Cordoba, Spain
This is one of my favourite destinations in Spain. The photos from this trip are from last May which is a great time of year to visit the city.
The Patios of Cordoba
City of Culture
This small city in Andalusia is a welcoming and relaxed destination, full of culture and places to visit. The city is the product of thousands of years of settlement by different cultures; Romans, Muslims, Jews, Christians. Its diversity has resulted in some unique constructions such as the Mezquita Mosque and endless winding streets to explore.
The Sites
The main sites are all centred around the old city which is a UNESCO heritage site. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/313
Mezquita Mosque
The Jewel is the Mezquita Mosque (The Great Mosque).
Mezquita Mosque
Arches in every direction. 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite
The Bell Tower at the Mezquita Mosque
Old City
The old city is quite large, it's a maze of narrow streets which is great fun to explore on foot. One of the features is that the houses are built around common courtyards or "Patios" which the residents religiously garden. In the month of May they open up their homes to the public who are free to explore the patios. The local tourist office produces maps of routes around the city. You can go from house to house on foot and look at the amazing gardens. There is a competition and each patio tries to outdo the neighbours to be crowned the winner.
Jewish Quarter
A beautiful area of the old city is the Jewish Quarter where you can wander the shops and bakeries and patios that make up this district.
Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos (Castle of the Christian Monarchs)
This was originally a Caliphal Palace but later conquered and converted by the Catholic King Fernando III.
view of the city from inquisition tower
Islamic influence and design everywhere
the palace gardens, view from the tower
the palace gardens
the palace gardens
flowers in bloom
the palace gardens
orange trees everywhere, I can still smell them !
Puente Romano (Roman Bridge)
This bridge over the Guadalquivir River dates from the 1st century BC.
Roman Bridge in the distance
Despite the sky this really is the south of Spain. It rained every day we were there.
The Patios
I visited in May when the city plays host to a festival of flowers. I would recommend visiting during this time. The Mosque, the Alcazar, the bridge, the old city are all amazing sites, the people were very friendly, the food was great but the Patios were what I remember most vividly from Corodba.
this photo is real !!!
An old man told us its like an addiction ...
... , you find a empty spot and put just one more flower pot....
... but you cant stop ...
... It never ends !!!
Flowers everywhere. The aromas are amazing
The colours are inspiring.
Thank you for reading this. I write on Steemit about Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Travel and lots of random topics.
Images are from my personal library. Photos by @ishtar and @eroche
You may also be interested in my other recent posts about Spain:
Nice floral post :)
Thank you.
Great pics!
Thanks
Love the flower pots :)
They were so unusual.
The pictures are great to remember but they can't capture the beautiful fragrance of the flowers.
Ikr 😀
So many flowers! Looks a cool place to sit down and watch the time fleeting :D
And tend to the flowers :)
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Wow, so many flowers :) I have to visit the place too :)
Make sure you visit when the flower festival is on in May.