EZ Honeymoon: Cordoba

The next stop on our honeymoon tour was a brief visit to the city of Cordoba, an ancient city about an hour and a half outside of Sevilla. One of the benefits of renting a car was that we were able to make little stops en route between cities. Although, there was a little drama entering Cordoba since we did not have an address for parking, and as with all ancient cities, the roads were not built with cars in mind. Luckily, we found a stretch on Calle Puerto de Almodovar with several spots available when we pulled in around noon.

We entered through the vast gates that designated the historic section of town, and JZ navigated us to the El Mezquita, using a photocopied map that the AC Hotel Cordoba Palacio concierge gave us.

One of the driving factors to see this cathedral (because at this point in our trip, we had already seen a few churches!) is the depth of history behind the location and building.  The site was originally used as the location for Roman temple to the god Janus until the Romans’ defeat by the Visigoths, who made it a Christian church. Subsequently the Moors took over, and The Moorish Caliph began building a mosque at the location in 756. The building survived the Spanish “Reconqusta” in the 13th century, and in the mid-16th century, the Spanish king allowed the building’s conversion into a cathedral. Construction commenced from 1523 to 1766, and these alterations added a cathedral in the center with a multitude of chapels along the edges of the building.

Walking into the cathedral, the seemingly infinite rows of columns and arches that define the space are truly astounding, and it took back, as we soaked in the architectural magnificence. Every surface was lavishly decorated; the ceilings engraved with intricate patterns, the arches adorned with angels and saints, and the cathedral awash in sumptuous decorations of gold and silver.

One of my favorite aspects of the Cathedral was the sunlight streaming through the windows. The contrast between the long shadows and streaming light magnified the endless feeling of the space. We  both enjoyed experimenting with the light in different photos.

JZ captured a particularly magical moment as dust floated through the air in a corner chapel.

The light helped me with an unusually contemplative portrait of JZ looking out an intricately cut window.

In total, we spent about 2 hours in the cathedral,  and could have stayed longer, if we there was time to spare. Unfortunately, we did not see much of the rest of the historical city either, but were glad we made the trip.

Leaving Cordoba was decidedly less stressful than arriving, and we mad good time to Sevilla.

EZ Honeymoon Series:
First Things First
Holy Toledo! Part 1
Holy Toledo! Part 2
Holy Toledo! Part 3