Córdoba

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I am happy to be back in Córdoba. I was here twelve years ago, but only spent a couple of hours between trains and have wanted to spend more time exploring this old capital of Andalusia. So today I rode the high-speed train from Madrid - it takes less than two hours - and I arrived in time to drop my bags at the hotel and join my tour of the Mezquita. Andalusia was the name of the Muslim kingdom that ruled the Iberian peninsula for hundreds of years (started around 700AD, ended around 1500). The Mezquita originally was the main mosque of the city and is still today considered one of the world's foremost examples of Moorish architecture. It is no longer an active mosque but is instead the site of the local cathedral. Still, about 70% the mosque is still intact and the seeming infinity of horseshoe arches is a fascinating sight. I'll include photos of the orange tree courtyard in front of the building, an interior shot of the arches, and the mihrab (the equivalent of an altar in a mosque).

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