The meeting point for the departure is the school's Residence, in San Juan
Street. We will leave from here to board the coach that will take us to Córdoba.
In Córdoba, our first visit will be to the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, (Fortress of the Christian Kings) which is a palace-fortress, and in the past the kings
of Spain used it as a royal residence on their visits to Córdoba. Here we will be able
to admire its magnificent gardens and the remarkable mosaics from the Roman era that
are found there. Next to the Alczar we will find the Arab baths, a perfect
example of this type of civilian building that was so popular in Muslim Spain.
We will then take a walk through the Judería (Jewish Quarter), a labyrinth of
beautiful, and narrow streets full of flower pots in bloom. Here we can find the typical patios
cordobeses (Cordovan courtyards). Right in the centre of the Jewish Quarter we
will find the Synagogue, the Jewish temple that serves to remind us of the
perfect harmony of cultures that existed in Córdoba under the Caliphs. Next to the
Synagogue is the Zoco (Souk), a handicraft and ceramic market.
Finally, we will visit La Mezquita de Córdoba (The Great Mosque of Córdoba),
a fascinating building dating to the Caliphate era where we will find the most surprising
light and colour effects amidst an amazing "forest" of almost a thousand pillars.
The Great Mosque was also admired by the Christians who were later to build their
cathedral inside it. The cathedral is of great value in its own right, which constitutes
a mixture of Gothic, Plateresque and Barroque features.
After visiting the Mosque we will return to Nerja.
