"Cordoba, the Secret Crown" Córdoba by longsanborn

Cordoba is a moderately-sized modern city where the old town contains many impressive architectural reminders of when Cordoba was the thriving capital of the Caliphate of Cordoba that governed almost all of the Iberian peninsula.

Cordoba was the capital of the Roman province of Hispania Ulterior Baetica. Later, it occupied an important place in the Provincia Hispaniae of the Byzantine Empire (552-572) and during the Visigoth period. It was captured in 716 by the Muslims, and Cordoba became capital during the Umayyad Caliphate. In the 10th century, Cordoba was one of the most advanced cities in the world, as well as a great cultural, political and economic centre. The Cordoba Mosque dates back to this time. In 1236 it was captured by King Ferdinand III during the Spanish Reconquista.

People of diverse cultures and religions (Jews, Muslims and Christians) have put in numerous contributions to the beauty of this outstanding city. The present contemporary Cordoba is now a Flamenco and Bullfighting township, and undoubtedly one of the most gorgeous places to visit in Southern Spain.

Religious architecture
- Great Mosque of Cordoba: The mosque, which contains columns that date back to the Roman and Visigothic periods, was primarily constructed during the Umayyad period (its construction started in 784), and was converted to a Cathedral after the Reconquista.
- Córdoba Synagogue (14th century)

Civil and military architecture
- Alcázar of the Christian Kings = Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos (14th century)
- Palace of Viana with its flowered patios (16th century)
- Royal residences and palaces
- The Tower of Calahorra (14th century)
- The Door of the Bridge (16th century)

Archaeological sites
- Roman archaeological remains (temple, mausoleum)
- Islamic archaeological remains (minarets preserved in the churches, Arab baths)
- The Roman Bridge