Córdoba
Córdoba is 200km from Granada and it takes about 2 hours to get there by car. Its historic centre was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is well worth a visit. There are also various organised tours that include a guided tour of the Mezquita and time to explore Córdoba which will pick you up from the centre of Granada. Click here for more information about the Mezquita guided tour.
The main monument in Córdoba is the Gran Mezquita or Great Mosque. Construction began in 784 and the idea was to build a mosque as large as the one at Mecca. Over the years, various modifications were made and extensions added and it reached its current size in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard.
After the city had been captured by the Catholic Monarchs on 29th June 1236, the mosque was converted to a Catholic cathedral.
Near the Mezuita is the Jewish Quarter or Judería with its narrow streets decorated with plantas and flowers and the famous Calleja de las Flores.
The Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos is also near the Mezquita. This medieval palace with gardens was built by Alfonoso XI in 1328 as a military fortress. The Catholic Monarchs later used it first as their main residence and then as their headquarters for their campaign against the Nasrid Dynasty in Granada until they finally captured Granada in 1492. In 1482, the Inquisition tribunal was established here held and many of its rooms were converted to interrogation and torture chambers.
The Palacio de Viana or Museo de los Patios is an impressive 17th century aristocratic home with 12 courtyards planted with trees and flowers.