Tours in Cordoba: Historic Center & Great Mosque of Cordoba

Cordoba’s period of greatest glory began in the 8th century after the Moorish conquest, when 300 mosques and many palaces and public buildings were built to rival the splendors of Constantinople, Damascus and Baghdad. In the 13th century, under Ferdinand III the Saint, Cordoba’s Great Mosque was turned into a cathedral and new defensive structures were built.

Much of the historic center of Cordoba was declared one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites for its vast collection of some 300 historical structures from different eras.

There are many beautiful places to see around the historic quarter, like the Alcázar of the Christian kings (Alcázar de los reyes cristianos in Spanish) and its beautiful gardens, the narrow streets in the Jewish quarter, church of San Lorenzo los reyes catolicos, Vianna Palace, the convent of La Merced, the Roman bridge and temple. On the way you’ll also come across several charming spots such as the Calleja de las Flores alley or the Plaza de la Corredera square.

Known locally as Mezquita-Catedral, the Great Mosque of Córdoba is one of the oldest structures still standing from the time Muslims ruled Al-Andalus (Muslim Iberia including most of Spain, Portugal, and a small section of Southern France) in the late 8th century.

You may be wondering when was the great mosque of Cordoba built. Here comes the answer: The original structure was built in 784–786 with extensions in the 9th and 10th centuries that doubled its size, making it one of the largest sacred buildings in the Islamic world.

The Mosque of Cordoba has two different areas: the patio/portico where the minaret is (under the Renaissance tower), which was Abd al-Rahman III’s only invention, and the prayer room/haram.

The inside of the Corboba Mosque kept its first Islamic influence, inspired by the Mosque of Damascus and it combines Roman Hispanic art, overlapping arches alternating with red bricks and stones, and materials used by artists with beautiful Byzantine mosaics.

Unlike any other monument in the world, you can find a peculiar detail in every area of the mosque-cathedral from Cordoba with each door named. Due to the various cultures that have shaped it over the centuries from the Middle Ages to today, it is definitely a unique and special place.

The Patio de los Naranjos could be considered Europe’s oldest “living” garden, given that it was established alongside the initial works on the Great Mosque, under Abd al-Rahman I in 784. It is an enclosed area divided into three parts, each one with a beautiful Renaissance-style fountain in the center. It originally contained plants such as pomegranate, cypress and palm trees.

Today it has 98 orange trees planted in rows that date back at least to the end of the 18th century.

Next to the Town Hall of Cordoba stands the only Roman temple in Cordoba for which there is archaeological evidence. It was dedicated to the cult of the emperor, and along with the Circus Maximus, formed part of the Provincial Forum.

It originally stood on a raised podium and had six free-standing Corinthian columns in the entrance. In front of this was the ara or altar. The present reconstruction has brough in Cordoba another reminder of the splendor of the city in Roman times.

Some of the original pieces from the museum are on display in the Archaeological Museum or in unusual but attractive places around the city, like the fluted column lying in Plaza de la Doblas.