Cordoba, Spain

Cordoba
Registered Sector: 
Historic Centre of Cordoba
Location and site: 
Córdoba is situated on the Guadalquivir River, the Andalusian route leading to the Atlantic Ocean. It is close to the Sierra Morena mountains and the passes which allow access to the Meseta. A rich agricultural plain is located nearby.
Historical Function: 
Politics and culture.
Administrative Status: 
Chef-city of the province of Cordoba.
Historical Reference: 
  • Upon their arrival in Córdoba, the Romans erected solid foundations around the town. At the outset of the 1st millennium A.D., the city became the capital of Hispania Inferior (Baetica) and the Roman metropolis of Andalusia.
  • Following the Visigoth invasion of 572, Córdoba became part of the dependency of Toledo, which was capital of unified Spain.
  • Shortly after the invasion of the Moors in 711, the city was made capital of Muslim Spain. In 756, Abd-al-Rhaman, the last descendent of the Umayyads of Damascus, settled there and proclaimed himself to be its ruler. The Great Mosque, his masterpiece, is the most splendid monument of this Eastern civilisation in the territory of Spain.
  • In the 10th century, after acquiring the status of a caliphate, Córdoba experienced a glorious heyday. As the most populated city in the West, it rivalled the great capitals of Islam; within its limits are as many as 300 mosques.
  • In the 11th century, the caliphate became politically divided. The Almoravids and the Almohads, two dynasties of Berber origin, re-established peace during the 12th century.
  • In 1236, the expulsion of the Moors by Ferdinand III, combined with Córdoba's joining the Christian kingdom of Castile, led to a long decline. In the 15th century, under Charles-Quint, the Great Mosque, which had already been adapted to the new religion, was transformed into a cathedral.
Urban Morphology: 
The historic centre of Córdoba has conserved its medieval plan and the irregular layout of its narrow streets. The squares, promenades, ornamental lakes and magnificent gardens are integrated into the landscape of the city, which is constructed on the bank of a meandering section of the river. The Roman bridge, which has served vast regions over the course of its history, remains the anchor point of Córdoba.

Like its layout, Córdoba's domestic architecture reminds us of its Moorish period. In addition to the houses, which are built around patios enclosed by grillwork, are monuments which testify to the different periods in the city's history: Roman vestiges, Moorish minarets and the Moorish Almodovar Gate, the Jewish synagogue, and various Christian monuments, including the reconstructed Alcázar, the Calahorra Tower and numerous churches of Mudéjar and Gothic inspiration. The mosque-cathedral and the Roman bridge remain the principal landmarks of this historic landscape.

Registration Criteria: 
Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1984, the site of the Mosque of Córboba was extended in 1994 to include the historic centre of the city in accordance with the same criteria. It is a unique artistic achievement due to the scale and boldness of its interior elevation. (I) Córdoba exerted a considerable influence on western Muslim art from the 13th century and on the development of 'Neo-Moorish' styles in the 19th century. (II) It constitutes an irreplaceable testimony to the civilisation of the caliphate of Córdoba (III) and is one of the exemplary types of Islamic religious architecture. (IV)