Cordoba, Andalucia - SPAIN
|
Although we vowed to rise early this morning, after such a late night this
did not happen. It was 10 before I dragged myself out of bed and into the
sunlight towards the warm welcoming showers on offer. The receptionist told
us not to leave our van in the city centre and suggested to park it outside
where she has a camera pointing. You've got to love these southern
Mediterranean areas - I wonder why they're so rife with criminal activity.
It was only a short walk into town before we passed towering apartment blocks
and made our way into the maze of streets surrounding the Medina. Cordoba was
once the Muslim centre of Spain which flourished for over 300 years. Its
inhabitants of mixed cultures have left a legacy not to be missed by any
traveller. Of course it was the Romans who originally settled here, but were
then overcome by the Visigoths, who were in turn overcome by the Moors
(Muslims). Cordoba became the Muslim capital with the largest population in
Europe, exceeding some 100,000. During the reign of Abd ar-Rahman III in the
10th century Cordoba's economy soured and a swarm of Jewish, Muslim and
Christian scholars were welcomed to the court where all religions lived in
harmony. Cordoba quickly declined after the death of its ruler and a fearsome
General, named Almansor, overtook his powers. During his reign Almansor struck
terror in Christian Spain. After the death of his son the region was broken
up and became part of Christian Spain.
The most notable features of the city are the Mezquita, a mudejar styled
Alcazar or castle, cobbled streets with gleaming white houses and lamp-posts,
patios graced with some of the most decorative tiles we've seen and an middle
eastern atmosphere.
The Mezquita is the most difficult monument to explain in a few simple words.
An astonishing creation combining an Islamic Mosque and Christian Cathedral,
it is considered to be the first and foremost monument in western Islam. It
reminded us of the Aya Sofia Mosque in Istanbul (a Christian monument turned
into an Islamic one), but with the opposite history. The structure displays
800 years of architectural change. As you enter through its great wooden
doors you're surrounded by hundreds of red and white bricked arches, complete
with marbled tiles and pillars, whilst in the centre a renaissance Christian
Cathedral is placed complete with all the human statues that are ironically
considered taboo in the Islamic world. The structure is such a mixture of
these two conflicting religions, yet is the most harmonious example of
architecture I've seen. As the two areas join together in each of the four
corners you see marble columns turn into intricately carved renaissance
magnificence and you hardly blink an eye. When you stand in the centre of
the cathedral your eyes become astonished by the carved cupola complete with
all the biblical images imaginable. Side chapels and a treasury adorn the
outer walls and you can imagine how the light would dance through back in its
heyday, when all the doors were thrown open to the public at prayer times.
This is one of the highlights of our trip and as we stood beneath its dimly
lit ceiling and walls you could not help but feel inspired by its grace and
magnitude.
There is not to much to say about the Alcazar as it's undergoing heavy restoration. A few rooms were open inside and some were the home of fine mosaics. The centre of the castle was a garden courtyard adorned with blossoming orange trees, which spanned out further into a maze of manicured gardens and fountains, filled with some of the largest pond fish I've seen. We also completed a walk around the old Jewish and Muslim quarters that form the old town and it was refreshing to see cobbled lanes so delicately landscaped and the entrances to houses adorned with beautiful tiles and fountains. For lunch we ended up in a small local cafe, eating with the aged locals who were partaking in the enjoyment of the amber coloured elixir. By the time we returned to the car it was almost 5pm (after a window shopping excursion) and we decided to make our way south towards Sevilla. The sun began to set over our 13th "El Toro" with its menacing silhouette standing out across the landscape. In the darkness of night we stopped briefly into the town of Carmona, where it's medieval architecture and fortified walls were lit up like a Christmas tree. We took a stroll downtown which was humming with local life from the laughs of youth to aged shoppers. It had a vibe like no other as it was so seemingly unchanged by travellers that pass through to visit its Roman ruins. Although the latter we could not find and decided to make our way down to Sevilla to a campsite that turned out to be located right next to the airport runway. I get such a buzz watching and listening to the roar of aircraft taking off, as it amazes me how they can possibly lift off the ground. Now I'm due to make some dinner and then it's off to bed to catch up on the lack of sleep from last night. |
