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Travel Photos...Cordoba
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This is the exterior of the Alcazar in Cordoba. It was the residence of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella where they met with Christopher Columbus before his journey to the Americas.
The Alcazar has extensive gardens attached to it. The site of the Alcazar had been a Visigothic fortress before the Moors turned it into a palace with pleasure gardens.
This hall within the Alcazar in Cordoba was the seat of the Spanish Inquistion. Wikipedia has this to say about the notorious institution:

The Inquisition was originally intended in large part to ensure the orthodoxy of those who converted from Judaism and Islam. This regulation of the faith of the newly converted was intensified after the royal decrees issued in 1492 and 1501 ordering Jews and Muslims to convert or leave.

Various motives have been proposed for the monarchs' decision to fund the Inquisition such as increasing political authority, weakening opposition, suppressing conversos, profiting from confiscation of the property of convicted heretics, reducing social tensions and protecting the kingdom from the danger of a fifth column.

The body was under the direct control of the Spanish monarchy. It was not definitively abolished until 1834, during the reign of Isabella II, after a period of declining influence in the previous century.

This is a view of the ancient Roman bridge, looking back towards the old city of Cordoba. The dome and tower of the Cathedral (or Mesquita) dominate the skyline.
The Roman bridge looking towards the Calahorra Tower.
I am glad that I booked my hotel room early as there was hardly a bed left to let in Cordoba when I was there. The reason for the rush was the Festival of the Patios. This is now an annual event when the local home owners open their private patios to the public.

These usually hidden courtyards are filled with flowers and other kinds of decoration. As far as I could tell, most of the visitors were Spanish. Apparently, Cordoba's Festival of the Patios has taken off in Spain!

Quite a few of the patios had retractable awnings to keep the courtyards cool during the heat of the day. In some Spanish cities, awnings are stretched across whole streets. A great idea!
This is a park in the middle of a major avenue running along the edges of the Old City. It is a pleasant way to walk to the railway and bus stations.
This is the Chapel of San Bartolomeo, an interesting example of Moorish and Christian decoration.
These two were not buskers. They were just playing and singing for their own pleasure.
A couple of potters at work in their shop in one of the narrow streets of Old Cordoba.
This street in the Old City is wide enough for cars and horse drawn carriages. The couple in the centre were on the lookout for the nearest patio open to the public.
There are cobblestones throughout the Old City. It is a pleasure to walk through the narrow lanes and then to come across a lovely open square, such as this one. Cordoba is a great place in which to amble at a leisurely pace and to discover little gems.
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