Andalusia is one of the most beautiful autonomous communities in Spain. Not only because of its spectacular beaches, but also because it has beautiful towns like the white towns of Granada and cities full of history like Seville, for example.
Today we are going to the province of Córdoba to learn more, specifically its capital, which is the only city in the world with four World Heritage Sites.
Córdoba, the only city in the world with four World Heritage Sites
The city of Córdoba is full of life, gastronomy, streets full of flowers and places to discover. But there are four essential ones that are the four World Heritage Sites that make it unique in the world.
The Mosque-Cathedral
In the 8th century Córdoba was the main Umayyad city in the West with more than half a million inhabitants. That is why it was chosen as the place to build the second largest mosque in the world at that time, only surpassed by Mecca. Double, multi-lobed arches filled the building that now occupies the center of the historic center of Córdoba.
In 1984, UNESCO recognized this beautiful building as one of the most beautiful in the world. It was a Visigoth basilica, then a mosque and then a cathedral after the Reconquista, and it mixes Umayyad, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. It's a history lesson in itself.
A recommendation: enter through the Puerta de los Deanes on the west façade because it is the best access to the Patio de los Naranjos, which in Muslim times was the place for ablutions prior to prayer. It now has a baroque fountain and a hundred orange trees.
The historic center that surrounds the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba
In 1994, the historic center also became a World Heritage Site, and getting lost in its streets is like walking through history. UNESCO says that “the Historic Center of Córdoba creates the perfect urban and landscape framework for the Mosque.”. “It reflects thousands of years of occupation by different cultural groups – Romans, Visigoths, Islamic, Judaism and Christians – who left their mark.” The ancestral and traditional houses that are preserved are a true wonder and a living reflection of history.
The Patios Festival
UNESCO classified the so-called “Fiesta de Los Patios” as a World Heritage Site in 2012. It takes place in spring, generally the first half of May, which is when they are decorated with flowers and it is the time when the Patios of Córdoba experience their most abundant moment, difficult to describe only in words.
The most characteristic neighborhood where you can enjoy them is the Alcázar Viejo, between the Alcázar and the parish of San Basilio. We also find them in the Santa Marina neighborhood, around San Lorenzo and Magdalena, and around the Mosque-Cathedral, in the Jewish quarter. The Viana Palace is one of the most spectacular.
The Caliphal City of Medina Azahara
The last to enter the list in 2018 was the Caliphal City of Medina Azahara, a jewel of al-Andalus that Abd al-Rahman III ordered to be built in 936. In a privileged place in the Guadalquivir valley and at the foot of Sierra Morenathis palace city was a symbol of the power of the Umayyad dynasty.
Despite its history, it is still a somewhat unknown but essential place if we visit Córdoba, which is located six kilometers from the city and is very worth it for its unique beauty.
