Cordoba

On our third and final day of our road trip, we visited Cordoba which is more or less on the way back to Madrid.  It was good to break up the car trip, too.  Leo can only handle so much car-seat time!

Our first stop was to El Alcazar (yes, it seems that each major city had an El Alcazar!)  It is located in the historic center of Córdoba next to the Guadalquivir River and near the Grand Mosque (Mezquita).

 Leo and Adam walking along the ramparts

 View from the ramparts

 

 Mosaic

Gate into the El Alcazar

 In the beautiful gardens

There was no sign, but this looked like Christopher Columbus, Queen Isabela and King Ferdinand to me!

Beautiful shaped hedges/pillars

As we were leaving El Alcazar, this man was passing out flyers for a evening show.  He (and the horse) were dressed beautifully.

 We walked along this bridge which spans the Guadalquivir River.

Our next stop was to visit the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba.  It has a very interesting history because it has been both a mosque and cathedral at various times.  Originally built in the 8th century, Córdoba returned to Christian rule in 1236 and the building was converted to a Roman Catholic church, culminating in the insertion of a Renaissance cathedral nave in the 16th century.

And the controversy isn't over!  Since the early 2000s, Spanish Muslims have lobbied the Roman Catholic Church to allow them to pray in the cathedral. This Muslim campaign has been rejected on multiple occasions, both by the church authorities in Spain and by the Vatican.

The structure is regarded as one of the most accomplished monuments of Moorish architecture.

Extremely vast and beautiful interior

 3-D painting/fresco of Christian aid

Ceiling

 Nave

Illuminated center of nave

After lunch, we explored the Jewish Quarter which is, sadly, just a series of charming, commercial streets.

We found the last remaining ancient synagogue in Cordoba (one of only 3 in Spain--the other 2 in Toledo).  It is a single small room with beautiful carvings.

View of women's balcony

Leo and his friend Rambam (Maimonides) 

Sevilla Day Two

On day two in Seville, we started at the Seville Cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world built in 1528.  Utterly amazing! 

 View of exterior

We wandered around with an audio tour for at least 2 hours, exploring and learning about this vast cathedral with its numerous chapels and varying architectural styles.

 Immense central cathedral

Organ

 Religious portraits

 Stained glass

Elliptical dome

 Altar

Gothic arches

Christopher Columbus' tomb

 Model of C.C.'s boat

We then went up the bell tower.

 Bells

 View of Seville from the tower

After the cathedral, we strolled around town looking for a nice place to eat.  Of course we saw pretty things along the way.

 Interesting wooden piece

After lunch we went to El Alcazar, a royal palace originally built as a Moorish fort in the 10th century by Muslim Moorish kings. The construction of the current Royal Alcázar began in the 14th century.
 
The palace is renowned as one of the most beautiful in Spain, being regarded as one of the most outstanding examples of Mudejar architecture found on the Iberian Peninsula.  Islamic, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements can be found as well.

Main entrance to El Alcazar

Entering into the main courtyard

Incredible lattice work

Courtyard

Detail of carved walls

Inner courtyard

Adam in an archway--the tiled walls are STUNNING!

So many levels of beauty

Gold-tiled ceiling

Every room so spectacular

Grillwork

 Catacombs

Now for the gardens:

On our walk back to the apt., we passed more narrow streets and private inner courtyards.