City Guide: Cordoba

CORDOBA is the birthplace of three famous people.

From its early years to its present, from Cordoba surfaced three names of global promenence Those names belong to city-natives like Roman stoic Seneca, poet Lucan and flamenco artist Paco Peña whose achievements firmly placed Cordoba on the global map.

A land of great talents, Cordoba demands a visit for you to completely experience of the city. Be it a room in cheap or a luxury hotel in Cordoba all are available at Booked.net. Our listings include maps, photos and secure forms on each hotel.

Profiting from the popularity brought by its famous residents, Cordoba evolved into one of Europe's largest cities and served as both cultural and educational center. In its heyday the city even won the ranking of the Mecca of the west and today is still referred to as Spain's 10th largest city.

Even though Cordoba has population of more than 320,000 residents, the city is still about its provincial charms. There is always a group of surprised tourists in Cordoba when they discover the city is more like a striking rural environment than a noisy metropolis. Cordoba is far away from being culturally-overloaded revealing enough space for lush plains and velvet-like mountainous slopes.

The closer you get to the city center, the more cultural Cordoba gets with a cluster of baroque churches and Moorish castles. Cordoba has old-world planning being centered around Mezquita, the Great Mosque of Cordoba. Dating back to 785, this mosque is among the oldest ever constructed by the Moors and a must on your sightseeing in Cordoba.

Other attractions include;

• Medina Azahara, the ruins of the Western Caliphate dating back to 940

• Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos, a striking fortress of the Christian Monarchs with adjacent gardens

• La Sinagoga, one of the three main historic synagogues in Spain

• Viana Palace, a former residence of the Marquise of Viana, but today serves as a museum with furniture, tapestries and so on

• Iglesias Fernandinas, a set of 14 historic churches in the heart of the city

Exploring the city, you will believe that in the early years Cordoba was even more cultural than Rome, but lost its original significance since the Moors captured the city in 711. They changed focus from culture to power and turned Cordoba to the seat of the Umayyad Caliphs and by the 10thcentury Cordoba reached its heyday. Today only Arabic chronicles witness how successful Cordoba was that time : "The amount of coins in circulation! The variety of crops grown! The people!".

When it comes to modern Cordoba, the things have stayed the same but with the addition of new comforts. Booked.net can place you in any hotel in Cordoba.