Historic Centre of Cordoba (Spain)

Historic building attributes

"Cordoba has grown organically and continuously over two millennia. As a result, many of its buildings bear witness to the successive changes in taste and style, reconstruction following destruction and changes in use."

World Heritage Committee, 38th Session. (2014). Document WHC-14/38.COM/8E Adoption of retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value, p. 128-129.

The Mosque of Cordoba

While the Historic Centre has hundreds of buildings of cultural and historical significance, the most outstanding monument of the city is the Great Mosque, now called Mosque-Cathedral. The Mosque, central piece of the Islamic city, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1984 (the property was extended in 1994 to include the Historic Centre). It is an emblematic monument of Islamic religious architecture, unique artistic achievement and testing ground for building techniques, bearing witness to the presence of Islam in Western Europe. It is characterised by a juxtaposition of cultures and architectural style, including elements which were previously uncommon in Islamic religious architecture: 

• its size and the height of its ceilings;
• double arches to support the roof above the naves;
• combination of the ribbed vault, with a system of intertwined poli ovulate arches that gives stability and solidity to the ensemble of the Maqsura;
• the combined use of stone with brick, reusing and integrating Roman and Visigoth techniques and re-using columns from previous constructions;
• “honeycomb” capitals, which differs from the Corinthian capital, characteristic of art produced during the Caliphate times.

The design and layout of the Mosque was modified later on, with extensions carried out over three centuries during the Islamic rule. In 1236, the Mosque was converted into a Christian Cathedral. The greatest reconstruction and additions were carried out in the Renaissance period, between 1523 and 1599, which resulted in its present structure of space. The building has continued being used as a Christian Catholic Cathedral. 

Façade of the Mosque-Cathedral © Ayuntamiento de Cordoba

Interior of the Mosque © Ayuntamiento de Cordoba

"The great model of a traditional courtyard in the city, the inspiration for the rest of the courtyards, is the courtyard of the Great Mosque-Cathedral. This is one of the oldest open spaces in Cordoba, a large courtyard that has evolved in parallel with the successive extensions and transformations undergone by the temple: its porticoed enclosures were originally built as horseshoe arches in the 10th C, to be later rebuilt in the Modern Age. Since the time it was built, this courtyard has combined its religious function with its role as one of the city's main squares.

The courtyard is known as Patio de los Naranjos [Courtyard of the Orange Trees], after the orchard planted in 16th century. Today, the Patio de los Naranjos is a pleasant courtyard-garden presided over by the belltower of the Cathedral, which includes the old minaret. This courtyard is divided into three squares, each presided over by a fountain, and has a lush vegetation of orange, cypress and palm trees."

Cordoba City Council

Courtyard of the Mosque-Cathedral © Ayuntamiento de Cordoba

Other important structures

Between the 8th - 13th C, some 300 mosques were built in the city of Cordoba. After the Christian conquest in 1236, the buildings were reused and converted, with the old minarets becoming the bell towers of new churches. In the 13th century, an important wave of constructions saw new churches were built, such as the churches of San Francisco and San Nicolás, and the chapel of San Bartolomé, in a hybrid Gothic-Mudéjar style. In the Judería (Jewish quarter), a synagogue was constructed in the 14th C, which has survived until our days after being re-used for a variety of purposes.

Iglesia de San Francisco y San Eulogio © Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Capilla Mudéjar de San Bartolomé © Martin Furtschegger, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Civic monuments

Most of the civic buildings that have survived until our days date from the 16th century onwards. They include the Hospital of San Jacinto (now the Palace of Congresses and Exhibitions), in a late Gothic style, the Seminary of San Pelagio, the Palace of the Paez de Castillejo family, and the House of the Marquis of Fuensanta del Valle, all built in the 16th century. Other significant structures, such as the Hospital of Cardenal Salazar, date from the 18th century. 

Additionally, other monuments, such as the “Triunfos de San Rafael” (urban ornamental column) and the “Puerta del Puente” gate, serve as defining elements of the public space.

Traditional housing

Besides the civic and religious monuments, most of the urban fabric of the historic city of Cordoba is composed of traditional dwellings belonging to different styles and timelines that hold a high degree of authenticity of shape, design, materials and uses. 

"The two dwelling typologies that coexist in the historic centre are defined by their architectural characteristics and ways of inhabiting the building. Due to the aristocratic character that the Medina possessed since at least  Islamic times, many ancestral and noble houses dot the town. More humble dwellings are located in the peripheral areas, the Jewish quarter or the limits with the Axerquía. Both types of dwellings, however, have a series of elements in common, especially related to their construction around the patio, a central element of the Cordoban habitat and a defining element of the local culture and way of inhabiting the city."

World Heritage Nomination Dossier 313bis, p. 40. 

The best examples of Cordoban housing types are the communal houses built around interior courtyards with water and vegetation (casa-patio). They represent the adaptation of the Roman house to the climatic and cultural conditions of Cordoba, providing light, ventilation and coolness during the summer months. The courtyard is a communal space and the centre of family life. Other architectural types include casas solariegas (ancestral homes) and corrales (tenement houses). 

A local perspective: the way of life in courtyard houses

Contribution by Cordoba City Council.

The typology of the Cordoba courtyards is diverse and bears the memory of the various civilisations that lived in the city. The traditional courtyard model currently present in Cordoba has a dark entrance hall with a wrought iron gate that brings in the light from the courtyard, the multifunctional organ of the house that provides light and air to the house. The walls are whitewashed in white, and the paving is made up of small cobbles that form artistic patterns having not only an ornamental function but also contributing to allowing the humidity of the ground to transpire and cool the atmosphere. The oldest courtyards have a well that brings water up from the underground. In addition to this, there are flowers and plants: lemon trees, jasmine, ivy geranium or aromatic plants that embellish, provide shade and fragrance, and act as insect repellent. 
The community lifestyle traditionally associated with the Cordoba courtyards can offer many elements and inspiration for our current and future societies. In these spaces, residents cultivate not only plants and fruit trees but also relationships, with others, with the community and with the whole neighbourhood. People are at the centre of the courtyard. In the courtyard lifestyle, the common environment is a priority and, even though this tradition stems from humble communities with shared common spaces, they have created a concept of quality of life based on collaboration and coexistence which is especially precious in modern times.

Palacio de Viana. This ancestral nobility house, located in the Axerquía, is made up of a succession of patio-houses, representing the development of the Cordovan courtyard through five centuries. The twelve courtyards of the palace occupy almost 4,000 of the 6,500 m2 of its total area. The Reception Courtyard [Patio de Recibo] is a Renaissance courtyard, a symbol of the noble lineage of the house © Hermann Junghans, CC B-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia

Attributes of urban elements

"The Historic Centre of Cordoba (...) reflects thousands of years of occupation by different cultural groups – Roman, Visigoth, Islam, Judaism and Christian-, that all left a mark. This area reflects the urban and architectural complexity reached during the Roman era and the splendour of the great Islamic city, which, between the 8th and the 10th centuries, represented the main urban and cultural focus in the western world."

World Heritage Committee, 38th Session. (2014). Document WHC-14/38.COM/8E Adoption of retrospective Statements of Outstanding Universal Value, p. 128. 

The Historic Centre of Cordoba is characterised by a dense, homogeneous urban fabric of Medieval origin, with narrow, winding streets, amongst which emerge religious and civil monuments. The authenticity of the historic centre lies in its urban areas, context, building traditions and techniques, and the treatment of the public spaces.

The different periods of development of the city, built in layers over time, are still visible. The remains of the Roman city, Islamic medina and Jewish quarter (Judería) are all readable. Remains of the Roman past include the sixteen-span bridge, originally built during the 1st century BCE, the mosaics in the Alcazar, the columns of the 1st century AD temple, and sections of the Roman wall. The minarets of the places of worship built during the Islamic period have survived and are now used as the bell towers of churches built in later periods.

"This culture of reuse is also present in the areas beyond the World Heritage property. In the Axerquia, founded in the 9th century, churches were built where mosques once stood after the Christian conquest - some minarets have survived as belltowers. In that period, squares were created and some of the pre-existing narrow streets were widened. These quarters have been preserved remarkably well, the only major exception being the demolition of the gates and most of the surrounding walls. Churches, stately homes, hospitals and convents from neighbourhoods such as San Lorenzo or Santiago still remind us today of the splendour of the medieval Christian city in streets that still retain their authenticity."

Contribution by site managing authority Cordoba City Council

A local perspective: Streets and squares of Cordoba

Contribution by the Cordoba City Council.

Roman Forum Inscription on Cruz Conde Street © "Ayuntamiento de Cordoba "

Calle Cruz Conde

Calle Cruz Conde [Cruz Conde Street] is a commercial street in the city centre, lined by modern buildings. Although it was created at the beginning of the 20th century, it lays over the remains of a part of the Forum of the Roman city. This historical layering is showcased in the street paving through changes in colour, lettering and symbols. Brass bands mark archaeological remains such as the galleries of the Forum and travertine marble slabs mark the route of the former wide Roman wall.

Calle de la Hoguera © Ayuntamiento de Cordoba 

Calle de la Hoguera

Located near the Mosque-Cathedral, Calle de la Hoguera [Bonfire Street] is a narrow, winding street that is a reminder that what is now known as the Jewish Quarter was once a Medina in the time of the Umayyads. With a layout typical of Islamic cities, this street is barely two metres wide. It is a maze-like layout with widening and narrowings, as well as changes of direction. The small minaret of the Andalusian Mosque, dating from the Al-Andalus period, stands out in this quiet alleyway. 

Calle Judíos © Ayuntamiento de Cordoba

Calle Judíos

Located in the former Jewish quarter, Calle Judíos [Jews Street] is a cobbled, narrow and winding street lined by whitewashed walls. The name, the layout and a large part of the architecture of the houses in this street stand as a testament to the Sephardic people who lived in this neighbourhood. The street hosts important monuments such as the former synagogue and the tribute to Maimonides, theologist, philosopher and medieval doctor from Cordoba.

Squares

Corredera © Ayuntamiento de Cordoba

Plaza de la Corredera

The only traditional rectangular main square in the south of the Iberian Peninsula is located in the heart of the historic centre of Cordoba. Its name, Plaza de la Corredera [Square of the Races], derives from the bullfighting that took place here in the 17th century. Four hundred years later, architect and artist Juan Cuenca remodelled the square, conceiving it as a "city courtyard". He restored the Baroque colours - red, ochre and green - in its façades and designed street furniture influenced by history, tradition, archaeology and local materials. Today this square is a busy space with many neighbours, hostels, a large food market and bars.

Plaza de Capuchinos © Ayuntamiento de Cordoba

Plaza de Capuchinos 

Plaza de Capuchinos [Capuchin Square] was formerly a private property, as in the 16th century, it was the carriage courtyard of a stately house and then a convent courtyard. The pebbles on the ground and whitewashed architecture stand as a testament to its religious past. In its sobriety, Capuchinos is unlike any other square in Cordoba. "A rectangle of lime and sky", in the words of local poet Ricardo Molina. Almost in the centre of the square rises the Cristo de los Faroles [Christ of the Lanterns] sculpture. The square is mostly frequented by monks and aged residents, who reside nearby.

Plaza del Potro © Ayuntamiento de Cordoba

Plaza del Potro

One of the oldest squares in the city and the one with the greatest literary links, as it was mentioned in the third chapter of Don Quixote. It owes its name (Square of the Foal) to the horse and mule trade, a focus of picaresque activity since Medieval times. A reminder of its former activity is the colt that crowns the octagonal fountain, built in 1577 to improve the water supply for the local residents. Today, the square is an important cultural centre, with the Fine Arts Museum, the Julio Romero de Torres Museum and the Flamenco Museum overlooking the square.

Artistic impressions

Plaza de Jeronimo Paez (formerly known as Plaza de los Paraisos) © Rafael Obrero Guisado

Typical street © Rafael Obrero Guisado

Plaza de la Corredera © Rafael Obrero Guisado

Plaza Seneca © Rafael Obrero Guisado

Cuesta del Bailío © Rafael Obrero Guisado

San Andrés © Rafael Obrero Guisado

"The elements that serve as a border between the historic centre of Cordoba and the modern city are the current roads that coincide with the layout of the old city walls. This fact has to a large extent safeguarded the historic centre from the urban sprawl of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as these wide avenues and walkways run along the perimeter of the old town, thus creating a kind of ring of open spaces that protects the historic centre of Cordoba.

The reviews since 1986 of the General Urban Development Plan (PGOU), the City Council's instrument for changing the city and planning its future, have focused mainly on the protection of the historic city and its coexistence with the present. These measures against abandonment and destruction, together with the current absence of unbridled urban sprawl in Cordoba, unlike what has happened in other heritage cities in the surrounding area, have successfully preserved Cordoba as a mid-density, well-preserved and authentic city.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the city had 351,000 inhabitants and in 2003, in parallel to the PGOU, the Special Plan for the Protection of the Historic Centre was approved. These tools contain the city's challenges: firstly, to conserve and improve, but not to transform; then to re-inhabit the historic centre and strengthen proximity; to balance the forces between tourism and habitability; to re-vegetate the city as a reaction to global warming and to promote the culture of rehabilitation as opposed to speculation."

Contribution by Cordoba City Council.

Natural elements: gardens and water 

The connection of the historic centre with the River Guadalquivir is an essential part of the city's character. The Roman bridge is witness of the original setting of the Roman city, connecting the Historic Centre with the Calahorra tower lays. The gardens of the Alcazar near the Mosque-Cathedral are good examples of Moorish Andalusian garden design. The remains of the monumental Caliphal Baths are also nearby. 

A local perspective: water and nature in Cordoba

Contribution by Cordoba City Council.

Alcázar gardens © Ayuntamiento de Cordoba

Green areas

The largest gardens are the Gardens of the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, the former royal residence. Albeit mostly restricted to tourism use, they have a contemporary design inspired by Islamic designs. On the other hand, the old orchard of the San Pablo convent is popular with local residents. It sits on the remains of a Roman circus and a 13th century  suburb.

Albolafia waterwheel © Ayuntamiento de Cordoba

Hydraulic heritage

Dotted along the course of the river as it passes through Cordoba, the watermills of the Guadalquivir crushed cereal using the force of water in Roman, Arab and Christian times. Eleven of them are still standing. Some have been adapted for contemporary uses: the San Antonio Mill is now the Sotos de la Albolafia Interpretation Centre.

The Albolafia waterwheel is an ingenious 11th C invention to collect water to irrigate the Alcázar gardens. Its image is one of the symbols of the city.