CORDOBA, SPAIN

Cordoba was wet and cold today; the wind blew through its narrow streets and grabbed our umbrellas; the rain came down in sheets and made driving hazardous. No problem - we would have endured anything to see the splendors of this magnificent and fascinating city.

Cordoba was a Roman settlement taken by the Visigoths, then by the Muslims, and then the Christians. What makes Cordoba's history unique is that for much of the time, the conqueror and the conquered shared the land and its monuments and - guess what - the city grew and prospered. Philosophers, physicians, poets, artists and physicians settled here, and Cordoba became a center of education and learning. Synagogues, churches, and mosques line the streets and the interweaving of the traditions and decoration and food is stunning.

The union of styles is astoundingly evident in the Cathedral-Mosque that is the source of most of the photos. The current building covers SIX ACRES (See the photo of a small portion of the outside walls.) Here's a brief history:
The Visigoths built a basilica here in 6th century
The Muslims divided the space, shared it with the Christians, eventually bought the Christian half (7th century) and then enlarged the mosque again and again
The Catholics conquered Cordoba, did not raze the mosque but built a chapel in the middle of it (13th century). They also closed up all the Islamic arches that opened into the streets and ablution garden and installed metal doors.

Cordoba itself is beautiful even if seen from under an umbrella. The bridge that crosses the Guadlquivir River (next to last photo) was built by the Romans and adapted under various rules throughout the years. It was the ONLY bridge until the 1950's! And even in the rain the geraniums stayed perks.