Córdoba - Beyond the Mosque

10/17 We woke up very early in the morning and did our best to quietly sneak out of our awesome Granada hostel. We tiptoed out the front door and then, the silence ended. Rolling big suitcases up a chunkycobblestone street is a near impossible task to do quietly. I think we woke up everyone on the street! Once we had made our way up the alleys and stone steps, we found a slightly wider street where we met our cab. We rode down the narrow, windy streets of hilly Granada, and made our way to the train station for our 9am train to Córdoba. The ride was only 2.5 hours long, and we were at our tiny little hostel, Pension Cibeles, by noon. This hostel was clearly someone’s residence who just rented out a few rooms, and we waited outside the door for a long time before they finally answered and checked us in. There was a baby crying and kids toys everywhere, and luckily Liz and Julia had me because none of the workers spoke any English! On the bright side, it had an open floor plan and touches of Moroccan-style architecture, plus we had a private room so that was a big plus! We settled in and then headed a few doors down to a typical Andalucía-style restaurant. I don’t recall what I ate, but it’s safe to assume I had some bravas! It was also cool to see how much Moorish influence the city has. There was a hammam (Arabic bath) right next to our hostel, and tons of Alhambra-esque decorations and architecture everywhere.

The Mosque/Cathedral Tower/Minaret

In my Art History class in college, we spent a long time learning about the famous Mosque-converted-into-a-Cathedral in Córdoba, and discussed all the art related reasons as to why it is an artistic gem. Having known for years about the famous red painted Moorish style columns in the interior of the building, I was very excited to finally be seeing it in person! The Mezquita or Catedral, built about 600 AD, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is the main tourist attraction for the city. Back in its prime, the structure was the heart of the city, and I’d say it still is today. We walked around the interior, awed by the age and history of the building. I was impressed by the tall ceilings, and intrigued to see how the Moorish architecture is combined with Catholic decorations over it. There were many sandstone etchings similar to the ones in La Alhambra, and also lots of Renaissance era paintings and woodwork. Anything Christian though was added in 1236 during the Reconquista. We spent a few hours walking around taking in the history and taking lots of photos! Once we had seen most of the interior, we headed out into the courtyard orange gardens in the back, or the Patio de las Naranjas. The gardens have their own built-in irrigation system, which was very technologically advanced for the time period it was built in. From there you can also notice the cathedral bell tower, which was actually the minaret while it was still an Islamic structure.

The famous interior of the Mezquita

When it was time to leave the Mosque, we decided to do some exploring and walk around outside a bit. We ended up walking over towards the bridge and crossed the Guadalquivir river to take a look around. We didn’t see much on the other side, but we did have a nice view of central Córdoba! The next

View of Central Cordoba from across the river

site we wanted to check out was the Alcázar de Los Reyes Cristianos. This building was very historically significant, and I find it odd that I’d never learned about it in any of my Spanish classes. It’s basically a palace and a fortress, built in 1328, and the famous Isabella of Castille & Ferdinand of Aragon lived there during the time period when Christopher Columbus / Cristobal Colón came to ask them permission to take a ship in search of an alternate passage to India. Hopefully, we all know what happened from there! In addition to that, Ferdinand & Isabella also began the first permanent tribunals of the Spanish Inquisition in this building. Many of the Arab baths and gardens were converted into torture and interrogation chambers during this time, and much of the palace interior also served as a prison for suspects as well. The main tower noticeable in the building is actually called the “Inquisition Tower” because of its infamous history. As if Columbus and the Inquisition weren't exciting enough, the royal couple also launched their war on the Nasrid Dynasty of Granada from this building. The year they finally succeeded in taking over Granada, 1492, was the same year that Columbus of course “discovered” the Americas.  The Alcázar later served as a garrison for Napoleon’s troops, and today it is a tourist attraction.
 

View of the city and mosque from the Inquisition Tower

I think we were all pleasantly surprised by the large amount of very significant historical events and happenings that occurred within the walls of the Alcázar. Not knowing what it even was until we paid admission and were inside it, I definitely felt it was worth my money! We were able to walk around inside the structure, and see the old prison cells and the Inquisition tower. The view from the tower was great, and we finished our time there by visiting the old Arab baths and gardens on the property. It was gorgeous out there, and we took a lot of great photos. Out in the garden there is also a statue signifying Columbus’ interaction with Ferdinand and Isabella.

A questioning room during the Spanish Inquisition

Statue of Columbus petitioning the king and queen

Arab Baths / Gardens of the Alcazar

Since it was pretty warm, and we had done tons of walking, by the time we were finished walking the gardens we were beat! We continued on though, and and explored the several charming city blocks in the area known as La Juderia (Jewish Quarter) of the old city. We all did some browsing of souvenir shops, and enjoyed the artsy environment of the neighborhood. Around 5, we headed back to the hostel for a siesta (just living like the locals, you know?). When we got ready for dinner we learned that our shower didn't like to have the water stay inside of its tiny parameters. Things like that happen when you stay in budget hostels though :) . For dinner, we went back outside and roamed around the Juderia trying to find a place we all liked. We were all a bit "over" Spanish food, and the only other option we saw was Italian. We had a nice relaxing dinner there though, and then went back to Pension Cibeles to talk to Danielle on Skype. We then packed our bags up again and got ready for our next train tomorrow morning.

A scenic portion of the Juderia