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Córdoba

— The history of this fine city is inextricably linked to that of European religions.”

Containing some 500,00 inhabitants, tenth century Córdoba was home to Europe’s largest urban population.

The Caliphate, a dynasty of Ummayad rulers exiled from their Syrian homelands, held sway over rich hinterlands that supported first the consolidation, then expansion of their influence across al-Andalus and the Maghreb.

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Córdoba

Home to the grand Caliphate, tenth century Córdoba was the splendid home of half a million residents, the largest city in Europe and possibly the world.

A legacy of learning

Whilst its scientific and cultural exploits were renowned at the time, the activities sponsored and hosted by the Caliphate remain one of our strongest links between the ancient and modern worlds.

Some of the greatest works of history, philosophy, linguistics, science and medicine were restored and translated, forming a 400,000 volume library in this singular capital of learning.

War and peace

Under the Caliphate, it is generally considered that Jews, Christians and Muslims lived in peace and relative harmony in Córdoba during this period. This assertion, based as it is on the undeniable fact that so much was achieved academically, has been challenged in recent times.

What is more certain is that, if within the walls of Córdoba there pervaded the conditions for peaceful commerce and congress, then outside the Caliphate waged war against its enemies with considerable frequency.

Mezquita de Córdoba

Córdoba’s finest symbol of the Muslim era is the Mezquita, whose state of preservation is little short of extraordinary.

Built on the site of a Visigothic Christian church from 784AD onwards, the Mezquita remains one of the largest mosques in the world.

Outside the main building containing the mihrab and musalla (prayer hall), the beautiful courtyard includes an orangery added in 987AD and several fountains, flanked by a portico probably built during a later period.

In the bright light of a spring morning, the bell tower – which encases the former minaret of the mosque – shines golden against an azure sky, casting an ever-shortening shadow over the cobbles below.

Entering the musalla, it takes a moment to become accustomed to the dim light. Then at once, the view is filled with the distinctive, alternating red and white brick arches.

The pattern demands so much attention that the viewer tends to be deterred from acquiring a proper sense of scale about the building, a curious effect that applies equally to photographs of the same.

The mihrab unusually faces south, instead of southeast in the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca. There are several extant theories that seek to explain this anomaly, not least one that describes the Caliphate’s intent to avoid facing the region from whence it came in exile. Whether out of defiance or shame, the origin of the motive is unclear.

The Caliphate eventually weakened and dissolved into a collection of emirates (taifas) during the eleventh century. Once the Christian Reconquista gathered momentum two hundred years later, it would be only a matter of time before Córdoba fell. After 1236, a succession of Christian features was appended to the (re)consecrated Mezquita with often incongruous results.

Today the city of Córdoba is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.