Cordoba – A Day of Arches & Ancient Whispers

We left Seville for a day to meet Cordoba, and honestly? It was love at first arch. The journey was smooth via Iryo. Recommended Iryo! I booked the tickets here. Free Wifi, legroom was perfect, train was on-time. We kept the kids busy with their small toys and books (as I already prepared all the necessary entertainment as the train journey took about less than 3 hours).

We headed to the Mezquita; a mosque-cathedral combo which had more red-and-white stripes than a candy cane factory, and each one whispered a piece of history.

Our guide who we booked via <> spilled tales of when Cordoba was Europe’s most advanced city during the Moorish era. Walking those narrow cobbled streets, it wasn’t hard to imagine poets, traders, and dreamers from centuries ago doing the same.

In the 10th century, Cordoba was the glittering capital of the Umayyad Caliphate in Andalusia—a city far ahead of its time. While much of Europe was in the Dark Ages, Cordoba had 700 mosques, 300 public baths, and 70 libraries, including one with over 400,000 books.

Here, Muslims, Jews, and Christians studied side by side, discussing philosophy, medicine, and science in an atmosphere of respect and harmony. The city boasted paved streets, street lighting, and advanced sewage systems, making it one of the most modern cities of its era.

Today, the Mosque-Cathedral (Mezquita) still stands as a masterpiece of Islamic architecture, with its iconic red-and-white arches and serene Patio de los Naranjos. It’s more than a monument—it’s a reminder that true civilization thrives on knowledge, openness, and unity.

👉 Planning your trip? Check out:

• [Best family hotels near Cordoba]*

• [Cordoba entry ticket]*

• [Tour cordoba]*