The historic centre of Córdoba, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where centuries of history, culture, and stunning architecture come together © MIchelle Chaplow
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN Cordoba
The Historic Centre of Cordoba
Categories: urban landscape, urban continuity (added to list in: 1984; extended in 1994 to add Historic Centre to Mezquita
What UNESCO says: "Cordoba's period of greatest glory began in the 8th century after the Moorish conquest, when some 300 mosques and innumerable palaces and public buildings were built to rival the splendours of Constantinople, Damascus and Baghdad. In the 13th century, under Ferdinand III, the Saint, Cordoba's Great Mosque was turned into a cathedral and new defensive structures, particularly the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos and the Torre Fortaleza de la Calahorra, were erected."
What there is to see: the Mezquita, with its signature striped arches, and the Juderia has windy streets; look out for the beautiful patios, for which Cordoba is well known. The Alcazar has beautiful Moorish-style gardens, with large pools and fountains and stunning flowerbeds. Famous festivals in May.
Andalucia has seven World Heritage Sites
Andalucia has seven World Heritage Sites: the Alhambra, the Generalife and the Albayzín in Granada; the Cathedral, the Alcázar and the Archivo de Indias in Seville; the historic city centre of Córdoba (including the Mezquita); the Renaissance monumental ensembles of Úbeda and Baeza; and 68 items of cave art in the provinces of Almería, Granada and Jaén, which are included in the Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin, as well as Madinat al-Zahra. The natural World Heritage Sites are the Doñana National Park in the province of Huelva and the Antequera Dolmens in the province of Málaga. The Gorham's Cave Complex is located on the Rock of Gibraltar.