Day 5, Cordoba

We started our visit of the old town Cordoba by entering a gate on this old wall.

Inside the wall, the area is called La Juderia, the Jewish quarter.
Even this street's name, Judios, means Jew.

A  Jewish synagogue built in Mudejar style around 1315.
In 14th century, Spanish Jews were persecuted.
Finally in 1492 they were expelled or forced to convert to Christianity.

The statue of Maimonides (1135-1204), a preeminent Cordoba-born Jewish philosopher. 

The local guide told us to go into this gift shop to "wash hands" before touring the Mezquita.

"Patio of the Orange Trees", the courtyard inside the Mezquita compound.

The bell tower, converted from a Moorish minaret. 

The Islamic part of the Mezquita.
The Mosque underwent expansions through several generations of Muslim rulers (caliphs).
Many of these columns were recycled from Roman ruins,
that's why the columns are not of the same height, nor of the same color.

Opening to an area of special significance.

In the center of the Mosque is this Christian Cathedral (16th century).

The Baroque mahogany choir stalls (1750), every panel depicts a different story.
 

The entrance to El Caballo Rojo, the Red Horse restaurant.

Our tapas lunch at the Red Horse restaurant. 
Grilled octopus, fried mixed seafood, stewed tripe, fried calamari rings.
We ordered tripe out of curiosity, but left most of it.

A leather workshop we visited during the afternoon's walk of the old town with Eduardo.

A leafy square.

A tranquil courtyard of a mansion that we all went in.
Cordoba is very hot in the summer, thus fountains are important to cool the air in summer.

The walk in the old town with Eduardo, he is the tall man in the center.

The ruins of a Roman temple near Cordoba's town center.

Tendillas Square, today's Cordoba town center.
The old town we just visited is a small area located to the south of this square.

X'mas lights in the new town area, along the Gran Capitan Ave.  

A street corner in the new town. We went looking for a restaurant for dinner.

After dinner the four of us walked to the old town to take a look at the Roman bridge. 
This was the spot outside the gift shop where our team gathered this morning after
"washing hands" and before entering the Mezquita on the left.
What a contrast! The area was totally deserted in the night.

This street bordering the north side of the Mezquita.  During the day there were
shops and restaurants along the left hand side, but were totally deserted in the night.

A surviving Roman bridge, just south of the Mezquita.

We took a cab from Roman bridge back to our hotel in the new town.