Submitted by Anna Hemelt on the 2018 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
This weekend, my program took us on a trip to Córdoba, another city in southern Spain in Andalucía. We first stopped in the small town of Medina Azahara, which means “brilliant city” in Arabic. We saw the ancient ruins and a video re-creation of what the 10th century city looked like when it was a flourishing Moorish city. This city showed the power of the Caliph, the ruler who had immense power, both religious and physical power. It has only been recently excavated in the 1900s, and new parts of the palace city are still being re-discovered to this day.
We also went to the most renowned site in Córdoba, the Mosque of Cordoba. It is a beautiful mosque and cathedral in one giant building. It is a very important monument of the Islamic world and shows the Omeya style that has persisted in Spain. This Omeya style is mixed with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles pulled from Christian architecture. There are four different parts to the cathedral mosque because it kept expanding to fit more people and include more parts. When it was taken over by Catholics, they added two chapels in the church. The split religion and style of this building can be seen in the bell tower in the front plaza of the Mosque of Cordoba. The structure of the bell tower is built in a Moorish style structurally, however, the outside design of it emulates Catholic style.
I really enjoyed being able to see Córdoba this weekend. Being able to compare and contrast another Andalusian city with Granada was very interesting and insightful!
