Cordoba

Cordoba is one of Andalucia´s great cities, and it offers visitors a wide range of attractions, culture, history and some of the best restaurants and tapas bars in southern Spain.

Cordoba is one of Andalucía's richest jewels. In addition to the Mezquita or Great Mosque  the city's old quarter of narrow streets with flower filled balconies and patios allows visitors an insight into the essence of southern Spain. The town lies along the banks of the River Guadalquivir, overlooked by the Sierra de Cordoba. With extremes of heat in the summer and harsh winters, a good time to visit is spring or autumn.

Tools found on the banks of the River Guadalquivir suggest that Paleolithic man lived here. Cordoba later became a leading centre of the people of Tartessos and was then conquered by the Carthaginians, the Romans (when it became the capital of Baetica) and the Moors.

In 929, under Moorish rule, the Caliphate of Cordoba was established. With the founding of a university, Cordoba became a renowned centre of art, culture and learning. This period saw the construction of Cordoba's great Mezquita and other fine examples of Moorish architecture.

Gradually, in the 11th and 12th centuries, Cordoba went into decline. With the breaking up of the Caliphate into small tarifas (states), Cordoba came under the jurisdiction of Sevilla. After it fell to the Christians in 1236, the Catholic Monarchs presided here while planning the reconquest of Granada and it was here that Queen Isabella granted Columbus the commission for his voyage of discovery.

The city has many attractions and should be explored on foot. Bear in mind that some of its narrow streets do not easily accommodate pedestrians and cars simultaneously The Juderia (old Jewish Quarter) is a delightful area of tiny streets and white houses. Brilliantly coloured flowers adorn small squares and patios can be seen through doorways.