Guided Tour of the Mosque and Jewish Quarter of Córdoba

Itinerary of the guided tour of the Mosque-Cathedral and the Jewish Quarter

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   The tour combines a visit to the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba with a guided walk through the Jewish Quarter of Córdoba. In the first part we'll spend approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes in the Patio de los Naranjos and inside the monument.

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   The second part takes another 1 hour and 30 minutes through the Jewish Quarter, including the Synagogue and the key spots in the historic centre. The starting point is the Door of Forgiveness and the tour ends at Maimonides Square.

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   The visit begins at the Door of Forgiveness of the Mosque-Cathedral, beneath the bell tower, on Calle Cardenal Herrero, opposite Sabor a España. From there we enter the Patio de los Naranjos and move on to the inside of the monument.

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   Once inside, the tour follows this order: Patio de los Naranjos, Entrance to the Mosque-Cathedral, Mosque of Abd al-Rahman I, Mosque of Abd al-Rahman II, Mosque of Al-Hakam II, Royal Chapel, Villaviciosa Chapel, Mihrab, Mosque of Almanzor, Cathedral Transept or Main Chapel, and Choir Stalls. This first part, between the courtyard and the interior, takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

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   During this stretch we explain the broad context of the periods the city went through — Roman, Visigothic, Muslim and Christian — and how, at each historical moment, part of the mosque or cathedral was built, expanding on several occasions due to different political factors, population growth or religious purposes. We also explain the importance of Córdoba as capital during the Islamic period, the city's economic boom, and how that moment is embodied in one of the largest mosques in the world. The complexity of the building comes from the fact that the old mosque, built between the 8th and 10th centuries, was converted into a Cathedral in the 13th century, when Córdoba became part of the Crown of Castile and León under King Ferdinand III the Saint, and how the building was gradually transformed for Catholic use.

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   We then continue on foot towards the historic centre that makes up the Jewish Quarter of Córdoba. In this second part, of approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, we visit the Synagogue, Cardinal Salazar Square, the Zoco and the statue of Maimonides. Here we see where the Jewish community lived, a neighbourhood set aside exclusively for them, with walls and security. We talk about the pogroms, the cruel attacks suffered by Jewish communities in the 14th century, and how they had to ask the church for permission to build synagogues. We talk about Mudejar, the artistic style corresponding to this Jewish temple. And finally we talk about one of the great scholars of world history, Maimonides, physician, philosopher and theologian. The tour ends at Maimonides Square in the Jewish Quarter, completing a total of 3 hours.

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   An anecdote that often surprises people is what some caliphs actually looked like physically — because they were Muslim, many people assume they had dark skin and black hair, but chronicles describe them as red-haired, blond and blue-eyed. It's also said that some caliphs married women from the Kingdom of Navarre, Christians converted to Islam. And we discuss how three religions managed to live in the same territory, and whether there was really tolerance between cultures or not.

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   During high season, capacity may be limited due to ticket availability. The opening hours of the Mosque-Cathedral may also change due to liturgical events according to the Catholic calendar, so the order of the tour may be adjusted for organisational reasons.