Spain / Portugal / Gibraltar

Córdoba shares its history with so many cities in Southern Spain. It was Carthaginian and Roman (from 260BC on), later it belonged to the Byzantine Empire for two decade, got looted by the Vandals, before Visigoths conquered it in 572. In 711 it was taken by the by the Umayyad army and became a provincial capital. At that time a Christian church erected by the Visigoths was on the site, it was divided and shared by Muslims and Christians. The sharing agreement lasted until 784, when the Christian half was purchased by the Emir Abd al-Rahman I, who then demolished the church and started to build the grand mosque of Córdoba on its ground. This narrative goes back to the tenth-century historian al-Razi. The work of building the Mezquita employed thousands of artisans and labourers. After the first completion it underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard. It covers an area of more than 23.000 m². The Mezquita still is one of the largest sacred buildings on earth. In the 10th century it was in the center of Cordoba, that with a population of upto 500.000, at that time it was one of the largest cities in the known world.

Córdoba shares its history with so many cities in Southern Spain. It was Carthaginian and Roman (from 260BC on), later it belonged to the Byzantine Empire for two decade, got looted by the Vandals, before Visigoths conquered it in 572. In 711 it was taken by the by the Umayyad army and became a provincial capital. At that time a Christian church erected by the Visigoths was on the site, it was divided and shared by Muslims and Christians. The sharing agreement lasted until 784, when the Christian half was purchased by the Emir Abd al-Rahman I, who then demolished the church and started to build the grand mosque of Córdoba on its ground. This narrative goes back to the tenth-century historian al-Razi. The work of building the Mezquita employed thousands of artisans and labourers. After the first completion it underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard. It covers an area of more than 23.000 m². The Mezquita still is one of the largest sacred buildings on earth. In the 10th century it was in the center of Cordoba, that with a population of upto 500.000, at that time it was one of the largest cities in the known world.

Córdoba shares its history with so many cities in Southern Spain. It was Carthaginian and Roman (from 260BC on), later it belonged to the Byzantine Empire for two decade, got looted by the Vandals, before Visigoths conquered it in 572. In 711 it was taken by the by the Umayyad army and became a provincial capital. At that time a Christian church erected by the Visigoths was on the site, it was divided and shared by Muslims and Christians. The sharing agreement lasted until 784, when the Christian half was purchased by the Emir Abd al-Rahman I, who then demolished the church and started to build the grand mosque of Córdoba on its ground. This narrative goes back to the tenth-century historian al-Razi. The work of building the Mezquita employed thousands of artisans and labourers. After the first completion it underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard. It covers an area of more than 23.000 m². The Mezquita still is one of the largest sacred buildings on earth. In the 10th century it was in the center of Cordoba, that with a population of upto 500.000, at that time it was one of the largest cities in the known world.

Córdoba shares its history with so many cities in Southern Spain. It was Carthaginian and Roman (from 260BC on), later it belonged to the Byzantine Empire for two decade, got looted by the Vandals, before Visigoths conquered it in 572. In 711 it was taken by the by the Umayyad army and became a provincial capital. At that time a Christian church erected by the Visigoths was on the site, it was divided and shared by Muslims and Christians. The sharing agreement lasted until 784, when the Christian half was purchased by the Emir Abd al-Rahman I, who then demolished the church and started to build the grand mosque of Córdoba on its ground. This narrative goes back to the tenth-century historian al-Razi. The work of building the Mezquita employed thousands of artisans and labourers. After the first completion it underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard. It covers an area of more than 23.000 m². The Mezquita still is one of the largest sacred buildings on earth. In the 10th century it was in the center of Cordoba, that with a population of upto 500.000, at that time it was one of the largest cities in the known world. After in 1236 Córdoba was captured from the Moors, the Christians initially left the architecture Mezquita undisturbed. The just consecrated it, dedicated it to the Virgin Mary, and used it as a place of Christian worship. Later small chapels were inserted and the the minaret was converted into a the bell tower of the cathedral. The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral in a cruciform layout right ine center of the former mosque. The insertion was constructed by permission of Charles V, King of Castile and Aragon. The legend tells, that upon seeing it completed, he remarked, "You have built here what you or anyone might have built anywhere else, but you have destroyed what was unique in the world." Here in the foreground is an arch, belonging the the "new" cathedral, while in the backdrop is a part of the "old" mosque.

Córdoba shares its history with so many cities in Southern Spain. It was Carthaginian and Roman (from 260BC on), later it belonged to the Byzantine Empire for two decade, got looted by the Vandals, before Visigoths conquered it in 572. In 711 it was taken by the by the Umayyad army and became a provincial capital. At that time a Christian church erected by the Visigoths was on the site, it was divided and shared by Muslims and Christians. The sharing agreement lasted until 784, when the Christian half was purchased by the Emir Abd al-Rahman I, who then demolished the church and started to build the grand mosque of Córdoba on its ground. This narrative goes back to the tenth-century historian al-Razi. The work of building the Mezquita employed thousands of artisans and labourers. After the first completion it underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard. It covers an area of more than 23.000 m². The Mezquita still is one of the largest sacred buildings on earth. In the 10th century it was in the center of Cordoba, that with a population of upto 500.000, at that time it was one of the largest cities in the known world. After in 1236 Córdoba was captured from the Moors, the Christians initially left the architecture Mezquita undisturbed. They just consecrated it, dedicated it to the Virgin Mary, and used it as a place of Christian worship. Later small chapels were inserted and the the minaret was converted into a the bell tower of the cathedral. The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral in a cruciform layout right in the center of the former mosque. The insertion was constructed by permission of Charles V, King of Castile and Aragon. The legend tells, that upon seeing it completed, he remarked, "You have built here what you or anyone might have built anywhere else, but you have destroyed what was unique in the world."

Córdoba shares its history with so many cities in Southern Spain. It was Carthaginian and Roman (from 260BC on), later it belonged to the Byzantine Empire for two decade, got looted by the Vandals, before Visigoths conquered it in 572. In 711 it was taken by the by the Umayyad army and became a provincial capital. At that time a Christian church erected by the Visigoths was on the site, it was divided and shared by Muslims and Christians. The sharing agreement lasted until 784, when the Christian half was purchased by the Emir Abd al-Rahman I, who then demolished the church and started to build the grand mosque of Córdoba on its ground. This narrative goes back to the tenth-century historian al-Razi. The work of building the Mezquita employed thousands of artisans and labourers. After the first completion it underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard. It covers an area of more than 23.000 m². The Mezquita still is one of the largest sacred buildings on earth. In the 10th century it was in the center of Cordoba, that with a population of upto 500.000, at that time it was one of the largest cities in the known world. After in 1236 Córdoba was captured from the Moors, the Christians initially left the architecture Mezquita undisturbed. They just consecrated it, dedicated it to the Virgin Mary, and used it as a place of Christian worship. Later small chapels were inserted and the the minaret was converted into a the bell tower of the cathedral. The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral in a cruciform layout right in the center of the former mosque. The insertion was constructed by permission of Charles V, King of Castile and Aragon. The legend tells, that upon seeing it completed, he remarked, "You have built here what you or anyone might have built anywhere else, but you have destroyed what was unique in the world."

Córdoba shares its history with so many cities in Southern Spain. It was Carthaginian and Roman (from 260BC on), later it belonged to the Byzantine Empire for two decade, got looted by the Vandals, before Visigoths conquered it in 572. In 711 it was taken by the by the Umayyad army and became a provincial capital. At that time a Christian church erected by the Visigoths was on the site, it was divided and shared by Muslims and Christians. The sharing agreement lasted until 784, when the Christian half was purchased by the Emir Abd al-Rahman I, who then demolished the church and started to build the grand mosque of Córdoba on its ground. This narrative goes back to the tenth-century historian al-Razi. The work of building the Mezquita employed thousands of artisans and labourers. After the first completion it underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard. It covers an area of more than 23.000 m². The Mezquita still is one of the largest sacred buildings on earth. In the 10th century it was in the center of Cordoba, that with a population of upto 500.000, at that time it was one of the largest cities in the known world. After in 1236 Córdoba was captured from the Moors, the Christians initially left the architecture Mezquita undisturbed. They just consecrated it, dedicated it to the Virgin Mary, and used it as a place of Christian worship. Later small chapels were inserted and the the minaret was converted into a the bell tower of the cathedral. The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral in a cruciform layout right in the center of the former mosque. The insertion was constructed by permission of Charles V, King of Castile and Aragon. The legend tells, that upon seeing it completed, he remarked, "You have built here what you or anyone might have built anywhere else, but you have destroyed what was unique in the world." Santiago (Saint Jaques) in his role as "Matamoro".

Córdoba shares its history with so many cities in Southern Spain. It was Carthaginian and Roman (from 260BC on), later it belonged to the Byzantine Empire for two decade, got looted by the Vandals, before Visigoths conquered it in 572. In 711 it was taken by the by the Umayyad army and became a provincial capital. At that time a Christian church erected by the Visigoths was on the site, it was divided and shared by Muslims and Christians. The sharing agreement lasted until 784, when the Christian half was purchased by the Emir Abd al-Rahman I, who then demolished the church and started to build the grand mosque of Córdoba on its ground. This narrative goes back to the tenth-century historian al-Razi. The work of building the Mezquita employed thousands of artisans and labourers. After the first completion it underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard. It covers an area of more than 23.000 m². The Mezquita still is one of the largest sacred buildings on earth. In the 10th century it was in the center of Cordoba, that with a population of upto 500.000, at that time it was one of the largest cities in the known world. After in 1236 Córdoba was captured from the Moors, the Christians initially left the architecture Mezquita undisturbed. They just consecrated it, dedicated it to the Virgin Mary, and used it as a place of Christian worship. Later small chapels were inserted and the the minaret was converted into a the bell tower of the cathedral. The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral in a cruciform layout right in the center of the former mosque. The insertion was constructed by permission of Charles V, King of Castile and Aragon. The legend tells, that upon seeing it completed, he remarked, "You have built here what you or anyone might have built anywhere else, but you have destroyed what was unique in the world."

Córdoba shares its history with so many cities in Southern Spain. It was Carthaginian and Roman (from 260BC on), later it belonged to the Byzantine Empire for two decade, got looted by the Vandals, before Visigoths conquered it in 572. In 711 it was taken by the by the Umayyad army and became a provincial capital. At that time a Christian church erected by the Visigoths was on the site, it was divided and shared by Muslims and Christians. The sharing agreement lasted until 784, when the Christian half was purchased by the Emir Abd al-Rahman I, who then demolished the church and started to build the grand mosque of Córdoba on its ground. This narrative goes back to the tenth-century historian al-Razi. The work of building the Mezquita employed thousands of artisans and labourers. After the first completion it underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard. It covers an area of more than 23.000 m². The Mezquita still is one of the largest sacred buildings on earth. In the 10th century it was in the center of Cordoba, that with a population of upto 500.000, at that time it was one of the largest cities in the known world. After in 1236 Córdoba was captured from the Moors, the Christians initially left the architecture Mezquita undisturbed. They just consecrated it, dedicated it to the Virgin Mary, and used it as a place of Christian worship. Later small chapels were inserted and the the minaret was converted into a the bell tower of the cathedral. The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral in a cruciform layout right in the center of the former mosque. The insertion was constructed by permission of Charles V, King of Castile and Aragon. The legend tells, that upon seeing it completed, he remarked, "You have built here what you or anyone might have built anywhere else, but you have destroyed what was unique in the world."

Córdoba shares its history with so many cities in Southern Spain. It was Carthaginian and Roman (from 260BC on), later it belonged to the Byzantine Empire for two decade, got looted by the Vandals, before Visigoths conquered it in 572. In 711 it was taken by the by the Umayyad army and became a provincial capital. At that time a Christian church erected by the Visigoths was on the site, it was divided and shared by Muslims and Christians. The sharing agreement lasted until 784, when the Christian half was purchased by the Emir Abd al-Rahman I, who then demolished the church and started to build the grand mosque of Córdoba on its ground. This narrative goes back to the tenth-century historian al-Razi. The work of building the Mezquita employed thousands of artisans and labourers. After the first completion it underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard. It covers an area of more than 23.000 m². The Mezquita still is one of the largest sacred buildings on earth. In the 10th century it was in the center of Cordoba, that with a population of upto 500.000, at that time it was one of the largest cities in the known world. After in 1236 Córdoba was captured from the Moors, the Christians initially left the architecture Mezquita undisturbed. They just consecrated it, dedicated it to the Virgin Mary, and used it as a place of Christian worship. Later small chapels were inserted and the the minaret was converted into a the bell tower of the cathedral. The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral in a cruciform layout right in the center of the former mosque. The insertion was constructed by permission of Charles V, King of Castile and Aragon. The legend tells, that upon seeing it completed, he remarked, "You have built here what you or anyone might have built anywhere else, but you have destroyed what was unique in the world."

Córdoba shares its history with so many cities in Southern Spain. It was Carthaginian and Roman (from 260BC on), later it belonged to the Byzantine Empire for two decade, got looted by the Vandals, before Visigoths conquered it in 572. In 711 it was taken by the by the Umayyad army and became a provincial capital. At that time a Christian church erected by the Visigoths was on the site, it was divided and shared by Muslims and Christians. The sharing agreement lasted until 784, when the Christian half was purchased by the Emir Abd al-Rahman I, who then demolished the church and started to build the grand mosque of Córdoba on its ground. This narrative goes back to the tenth-century historian al-Razi. The work of building the Mezquita employed thousands of artisans and labourers. After the first completion it underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard. It covers an area of more than 23.000 m². The Mezquita still is one of the largest sacred buildings on earth. In the 10th century it was in the center of Cordoba, that with a population of upto 500.000, at that time it was one of the largest cities in the known world. After in 1236 Córdoba was captured from the Moors, the Christians initially left the architecture Mezquita undisturbed. The just consecrated it, dedicated it to the Virgin Mary, and used it as a place of Christian worship. Later small chapels were inserted and the the minaret was converted into a the bell tower of the cathedral. The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral in a cruciform layout right in the center of the former mosque. The brick-and-stone striped arches are supported by 856 granite and marble pillars, coming from Romans and Visigothic ruins. Many of them are dotted with small carved graffiti. They may date to the time, when the mosque was taken by the Christian troops. Of course they could as well be much older - or younger.

Córdoba shares its history with so many cities in Southern Spain. It was Carthaginian and Roman (from 260BC on), later it belonged to the Byzantine Empire for two decade, got looted by the Vandals, before Visigoths conquered it in 572. In 711 it was taken by the by the Umayyad army and became a provincial capital. At that time a Christian church erected by the Visigoths was on the site, it was divided and shared by Muslims and Christians. The sharing agreement lasted until 784, when the Christian half was purchased by the Emir Abd al-Rahman I, who then demolished the church and started to build the grand mosque of Córdoba on its ground. This narrative goes back to the tenth-century historian al-Razi. The work of building the Mezquita employed thousands of artisans and labourers. After the first completion it underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard. It covers an area of more than 23.000 m². The Mezquita still is one of the largest sacred buildings on earth. In the 10th century it was in the center of Cordoba, that with a population of upto 500.000, at that time it was one of the largest cities in the known world. After in 1236 Córdoba was captured from the Moors, the Christians initially left the architecture Mezquita undisturbed. The just consecrated it, dedicated it to the Virgin Mary, and used it as a place of Christian worship. Later small chapels were inserted and the the minaret was converted into a the bell tower of the cathedral. The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral in a cruciform layout right in the center of the former mosque. The brick-and-stone striped arches are supported by 856 granite and marble pillars, coming from Romans and Visigothic ruins. Many of them are dotted with small carved graffiti. They may date to the time, when the mosque was taken by the Christian troops. Of course they could as well be much older - or younger.

....the bars and sidewalk-cafes will not close before 2 in the morning. Maybe later. And then for another half an hour, you would hear the waiters, pushing tables and chairs together before they throw all the empty bottles into the bins. They have specific bins for glass recycling. There is a hole for green glass, one for clear glass and anotherone for brown glass....

...carved into a cliff. Once a very important spanish monastry and home of one of the many -lost- Holy Grails. But they showed us a copy...

...one of many well preserved capitals. Please wake me up at.....

...unfortunately the by far biggest useless railway station worldwide - was under "reconstruction". It was finished in the 1920s and never was, what it was built for...

The portal of the little church has an unsusal feature. The middle columns right and left are fully carved figures. This is often seen at romanesque (and gothic) cathedrals, but I never found that at such a small "chapel". Maybe they are Archangle Gabriel (left) and Virgin Mary (right), at least that is, what the sign told me. The church is placed directly on the old roman road, which later (and today again) was used as "caminho" to Santiago. Unfortunately it was locked, like most churches in Portugal and Spain.

Valença even today seems to be more a fortress, than a town. The knoll, on which the town was built rises up from the Rio Minho, the border between Portugal and Spain. The town is surrounded by a massive fortification using many ramparts. It took about a century, to build up all this and what it is seen today is the state of 1713, when the works finally finished.