The Star: March 09, 2017

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi
Thursday March 9 2017 29
Travel
Be seduced by the Spanish city of Cordoba
• By Mike Yardley
IN THE eyes of visitors,
Andalucía’s enduring allure is
legendary, but the textured,
atmospheric appeal of Southern
Spain is spectacularly illustrated
in effortlessly explorable
Cordoba.
I based myself in the heart of
the old city, at a cheap and cheerful
two-star establishment, Hotel
Boston, from where I lapped up
the sights like a perky cub-scout.
Cordoba is the sort of place
that seduces you, from the
moment you arrive. To get an
absorbing overview, jump onboard
a City Sightseeing Hop-on
Hop-off Bus. www.city-ss.com
A thousand years ago, Cordoba
formed the heart of the
Western Islamic Empire, as
capital of the Moorish kingdom
of Al-Andulus. At its peak,
Cordoba was home to half a
million residents, making it
Western Europe’s biggest city.
That’s what really surprised me,
because even though it’s still got
plenty of bustle, Cordoba exudes
a human-scale mystique.
The star attraction is unquestionably
the storied Mezquita,
not dissimilar to Istanbul’s Hagia
Sophia, whereby you’re rewarded
by a two-in-one mosque and
cathedral combo. Built in 783AD
ORNATE: The two-in-one Mezquita is a mosque and cathedral combo. Its interior is a vast forest of pillars and horse shoe-shaped
arches.
by the Moorish conquerors on
the site of a very early Christian
church, they demolished the
church to create this artistic treasure,
which they wanted to rival
the world’s great mosques.
Entering its cavernous expanse,
I was transfixed by its
vast forest of pillars and horse
shoe arches, which look a bit like
candy canes, with a two toned
ochre and cream colour scheme.
When the Spanish Catholics reconquered
Cordoba, mercifully,
they didn’t destroy the building,
opting instead to hide the minaret
within a new bell tower, and
plonking a church within the
mosque’s existing fabric.
Fast forward 1000 years and
a major sticking point today is
that Muslims cannot pray in the
Mezquita, given it’s a practising
Catholic church. They’ve
appealed to the Vatican to grant
them a prayer room, without
success. Several years ago, a
group of Muslim tourists started
mass-praying within the building,
causing a huge stink, which
resulted in several security
guards being stabbed.
How sad that such an incredible
masterpiece of world heritage
is racked with resentment, which
underscores Spain’s inner-turmoil
about its contested sense of
identity and shared history.
If you want to marvel at this
building, before the ravenous
hordes of tourists swamp it,
jump up early and enjoy the
early morning free admission,
between 8.30am and 10am. Beyond
the Mezquita, lose yourself
in the time-honoured Juderia,
the Old Jewish quarter.
This labyrinthine neighbourhood
of twisting laneways is
not overtly touristy or commercialised.
You can also see the
13th-century synagogue which
was converted into a church,
when the Spanish monarchy
expelled the Jews from Spain.
It’s the perfect place to wander
aimlessly, in the maze of cobbled
lanes with shady flower-filled
courtyards. It’s peaceful, timeless
and quintessential Cordoba.
Another reason to rise early,
is to hot-foot it down Puente
Romano.
•Turn to page 30
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