Córdoba and the Caliphate

Now, though, I head for Cordoba’s beating heart, the central Judería dominated by the legendary hulk of the Mezquita, once one of the largest mosques in the world Apart from elaborate gateways, the exterior is austere Inside, the magic starts—if you ignore the Catholic intrusion, a Renaissance “cathedral” parachuted into its midst after the reconquista. A forest of some 850 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite supporting double arches artfully expresses spiritual infinity, culminating at the mihrab (altar), where marble, glinting mosaics, and stucco tracery come together in an explosion of symbolic and decorative art It is spellbinding Recycled Roman and Visigothic capitals are an art-history bonus, while outside in the forecourt, orange trees, fountains, and water channels offer essential cool when Córdoba’s summer temperatures rocket over 100°F (38°C). It is not known as the frying pan of Andalucía for nothing.