Deviation Day 6: Córdoba and Granada

We got up early as planned and made it out the door in time to visit the Mezquita for free. This structure is extremely interesting for its significance both today and in the past. The once prominent mosque was very popular to the Muslim population around the 10th century and features a hugely unique structure of arches and supporting arches on columns across its whole expanse. The decoration was meant to give a tribute to the perfection of God and give a way to feel close to Him amidst the craziness of life.

Interestingly enough, today the beautiful interior columns still stand but rather than serving a Muslim congregation, they surround a Christian cathedral which was erected by the Christian monarchs in the center of the mosque. As a side note, the mezquita was actually built on top of the ruins of a Visigothic church so what is existing today is actually a church on top of a mosque on top of a church, a point which many Christians have used to justify their appropriation of the space.

I really can’t say much about this amazing building but I can let you see some pictures to get the idea for yourself.







We were both very touched by this simple yet stunningly beautiful structure but we know what we had more things to do so we moved outside grudgingly and made our way to another Alcázar appropriated by Christian monarchs. Much like the one in Sevilla, this represented a seat of power overlooking both the town and the river and allowed the ruler who inhabited it to control a strong military and governing position.

Next we stopped at La Sinagoga, the only surviving synagogue in all of Southern Spain from before the Reconquista. The Spanish people were very prejudicial towards the Jewish people as they were accused of everything from the black plague to stealing children, all unfair accusations, obviously, and their synagogues were subsequently destroyed or supplanted with churches. The only other two synagogues from that period survive in Toledo, just south of Madrid.

Inside we saw a very simple structure with inscriptions of praise from almost 700 years ago still intact in the stucco. Brian, being Jewish, was more interested in the synagogue than I was but I was glad that we went to it and saw such a rare structure wish so much meaning attached to it.





Our next stop was the Casa de Sefarad, a museum dedicated to the memory of the persecuted Sephardic Jews who were expelled from Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella and forced to move throughout the Mediterranean. Theirs is a rich culture full of fusion of east and west and with a distinct branch of Judaism so it was definitely interesting to see this museum.





We were wandering around a bit before it was time to go and we stopped at a few minor stops, including the Royal Stables, complete with live, Andalusian horses and stable-hands, as well as the Arab baths in the same neighborhood. Both were really cool spots but we didn’t have much time to catch the bus so we only got to them rather briefly.





We hopped on our bus for the second time in as many days and made it uneventfully to Granada. We got to our hostel a bit late and after climbing about five floors to the roof-top pension room, we unloaded and planned out the coming day. We then went out to eat and met up with some very interesting student-types at a bar where we had some of the best tuna steaks I have ever eaten. I say interesting types because it seems that the standard haircut for people under 30 years old is short cut with a few dreadlocks poking out the back. Oh well, I’m not doing that any time soon so I’ll just have to see how we do in Granada tomorrow!