Alminar de San Juan

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Alminar de San Juan (Minaret of San Juan)
San Juan de los Caballeros Plaza de San Juan
Córdoba, September 2022

“In the middle of the Jewish quarter of Cordoba we can find one of the most emblematic spots and one of the most striking towers of the Jewish quarter: the Minaret of San Juan. This construction was built at the end of the 9th century and it was one of the many medieval mosques in Cordoba at that time. From this minaret the faithful were called to prayer. After the Christian conquest, this building became part of the order of St John of the Knights who transformed the mosque into the Church of the same name. Thus converting the minaret into a bell tower. In 2018 it underwent a profound reform, where the minaret’s value was notably increased as it is part of the only examples of emirate architecture in Spain. These relics have been declared an Asset of General Interest. As you can see, the building is square in shape and is less than eleven meters high. Its body is made up of stone blocks arranged in rope and laid in headers with twin horseshoe arches on marble columns with Visigoth shafts. Its arches are made up of two-colored red brick keystones alternated with bio-calcarenite stone.” (The Minaret of San Juan, OWAY Tours)

Zoco Municipal

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Zoco Municipal - Mercado de la Artesanía
Calle Judíos
Córdoba, September 2022

“El Zoco or The Souk is the Municipal Souk of Córdoba, in Spain. It is also known as Mercado de la Artesanía. It is located within the historic center of Cordoba in the Jewish Quarter, very close to the Mosque and the Synagogue. It was the first craft market that was created in Spain, and local artisans offer you for your enjoyment leather, ceramic and silver goods.” (El Zoco, Nomad's Travel Guide)

Ave del paraíso

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Ave del paraíso (Bird of paradise)
Paseo de la Victoria, 35
Córdoba, September 2022

“Strelitzia is a genus of five species of perennial plants, native to South Africa. It belongs to the plant family Strelitziaceae. The genus is named after Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom, who was born a princess of the house of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. A common name of the genus is bird of paradise flower/plant, because of a resemblance of its flowers to birds-of-paradise. In South Africa, it is commonly known as a crane flower and is featured on the reverse of the 50-cent coin. It is the floral emblem of the City of Los Angeles; two of the species, S. nicolai and S. reginae, are frequently grown as houseplants.” (Strelitzia, Wikipedia)

Statue of Maimónides

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Statue of Maimónides by Amadeo Olmos Ruiz, 1964
Plaza de Tiberíades
Córdoba, September 2022

“Maimonides was born in Cordoba on 30th March 1135, from a notable Cordoban family - his father was a lawyer and a leader of the Jewish Quarter, or judería. He received his early education in the synagogue school, but his studies of mathematics and medicine were written in Arabic. After an edict against the Jews, he was forced to leave Spain and travelled to a number of cities before settling in Cairo, where he worked as a merchant of precious stones. Maimonides was the greatest, most universal and the most influential Jewish-Cordoban thinker. He left a wide and varied series of works both in Arabic and Hebrew – medical treatises, theological writings and philosophical tracts. Jewish thinking reached its zenith with the writings of Maimonides, and he was named nagid (chief) by the Jewish community. He died in Cairo on 12th December 1204.” (Maimónides, Turismo de Córdoba)

Statue of Averroes

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Statue of Averroes by Pablo Yusti Conejo, 1967
Calle Cairuan
Córdoba, September 2022

“In an attractive setting, in front of the city walls, stands a magnificent statue of a seated man, deep in thought, but revealing at the same time all his dynamism, energy and inner drive. It is the statue of the most outstanding of all the Cordoban Arab writers and arguably the most influential philosopher of the Arab world, the great Averroes (1126-1198). He was born in Cordoba in 1226, the same year his grandfather died. His grandfather had been qadi (Moslem religious judge), civil judge and an important official in Cordoba – positions his father now held. Averroes followed suit, and for his contemporaries he was better known as a judge than as a philosopher. He was a highly-educated man who led a profoundly intellectual existence and who won fame as a doctor, astronomer, expert in law and above all, as a philosopher. In 1153 he was in Morocco masterminding reforms in higher education for the Almohad sultan. In 1169 he was named qadi of Seville, but he returned to Cordoba two years later as qadi, although he constantly travelled back and forth to Seville and Morocco. He was named qadi for a second time in Seville in 1179, and returned three years later as Great qadi of Cordoba. A few months previously he had replaced Ibn Tufayl as the sultan’s personal physician, continuing when Almanzor came to power (1184); he retained this position for good, only interrupted by a faux pas in 1195 which led to a short period of exile in Lucena. Once in the ruler’s good books again, he returned to the court in 1198, but this time in Morocco, where he put the finishing touches to his works for the few months remaining before his death.” (Averroes, Turismo de Córdoba)

Statue of Seneca

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Statue of Seneca by Amadeo Ruiz Olmos, 1965
Calle Puerta de Almodóvar
Córdoba, September 2022

“This monument to the Cordoban philosopher stands next to Puerta de Almodovar. Seneca was born in Cordoba in the 4th year B.C. and then went to Rome to complete his studies. During the reign of Claudius, he was a member of the senate, and around 50 A.D. was named a praetor by Nero, and in 56, a consul. Several years later, he retired and dedicated his time to reading, meditation and writing some of his best philosophical works. He had studied alongside grammarians, philosophers and rectors, and all his work was imbued with the Stoic doctrine. Seneca tried his hand at a range of literary styles, of which only some of his tragedies but most of his philosophical works have survived to this day, and the topics he mainly dealt with were ethical issues, theological problems and political theory. One of his most important works in the treatise On the Tranquillity of the Soul, written during his decline. However, the end of his life was far from tranquil, and he was accused of conspiracy and sentenced to death by Nero, although Seneca preferred to take his own life instead.” (Séneca, Turismo de Córdoba)

Cuesta del Bailío

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Cuesta del Bailío (The Bailio Steps)
Calle Alfaros
Córdoba, September 2022

“The central street calle Alfaros leads to the street named Cuesta del Bailío (the Bailio Steps), which was originally one of the entrances of the city walls which connected the Axerquia with the Medina. At the top stands the Casa del Bailío (Bailio House), with its attractive Renaissance façade. This well-loved street leads to the square Plaza de Capuchinos, with the popular statue of Cristo de los Faroles (Christ of the Lanterns) at one end.” (Cuesta del Bailío, Turismo de Córdoba)

Fuente de la Fuenseca

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Fuente de la Fuenseca
Plaza de la Fuenseca
Córdoba, September 2022

“1495 are the first known data concerning the Cordoba fountain, located near the street Alfaros. It was originally a small pool with little flow, and was remodeled in 1808. Their final appearance consisted of four pipes and a large pylon in the fresh water will be accumulated. The front, like a steeple, rests on a whitewashed building, highlighting even more the color of the stone. The whole was annexed to the beautiful gazebo near the manor house belonging to the Marquise of Mejorada.” (Fuente de la Fuenseca, Tutto Córdoba)

Templo romano

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Templo romano (Roman temple)
Calle Capitulares
Córdoba, September 2022

“The Spanish city of Córdoba has the remains of a Roman temple, which was discovered in the 1950s during the expansion of City Hall. It is located in the angle formed by the streets Claudio Marcelo and Capitulares. It was not the only temple that the city had, but it was possibly the most important of all, and the only known by archaeological excavation. It is a Pseudoperipterus, hexastyle and of Corinthian order temple of 32 meters long and 16 wide. Its construction began during the reign of Emperor Claudius (41-54 AD) and ended some forty years later, during the reign of Emperor Domitian (81-96 CE). Presumably it was dedicated to the imperial cult. The temple underwent some changes in the 2nd century, reforms that coincide with the relocation of the colonial forum. In the area had already been found architectural elements, such as drums of columns, capitals, etc. all in marble, so the area was known as los marmolejos. This area of Córdoba could become between the 1st century and the 2nd century, as the provincial forum of the Colonia Patricia, title that received the city during the Roman rule.” (Roman temple of Córdoba, Wikipedia)

Plaza de la Corredera

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Tables and chairs
Plaza de la Corredera
Córdoba, September 2022

“Archaeological excavations have unearthed a series of wonderful mosaics from the Roman period, which are now on show in the Castle of the Christian Monarchs. The present-day square is rectangular with arched porticos running around the ground floor, designed in the style of the old city squares of Castille, of which it is the only one of its kind in Andalusia. It was used in olden days as a bullring, and to this day there is a street named Toril (Bulls’ enclosure). The square has seen everything, from autos de fe and public addresses to public executions during the French Invasion, and now contains a number of cafes and bars, as well as hosting a Medieval Market in the month of January.” (Plaza de la Corredera, Turismo de Córdoba)

Fuente del Potro

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Fuente del Potro, 1577
Plaza del Potro
Córdoba, September 2022

“The Plaza del Potro is a public square in the Spanish city of Córdoba. Rectangular in shape, one end of the plaza has a fountain topped by the figure of a colt with its front legs raised holding a sign with the coat of arms of the city. This Renaissance-style fountain dates from 1577, and the colt which gives its name to the square was added a century later. Until 1847 was located on the opposite side of the plaza. Since 1924, the other end of the square has a monument dedicated to the Triumph of the archangel Raphael. Among the buildings overlooking the square is the famous Posada del Potro, mentioned by Cervantes in Don Quixote, in addition to the city's Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum Julio Romero de Torres. The reference in "Don Quixote" can be found in the Penguin Classics edition, translated by John D. Rutherford, in Chapter III as ‘... Potro in Cordova ...’, and in the Barnes & Noble edition, translated by Tobias Smollett, in Chapter III as ‘... the spout of Cordoba ...’. The much celebrated reference to the place and neighbourhood is made by an inn keeper making fun of Don Quixote with sarcastic chivalrous references to infamous brothels, disreputable districts and dens of iniquity.” (Plaza del Potro, Wikipedia)

Double-tiered arches

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Columns and double-tiered arches
Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba
(Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba)
Calle Cardenal Herrero
Córdoba, September 2022

“The original mosque had a roughly square floor plan measuring 74 or 79 square meters per side, equally divided between a hypostyle prayer hall to the south and an open courtyard (sahn) to the north. As the mosque was built on a sloping site, a large amount of fill would have been necessary to create a level ground on which to build. The original mosque's most famous architectural innovation, which was preserved and repeated in all subsequent Muslim-era expansions, was its rows of double-tiered arches. Much speculation has been offered on the inspiration for this particular design, including the alleged similarity of the arches to a forest of palm trees from Abd ar-Rahman's youth in Syria; however, a more technical motivation may have been the fact that the available columns being reused from previous buildings were not tall enough on their own to raise the ceiling to the desired height. The precedent of multi-tiered arches was also already present in the Iberian Peninsula thanks to remaining Roman aqueducts (e.g. the Milagros Aqueduct at Mérida).” (Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, Wikipedia)

Cristo de los Faroles

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Cristo de los Faroles (Christ of the Lanterns) by Juan Navarro León, 1794 Plaza de los Capuchinos
Córdoba, September 2022

“The Christ of Atonement and Mercy, popularly known as the Christ of the Lanterns (Spanish: Cristo de los Faroles), is a large Crucifix located at the Plaza de los Capuchinos in Cordoba, Spain. The sculpture was created in 1794 by the sculptor Juan Navarro León under a commission by the Capuchin friar Diego José de Cádiz. Its popular name comes from the eight lanterns set on iron mounts that illuminate it. The current appearance of the sculpture has developed with the construction of a fence in the 20th century and the replacement of the lanterns with darker ones in 1984.” (Christ of the Lanterns, Wikipedia)

Torre de la Calahorra

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Torre de la Calahorra (Calahorra Tower)
Puente Romano
Córdoba, September 2022

“The Calahorra tower (Spanish: Torre de la Calahorra) is a fortified gate in the historic centre of Córdoba, Spain. The edifice is of Islamic origin. It was first erected by the Almohad Caliphate to protect the nearby Roman Bridge on the Guadalquivir. The tower, standing on the left bank of the river, originally consisted of an arched gate between two. A third tower was added to the existing ones, in the shape of two cylinders connecting them. The tower was declared a national historical monument in 1931. The restoration of the tower, along with the Roman Bridge, Gate of the Bridge and surrounding area, was awarded the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award in 2014.” (Calahorra Tower, Wikipedia)

Dome of the Mihrab

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Dome of the Mihrab
Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba
(Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba)
Calle Cardenal Herrero
Córdoba, September 2022

“Above the mihrab, is an equally dazzling dome. The Dome of the Cordova Mosque is built of crisscrossing ribs that create pointed arches all lavishly covered with gold mosaic in a radial pattern. This astonishing building technique anticipates later Gothic rib vaulting, though on a more modest scale. As the mihrab is flanked by two chambers, the dome of the Mosque is also flanked by two other domes.” (Mihrab of Cordoba Mosque, Madain Project)