Day 3: Cordoba - the heart of Andalucia Click Thumbnails to Appreciate Images
Cordoba, was a long drive from Granada. The trip took us close to 3 hours as we got fascinated by the utter endless rows of olive trees of Jaen, another city worthy of a detour. Cordoba was founded by the Romans and was a strategic port being the highest navigationable point of the Guadalquivir River. It was used for shipping Spanish olive oil, wine and wheat back to Ancient Rome. To do this, the Romans built a mighty bridge (El Puente Romano) crossing the river. When the Moors took over Cordoba, they created the Great Mosque or "Mezquita" with its rows of pillars and arches - one of the largest in all of Islam. As again awed by the splendor and paying respect to Islam, the Christians in 1236, the new rulers of the city, left the mosque standing. They decided to build their cathedral in the midst of its rows of arches and columns, and creating the extraordinary and hair-raising mosque-cathedral we see today. The only one of its kind in the world. A perfect example that coexistence can be experienced if all of us continue to give respect and be at peace with our Islam brothers. Driving home, we were followed by twin arches - no not those with pillars like the ones in Mezquita - but twin rainbows... |
|