The Medinat Azahara and the Castillo de Almodóvar

Our friend and guide, Rosa Lara picked us up yesterday, and we took the scenic route to the ancient city of Medinat-Azahara, a scant 6 kilometres from Córdoba.

Legend has it that Abd ar-Rahman III built Madinat al-Zahra for his favorite wife, Az-Zahra. Concerned by her homesickness and longing for the snowy mountains of Syria, he surrounded his new city with almond and cherry trees, replacing snowflakes with fluffy white blossoms. It's a nice story, but it's not true.

Abd ar-Rahman wanted to claim himself as Caliphate for the region, nabbing power from Córdoba under the guise of protection for that city. He built a three-tiered city. The upper-most for his palace, the second for his prime minister (called a Ja' far - Disney got it right for Aladdin) and consults, and the third for servants, warriors, and the rest of the hoi-polloi.

For its time, the city was very modern. Surrounded by fortified walls and enormous towers, it commanded the surroundings from its strategic perch on the side of the mountain. Beautifully decorated terraces and patios, wide paved boulevards, and large houses with running water, ovens, and toilets were common. Grand gates protected the city and intimidated visitors as they were ushered through several areas - inspected and approved by security - before being presented to the Caliphate in his grand palace. And three mosques served the city; two smaller and one larger (for the different classes). They had their own money, industry, and services.

View from the upper terrace

Threshold of a gate - in locally quarried marble. The hole is for the stanchion that held the gate hinges.

Okay, here's some new information. Moorish construction is very VERY strong and seemingly lasts forever, and here's why: On the lower construction of this wall you can pick out a long stone and then two transverse stones (-----||-----) instead of the Roman-style construction seen at the top of the wall (how we expect bricks to be laid). That Mooish style is called soga and tizón (and there's no English translation for it). Here's a little different interpretation, but you get the idea.

Entrance into the son of the king's house

This style of capital is called wasp's nest (sorry, can't find the Moorish word for it).

This is the grand gate to the city - there were 12 of these, that one in the middle being the main entrance.

This is the entrance to the Prime Minister's house.

You can see the detailed decorations - still being unearthed and connected. Talk about a fucking nightmare jigsaw puzzle. See the hinges on the upper part of the wall - those were for the gates that opened like an accordion closet door.

Here's some of the decoration up close.

The city took over 35 years to build but it lasted for only a few more before the usurper Al-Mansur transferred the government to a new palace complex of his own in 981. It was so much fun to be in power in the 10th century.

Then, between 1010 and 1013, Madinat al-Zahra was wrecked by Berber soldiers. During succeeding centuries, its ruins were plundered repeatedly for building materials. And over time the city was buried.

After much research and planning (and a casual stumble upon a ruin ignited interest in finding and unearthing the city), excavation began in 1911...and continues to this day.

Still absorbing the enormity of this site, we were treated to a delicious lunch before continuing our excursion.

The Castillo de Almodóvar, sits above the town of Almodovar, on top of a cliff, offering spectacular views over the entire Guadalquivir Valley.

The fortress dates back to Roman times, the current construction, however, was built by the Arabs in 760. It belonged to the Caliphate of Córdoba and later to the Taifas (independent emirates) of Sevilla, Carmona and Toledo. Under the rule of Fernando III, in 1240, it came under Christian control, and under Pedro I and Enrique II it even served as a royal residence.

It fell into ruin, but in 1903 the Earl of Torralva, the owner at the time, began restoring the castle. The historic structure is therefore amazingly well-preserved. You can visit most of the castle, but there is still a private residence on the grounds...but nobody lives there. Apparently the owners invite friends to visit on the weekends.

The dungeon - complete with skeletons!

And that was our day! It's Friday now, and we've got some housework to do. I mean, we've been living here for a couple of weeks and...yeah, get out the Comet! Also laundry - but that's a given.

Tonight we are meeting Rosa and Steve for drinks and dinner. Saturday we have a date for a massage and a dip in the pools at the Arabian baths.