Today's ride was easy – mostly downhill. Our destination is Cordova, founded as the Roman colony of Corduba in 152 BC. In 711 AD the city was conquered by the Muslims and soon became the Muslim capital of the Iberian peninsula. It became the biggest city in Western Europe with a thriving economy and the university, a great learning center. The Christian army of Fernando III conquered the city in 1236. Today’s population is 325,000 – less than at it’s peak.
We enter Cordova over the old Roman bridge. To the right is the Mosque.
The immense Mosque (above) was built in 785 on what had originally been the basilica of San Vicente. When the Christians conquered Cordoba, they constructed a cathedral inside the mosque (photo below).
2 comments:
Fabulous photos, John. And fascinating history. Sounds like some tough riding, though! The "cathedral inside the mosque" info reminded me of Istanbul stories I've heard - that's another place I'd like to visit someday. Keep the blog notes coming!!
Did you feel the earthquake?
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