Sunday morning dawned much chillier than the day before and there was a distinct dampness in the air, but that didn’t deter us from our plans to visit Cordoba and another UNESCO World Heritage site.
Bus Stop Boogie
We walked to the nearest bus stop to catch Bus 32 to the Santa Justa train station, where we planned to catch the high speed train to Cordoba.
We arrived at the bus stop and within a few minutes, we see bus 32 headed our way. Everyone at the stop stands in preparation to board the bus, but it never slowed down. About two minutes later, we see another bus 32 – on the other side of the street. It stopped, let people on and off, and left again. A couple of minutes later another bus 32 comes, also on the other side of the street. Several people at the stop began to check their apps, but Natalie and I opted to dash across the road since that stop actually had buses. And what do you know, almost immediately we see another bus 32. And yep, you guessed right, it stopped at the bus stop we just left. Ugh! We eventually caught the bus and made it to the station in time for our train.
I have to say the Renfe trainline in Spain is pretty nice. The seats are spacious and comfortable, and the trains move fast, so we were in Cordoba in less than hour.
This time we had no issues catching a bus to our destination, the Mezquita Catedral de Cordoba, and although it was crowded, we were happy to be on the bus since the temperature had dropped and it was now downright chilly and starting to sprinkle.
As soon as we reached the historic site, we bought tickets to tour the Mezquita, then began wandering the maze of tiny lanes surrounding the building that make up Cordoba’s historic city center. Here we found some wonderful shops filled with local handcrafted items and quite a few restaurants dispersed among the residences.
This place is very cool and historically significant. The town was founded by the Romans in the 2nd century, was ruled by the Moors after the conquest in the 8th century, and finally taken over by the Christians under the leadership of Ferdinand III in the 13th century. I was amazed that so much of each of those cultures are still evident.
As we waited in line for our appointed tour time, we brushed up on the basic history of the building to learn that it was first the site of a Visigoth church before the Muslims began constructing the Great Mosque in 785. The building continued to expand until 971, with additions of towers and a minaret.
When the Castilian forces captured Cordoba during the Reconquista of 1236, the mosque was converted to a cathedral with few modifications until the 16th century when a nave and transept were added to the building. During the 19th century more restoration was done, and evidence of the original Visigoth structure was found beneath the floor.
We finally made our way into the Mezquita, and we could literally feel the history. It is surreal to stand in a building so old, yet so magnificent, and know that people have been worshiping here for more than 1000 years.
As for the architecture and artifacts, finding the words to describe everything is truly difficult. There was gold, and intricate wood carvings, and tombs in the floor, but honestly, for me, the incredible domed ceiling is the feature that literally stole my breath. It was stunning and awe-inspiring, and I could have gazed it is forever.
But, alas, we hadn’t built extended ceiling-gazing into our schedule, so we tore ourselves away from the Mezquita and ventured out into the pouring rain to get a better look at the nearby Roman bridge. And again, I was awed.
As you walk across the bridge toward the Calahorra tower, if you look to your right you can see several other almost-intact structures, including a waterwheel, that is believed to be constructed by the Moors in the 9th or 10th century. The bridge was originally constructed by the Romans in the early 1st century BC and was used by vehicles until 2004. I have to say, that is some seriously impressive engineering!
By now, Natalie and I are cold and wet, so we ducked into a TAPAS bar for a quick bite and a sangria before heading back to catch our train. We were both quiet during the ride, lost in our own thoughts and imaginings of the craftsmanship and beauty of the Mezquita and its surroundings.