Day 7: Cordoba, Spain - Mosques, Bridges and Castles, the many charms of Cordoba!

---

We arrived in Cordoba around 12:00 pm after a two hour train ride from Ronda. Cordoba, founded by the Romans, was a port city used to ship olive oil, wine and wheat back to Rome. The Romans built the Roman Bridge but Cordoba’s greatest glory was when it became the capital of the Moorish kingdom of El-Andalus. This was when work began on the Great Mosque or Mezquita.



The Mezquita is known for the numerous alternating red and white horseshoe arches inside. When the city was reconquered by the Christians, the new rulers of the city were so awed by its beauty that they left the Mezquita standing, building their cathedral in the midst of its rows of arches and columns and creating the extraordinary church-mosque we see today.



After visiting the Mezquita, we walking along the Roman Bridge where we had an amazing view of the Mezquita from across the river.



Our last stop in Cordoba was the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos. The Alcazar fortress served as one of the primary residences of Isabella I of Castille and Ferdinand II of Aragon. It was here where the monarchs met Christopher Columbus as he prepared to take his first voyage to the Americas. With limited time to view the Alcazar, we walked up to the top of the tower to get a good view of the gardens below and the many orange trees.





Then it was off to Toledo. By the time we arrived in Toledo it was nearly 11:00 pm. So we headed straight to our Hotel, Hostal Sol to get a good nights rest before our full day in Toledo tomorrow.

---