Tourist Information about Cordoba
The old city of the caliphs is 165 km from Malaga, in a landscape that is full of hills on which are grown grapes, olives, almonds and cereals. Cordoba is often known as the city of the three cultures. In the 10th century, Cordoba was the capital of the caliphate and, therefore, had a great rivalry with Baghdad. More than a million inhabitants – Jews, Arabs and Christians – peacefully coexisted, and Cordoba was one of the biggest cities in the known world. In this period, science and philosophy were at their very peak. The Jewish district and the well-known Mosque, declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO, are historical remains of that moment. About 860 marble columns nowadays still have a double “arch over arch” system, which offers a unique interaction between light and shade, and always surprise visitors. After the Christians Reconquest, the Mosque was converted into a cathedral in 1236, and a big gothic style nave was built in its centre.
The flowery inside courtyards of Cordoba, which are considered as the most beautiful in Spain, and the annual celebration of the “Cruces de Mayo” (May Crosses), in which lots of crosses are placed in the old quarter, that is decorated with thousands of flowers, are very interesting for tourists.
