Capturing Cordoba

It is still a kind of western European Mecca, with the famous Mezquita (now with the Cathedral in the middle of it), which in spite of later alterations ranks as one of the two most splendid examples of Islamic art and architecture in Europe (second is the Alhambra in Granada).

Quick Tips:

The City was included in the World Heritage List in 1984.

Best Way To Get Around:

We visited this wonderful city during our vacation on Costa del Sol with Sitio de Calahonda as our base for exploration. Many resorts here offer day trips to these wonderful places.

Best Things Nearby:
Leila Playa Club, RCI Gold Crown Resort, is a wonderful place to spend a vacation and explore amazing Costa del Sol. It is located between Marbella and Fuengirola on the sunny Mediterranean Sea. Leila Playa is a secluded, friendly beachside resort with an avenue of palm trees which winds lazily down to the sea.

Best Things About the Resort:
This lovely beachfront resort offers perfect comfort for everyone, especially sun lovers. As a matter of fact, our friends stayed at Leila Playa Club. Our family vacationed at Club Marbella a mile up hill visiting our friends at Leila Playa almost every day; therefore we have really good impression about this resort. Our friends’ marble floored unit offered splendid views to the Mediterranean. There is a terrace-style restaurant serving a' la carte and speciality meals , and you can dine al fresco under the stars. A play area is provided for children, and the resort also has its own drying room.

Resort Experience:
There is a beautiful swimming pool at the center of the resort surrounded by sun-trap terraces which are bordered by tumbling waterfalls, rockeries and rock pools to delight the eye. The resort has its own clubhouse and many other facilities, including crazy golf, a Turkish bath, sauna, swimming pool, and snooker table. The many attractions of this famous vacation area are all within a short distance of the Barratt Leila Playa Club (Gibraltar, Marbella, Malaga); other famous places (Granada, Cordoba) can be visited during a day trip.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Excellent

One of the most dazzling parts of the Mosque is the Mihrab, the holy sanctuary where the Koran scriptures uset to keep. A scallop-shell dome covers this sanctum, which is richly decorated with mosaics. Koranic scriptures border the Mihrab and carved stucco adorns the upper walls.

The architectural style evolved during it`s construction, reaching the greatest splendor during the caliphate of al-Haken. Do not miss great skylighted domes for extra interior light and ingenious engineering system which consists of clustered pillars bearing intersecting lobed arches to support the domes.

This is Cordoba`s outstanding monument, formerly the principal mosque of Western Islam (and still known as Mesquita), third largest mosque of the world and finest achievement of Moorish architecture in Spain. After return of Christians in 1236, the mosque was reconsecrated as a Christian church, but only in 1523 construction began on a Cathedral within its walls, requiring the removal some of the original columns. Nevetherless, this Gothic in design cathedral (with some late baroque features) is really nice. Here we have two quite different worlds under one harmonious roof. Especially noteworthy are the choir stalls, carved by the Andalucian sculptor Pedro Dukue Cornejo.

A few blocks down the river from Mezquita is the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos, a palace built by the Christian kings in 1327 (but some parts of the massive walls and towers date from the moorish times). Around the Alcazar, within the walls, are gardens with pools and fountains. Ferdinando and Isabel bade Columbus farewell here. From 1490 to 1821 Alcazar served as a headquarters for the Inquisition.

On the north side of the Camposanto lies the Juderia, the old Jewish quarter. On plaza de las Bulas you will find the Museo Taurino (bulfighting Museum). To the north of the museum is the Synagogue (1315), one of the oldest surviving synagogues in Spain and one of only three remaining in all of Spain (the other two are in Toledo).

From the Mezquita it is just a few steps to the river Rio Guadalquivir, crossed by the Roman Bridge. On the bridge is one of the many images of Cordoba`s patron, the Archangel Raphael with candles guttering at his feet.