19: 3/21 Travel to Happiness, Cordoba: The Center of Islamic Culture

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19: 3/21 Travel to Happiness,  Cordoba: The Center of Islamic Culture




  We had a leisurely lunch at a bar in the central square of Seville, and around 2 PM, we departed for Córdoba, the oldest city in the Andalusia region. On the way, we had planned to stop by a town called Italica, which has Roman-era ruins, but we were feeling increasingly tired, so we decided to go straight there and rest a bit. Around 5 PM, we checked into a hotel in front of 'El Corte Inglés,' a Spanish department store chain located in the old town center, and decided to relax and do some shopping nearby for today.

  We asked the hotel manager to recommend traditional local dishes and good restaurants, and he suggested a restaurant called Pepe on the way to the Mezquita. He also mentioned that a traditional dish to try is oxtail.
    The dinner opening time at the Spanish restaurant is said to be 8:30 PM. These people eat about five times a day: breakfast, brunch, lunch, a small snack between lunch and dinner, and dinner is usually around 8-9 PM.

I was a little worried. I wondered if eating dinner and drinking so late would be harmful to health. However, perhaps because they talk a lot while eating, they are less overweight than people in the US or Canada.
   Female students dropped at clothing store, and at 8:30 PM, we went to 'Pepe'.
 I tried eating oxtail dish paired with the local House Wine, and the oxtail dish was similar to what we have, but the spices were slightly different. However, it was as delicious as it is in a famous restaurant.
Actually, tomorrow (the 22nd) is my wife's 66th birthday, so we decided to go to a nice restaurant.


                               

To celebrate our visit, the house chef brought a cake with 'Republic of Korea' written on it, though a bit awkwardly, as a dessert. We were touched. A famous place truly has something special.

Moved by the dessert, take a commemorative photo with the waiter.
                   

After dinner, I returned to the hotel while enjoying the night view of the Mezquita nearby.
                   

On the way , I stopped by a Jewish village . Carrying a strange palanquin and marching solemnly But no one could ask what kind of event this was .


  Cordoba is said to have been the center of the Andalusia region since the Roman colony period. Seneca, the philosopher and tutor of Roman Emperor Nero, is said to have been from this city. Cordoba became famous when Muslims invaded in 711, developing it into the center of Islamic kingdoms in Europe and North Africa. While Europe was in the "Dark Ages," Cordoba became a hub for the transmission of Islamic culture and art, and many ancient Greek and Roman texts were preserved in Arabic. It also saw the establishment of one of the first academies in a mosque.During the reign of Abd al-Rahman III, who declared the Caliphate in 929, the city experienced its golden age, with a population exceeding one million and around 300 mosques. Culturally and artistically, Islamic, Christian, and Jewish cultures coexisted and merged, making it a center of cultural and artistic flourishing greater than that of Europe, and even the Islamic cities of Mecca and Baghdad at the time.In 1234, when Christians reconquered the territory during the Reconquista, Muslims were pushed out, and the city declined.Today, it has declined to a city of around 300,000 people.
                 

I arrived at the Mezquita around 9 a.m. It is said to be a symbol of Córdoba. It is an Islamic mosque built by Abd al-Rahman I in 780 on top of a church of the Visigothic kingdom.
                   

In step with the development of Córdoba, it was expanded three times and is a massive mosque that can accommodate about 25,000 people. Passing through the Gate of Forgiveness, one purifies oneself at the pond in the Orange Garden before entering the mosque. On the mirror-like marble floor, 850 vertical lines soar toward the arch-filled ceiling. Among the breathtaking stone columns, there is no clash of faith. There is only coexistence.
                                   

The ornate carvings of the mosque pillars,
                   

Bracket-shaped arches built with marble and red bricks
             

A Christian chapel inside the Mezquita
                                 

Leaving the Mosque and heading to the Alcázar
                     

The water wheel at that time drew water from the Kuwaldvikar River to supply it.
                                               

Roman-era relic, the Roman Bridge; it is said to have been built during the reign of Emperor Augustus and was later repaired by the Islamic period.
                               

Roman-era ruins and mosaic paintings inside the Alcázar
                                 

                            A tough journey, but my female student has a bright face; Alcazar's garden, in the style of Islán.
The fountain garden is beautiful. Here, I met a Korean couple in their 40s.
They were backpacking for a month.
                                 

Potro Plaza: The inn where Cervantes stayed is on the left. (See the travel essay Don Quixote section for reference)
                       

At Koredera Square, something like a mixed-use residential and commercial apartment, many people gather. I met students visiting Roman ruins and took a commemorative photo with them. I tried to send this photo by mail to the addresses they provided, but it didn’t reach them.
           

A Roman-era temple; it's currently under restoration.
                   

The crucifixion of Christ on the cross, to atone for the sins of humanity and bring salvationPraying to Jesus, who died on the cross, for the salvation and love of humanity
                         

Yutein Street seen during the day: Flower baskets are hung up, blending well with the white walls.
Having lunch at a bar and depart for Zafra, the first city of the 'Silver Road' in Extremadura.

The Silver Road stretches from Seville, Zafra, Mérida, Cáceres, Salamanca, León, to the northern coastal city of Oviedo. It is said to have been built during the Roman era to transport minerals, including silver from this region, as well as abundant agricultural products, to Rome. Gradually, the road heads towards the Spanish interior and north, and it also facilitates journeys to Portugal and southern France.

저작자 표시컨텐츠변경비영리