was turned into Church of the Assumption of Mary. Nowadays this building is known as the Cathedral.

X century is considered the time of the economic boost. During this century in Cordona have appeared new mosques that could compete with famous Mecca in terms of beauty, while local caliph palaces have looked like fairytale buildings. One more place of interest in the city is Kalia Flores or the street of flowers. Traditional houses look quite boring according to the local people, so they have a tradition of decorating the walls of their houses with flowers. The houses in this town are equipped with metallic constructions in which are inserted flowerpots. In the end an ordinary house is turned into a true piece of art. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

If you manage to visit Cordoba in May, you will be able to see Feria de Cordoba fair trade that is conducted each year. Energetic dances, music, various food and fancy outfits of the local people will create a magnetic holiday atmosphere.

Alkasar of Christian kings can be safely be called, the most impressive architectural and park complex in the city. Over the years, this grand castle was a royal residence. Like many years ago, it is surrounded by a beautiful garden with many flowers, exotic plants and beautiful fountains. It is most interesting to visit the fortress in late spring or summer, when the garden is literally buried in an abundance of flowers.

Walking along the banks of the Guadalquivir River, you can see another interesting historical monument - the Roman Bridge. This arch bridge of length 250 meters was built over 2,000 years ago. The significance of this bridge has always been very large, so it was constantly maintained in working order. The first large-scale reconstruction of the bridge took place in the 10th century. Until the middle of the 20th century, this stone bridge remained the only river crossing. In 2004, for the preservation of the historic structure on the bridge, the movement of any transport was banned. Now it can only be walked on foot.

In Cordoba, a part of the fortifications of the early Middle Ages, including the Calahorra tower, have been preserved. It was built in the 12th century. The tower was badly damaged during the next battle with the Moors, but was completely restored in the late 14th century. In the first half of the 20th century, the tower was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Now it houses an interesting museum dedicated to the culture and traditions of locals.

In The city and its vicinity, there are numerous interesting archaeological sites. In one of the busiest areas, tourists can see the ruins of an ancient Roman temple. They were discovered only recently. In the 50s of the last century, during the ancient period this sanctuary was the largest in the city. It was built in the 1st century AD. The researchers managed to restore a significant part of the ancient temple.

Among the cultural sites of Cordoba, is worth mentioning the Viana Palace Museum. It is located in a chic villa of the 16th century, which was built on the ruins of an earlier palace. Until the middle of the 20th century, this villa with a luxurious courtyard was privately owned, and after that it became the property of the CajaSur bank. Its members decided to open an art museum in the historical building, which has been working for several decades.