Córdoba

As an act of spontaneity, a couple of friends and I went on the school-sponsored trip to Córdoba and Carmona. Córdoba is located some two hours north of Sevilla; this ancient city is a cultural and historical landmark for the country of Spain -- as it once represented both the fundamental landmarks for Islam and Christianity in the first century A.D.

The weather in Córdoba was pretty agreeable -- around 50 degrees and partly sunny. We spent a few hours walking around the local shops on the winding, narrow streets; it´s obvious from the architecture that there is still a lot of Eastern influence in the style of the buildings.

Our first visit was to the Mezquita, which was originally founded by the Muslims during the reign of Islam from 600 A.D. to 1100 A.D. Both the exterior and interior design of the architecture were incredible to see -- the use of ¨mosaico¨patterns and elaborate arch structures were definite attestments to the Islamic influence.

The interior entrance to the Mezqúita

El ¨mosaico¨

The archways of the Mezqúita

During the Reconquista of Spain by the Christian kings (1100 - 1492 A.D.), the Mezqúita was taken over by Christian empirials. A lot of the architecture was resurrected in a more prominent ¨cathedral¨look. All in all, the experience turned out to showcase the coolest arquitectural landmark that I´ve seen so far in Spain.

Later that day we went to Alácazar, a large fortress used by the Christian kings by the Mézquita. The interior elements weren´t nearly as beautiful as the combination of Muslim and Christian architecture in the Mézquita, but the grounds were impressive.