Córdoba

This weekend brought a welcome change of pace. I did not welcome the 4 hour roundtrip bus ride, but the excursion to Córdoba was definitely something to look forward to. The city of Córdoba is rich with history and home to The Holy Cathedral Church, as well as, the Jewish quarter that houses the Synagogue. 

Views of the City

The Cathedral, formerly the Mosque has undergone 4 expansions over the years. The first quarter, Abd-ar-Rahman I, was inspired by the Mosque of Damascus. The overlapping arches and the alternating brick and stone (red and beige) in the cross-section of the arches were modelled on the hispanic-roman tradition. The construction of the second quarter, Abd-ar-Rahman II, was carried out during the Independent Emirate and maintained the scheme of the preceding ruler. The third quarter, Al Hakam II, is characterized by beautiful mosaics that were used to build the mihrab (sacred place besode which the imam leads the prayer. The final expansion, Al-Mansur, consisted of 8 aisles alond the east side of the building, including the courtyard. In this quarter, the alternating colors of the arches are not produced with brick and stone, but paint to keep cost low. The Christian influence is apparent in the distinct Chapels, the Transept and the Choir. 


The Cathedral

We also had the opportunity to walk through the Jewish quarter of the city and visit the Synagogue. Cordoba's synagogue was built in 1350. It is the only synagogue in Andalucía to survive the expulsion and inquisition of the Jewish people in 1492. 

The most shocking part of Córdoba was the fact that there were so many families begging on the streets. I know that there are individuals that beg on the streets in the US too, but this was a whole different experience. People came right up to us, kids and all. All of the kids that were begging couldn't have been much older than 5. It made me so sad to think that this was the life that these kids were learning and that they had absolutely no say in the matter. I had to refrain from giving them all the money that I had on me, not knowing what they would do with it and knowing that I couldn't help them all. It broke my heart each time that we walked past one of these families, wanting to help and knowing that I couldn't.