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Day 7 included a visit through Cordoba on the way back to Madrid. This is a fortification guarding the bridge over the river.
A old water wheel on the river as we walk across the bridge.
The Mezquita-Catedral, or Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, was once the largest mosque in the world.
This gate enters into the outer courtyard, where the ritual cleansing would take place.
In the courtyard, a view to the bell tower added after Christian takeover.
Inside the mosque, with a combination of cultures. The Roman pillars were all recycled into use for the mosque.
Around the edges are private (in this case Catholic) altars.
It's hard to get perspective, but this is a view down through a glass inlaid in the floor, so you can see the Visigoth temple that it was originally.
Roman pillars made into Moorish arches in front of Catholic altars.
The mosque was essentially a large, open space where thousands could come and pray. When the Christians re-conquered Cordoba, they of course built a hugh cathedral right in the center of the mosque. Oh, yeah, they sprinkled holy water everywhere to help "purify" the new cathedral.
Moorish arches and Christian stained glass.
Moorish arches and a Christian cross on the lower left, with Renaissance arches in the ceiling.
You can see in any direction that the mosque was just a large open area for prayer. The most unusual thing to me is that it did
not
face east-southeast toward Mecca; it faces south toward the birthplace of another prophet.
More Christian gold and silver (probably from the New World).
The happy wanderers.
Right smack in the middle of the mosque is now this Christian Cathedral...
...with this main altar.
More testament to the various cultures is this medieval synagogues, one of only three original ones remaining.
Here you can see the clearly Moorish decor, with the clearly Hebrew lettering inscribed below.
A statue to Maimonides, a scholar and physician from the 12th century. His shoes are shiny because it is supposedly good luck to touch them.
This is the bridge that we originally came across, as we make our way back out of the city.
Look, Hans has his own bus here!
Back we finally make it to Madrid, where the Christmas lights are now all turned on. The next day it's up and to the airport at 4:00 am, so no pictures there.