In 2018, the UNESCO declared the archaeological site of Medina Azahara as World Heritage, destacándolo as a unique example of the city of the caliphs in the West. The guided tour to Medina Azahara takes us back to the X century, the era of greatest splendor of the umayyad dynasty, when this city was built as a symbol of the power and greatness of the caliphs.
The tour begins by taking the bus in the centre of Córdoba, from the Square of the Red Crossor, if you have your own vehicle, we will find it directly in the free parking next to the Visitor center of the reservoir. There, our expert guides you will receive to start the tour with an introduction in the visitor center. Subsequently, we will take the shuttle towards the reservoir, the heart of the Tour to Medina Azahara.
This city, built in the tenth century as the residence of the royal family, senior officials and ministers, was the center of power of the umayyad dynasty, which, after his massacre in Damascus, resurfaced in the iberian peninsula, with Córdoba as the epicenter of your State. Strategically situated on the hillside of the mountain, between the mountains and the valley, Medina Azahara controlled the territory from the heights. Its urban layout, with artificial terraces that reflected the hierarchy of power, is unique in its kind.
Currently, it is one of the archaeological sites largest in Europe. During the tour, we will review remains of the citadel, covers, foundations and decorations plaques and marble to reflect the supremacy of the umayyads in the West. We will discover how the ambassadors had to follow a strict protocol to meet with the caliph, and we will get to know the stories and curiosities of these encounters full of magnificence.
This experience takes us back to the past to learn about figures like Abd-ar-rahman III and Alhakén IIin addition to his valuable contribution to the knowledge of the time. Medina Azahara was the cradle of doctors as Albucasis, meeting point between the caliphs and dignitaries from around the world, and a reference in architecture, and the arts ornamental that inspired royal residences later.
The city was destroyed in the early ELEVENTH century due to internal divisions among the muslims, looted and abandoned for centuries. Its splendor was lost until the late NINETEENTH century, when great intellectuals began to fight for your recovery. The first excavations were started in 1911 under the direction of Ricardo Velázquez Boscoand since then, except during the Civil War, the site has continued to rebound with new research projects and excavations, which also will be detailed in our tour.
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