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Cordoba - History

More than 2,000 years are contained in this city's history. Romans and Muslims elected it as their capital elevating it as such. The different cultures that throughout the centuries have met in this city have enriched it and left a definite mark. The Mosque of Aljama, with the Christian cathedral in its heart, crowns the jewel that makes up the colourful and the whitewash houses of its historical centre.

After the conquest of Granada, King Charles V decided the construction of a Cathedral that would surpass the Mosque in height while respecting the latter. This construction began in the 16th century, of the plateresque style and its base maintains the Latin cross with a main chapel, cross-section, and choir. The edification began under the direction of Hernán Ruíz the Old, in the year 1523, and were continued by his son, Hernán Ruíz the Young, completed by Moro in 1599. From its elements must be noted the altar of red marble, two very important pulpits of baroque style and the extraordinary pews of the choir of baroque-churrigueresque style, a master piece of Pedro Duque Cornejo.

Founded by the Romans and due to its strategic importance as the highest navigable point of the Guadalquivir River,

It became a port city of great importance, used for shipping Spanish olive oil, wine and wheat back to Ancient Rome. The Romans built the mighty bridge crossing the river, now called "El Puente Romano". But Cordoba's hour of greatest glory was when it became the capital of the Moorish kingdom of El-Andalus, and this was when work began on the Great Mosque, or "Mezquita", which – after several centuries of additions and enlargements – became one of the largest in all of Islam. When the city was reconquered by the Christians in 1236, the new rulers of the city were so awed by its beauty that they left it standing, building their cathedral in the midst of its rows of arches and columns, and creating the extraordinary church-mosque we see today. As well as the unique mosque-cathedral.

Cordoba's treasures include the Alcazar, or Fortress, built by the Christians in 1328; the Calahorra Fort, originally built by the Arabs, which guards the Roman Bridge, on the far side of the river from the Mezquita, and the ancient Jewish Synagogue, now a museum. Cordoba's medieval quarter, once the home of the Jewish community, is called "La Judera" (The Jewry), a labyrinth of winding, narrow streets, shady flower-filled courtyards and picturesque squares such as La Plaza del Potro. In early May, homeowners proudly festoon their patios with flowers to compete for the city's "most beautiful courtyard" contest.

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