Al-Andalus

Qurṭuba قرطبة

Today: Córdoba, Spain

Years: 711–1236
Role: Capital of the emirate and the Caliphate

Capital of the Umayyad emirate from 756 and of the Caliphate from 929, Qurṭuba was for a time the largest and most learned city in western Europe: paved and lit streets, hundreds of baths, a great library, and the Mezquita that still stands over the Guadalquivir. It fell to Fernando III in 1236.

What to see today

Mezquita-catedral de Córdoba (Mezquita aljama de Qurṭuba): Mosque, 786 to 987
Baños Califales (Baños del Alcázar de Qurṭuba): Baths, 10th to 12th century
Alminar de San Juan: Minaret, 9th to 10th century

Day drives

The heart of the Caliphate: 4 stops · about 128 km

Get directions

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