Medina Azahara

At the foot of Sierra Morena and 8 kilometers from Córdoba is located Medina Azahara, the mysterious city that Abd-al Rahman III ordered to be built in 936 AD to be his place of residence and seat of the political power of the caliphate. to offer a strong and powerful image of the newly created Western Independent Caliphate, one of the largest medieval kingdoms in Europe.

In this way, Medina Azahara became the capital of Al-Andalus although it did not last long because, after the war that led to the fall of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba, from the year 1013 this palace complex was abandoned.

Many centuries passed before the archaeological remains of Medina Azahara were discovered, which happened in 1911, and since then work has been done to recover and restore them.

How to go to Medina Azahara from Córdoba?

By car

From Córdoba you have to take the A-432 road that goes to Palma del Río, which you take from the Ronda de Poniente. After about 4 kilometers to the right is the turnoff to Medina Azahara.

By bus

Every day there is a bus that leaves from the Paseo de la Victoria, with an initial stop at the Glorieta Hospital Cruz Roja and in front of the Mercado de la Victoria. It takes 20 minutes to get to the archaeological site.

Guided visit

The Cordoba tourist offices offer guided visits to Medina Azahara, lasting approximately 3 hours, for which it is necessary to reserve a place on one of the buses that lead to the place.

How to visit Medina Azahara

It is best to first visit the Medina Azahara Museum, which was inaugurated a decade ago to better understand the history of this archaeological site.

Once the visit is over, you have to take one of the shuttle buses that go up to the entrance of the site and another to go back down. The approximate time to visit Medina Azahara, including the museum tour, is between 2 and 5 hours.

Medina Azahara is arranged in three terraces surrounded by a wall, the Alcázar being the highest and the intermediate one. The lowest area was reserved for the houses and the mosque, built outside the walls. Historical sources suggest that Abd al-Rahman III did not skimp on materials to show the lavishness of the kingdom he ruled: beautiful purple and red marbles, gold and precious stones, as well as careful craftsmanship.

What to see in Medina Azahara?

Medina Azahara was built on several terraces on the side of the hill, forming a rectangular enclosure, overlooking the road that leads to Córdoba.

There is a viewpoint at the entrance of Medina Azahara from which you have wonderful views of the old palace complex, and from where you can see the layout of the houses and some of the city gates.

Also to the east, you can see the remains of the Aljama mosque, the main one in the city. On the tour of Medina Azahara you will see the Door of the House of Jafar, the caliph's prime minister, which maintains part of its original decoration. Of the remains, the highlight is its large door with three horseshoe arches.

Part of the fortress had a public character and it was where official visits took place. In the highest part is the Alto Salón, arranged in five naves with arcades. Further down is the Salón Rico, the central axis of the palace complex. Another outstanding space is the arches of the Great Portico, the main entrance to the Medina Azahara palace.

Due to the wars that ravaged al-Andalus at the beginning of the XNUMXth century, the site suffered great damage until it was in ruins. The effort to create an impressive city lasted only seventy years.

Hours and prices

In autumn and winter (from September 16 to March 31), the hours are from 9 a.m. to 18 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday and on Sundays, until 15,00:1 p.m. In spring (from April 15 to June 9), Medina Azahara is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 20 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Sundays and holidays, from 15,00 a.m. to XNUMX p.m. On Mondays it is closed for visitors.

Regarding the price of admission to Medina Azahara, it is free for citizens of the European Union. For the rest of visitors it has a price of 1,5 euros.