Día Cuatro: Córdoba

Me levanto en la manana sentando como P. Diddy. Or I wake up at * in the morning, ready to go back to sleep. Today, my program had a scheduled trip to Cordoba and I needed to be on the bus at 9 am. I have yet to get a good sleep in Spain, but I do not want to miss anything. We left from Puerta de la Derecha at Universidad de Sevilla. Cordoba is an interesting city for many reasons. It used to be one of the most intellectual hotspots in Spain, so there are a lot of important historical locations within the city limits. There is also a mix of cultures in Cordoba that is very typical of Southern Spain. during the Reconquista of Spain, many of the Jewish and Muslim landmarks were converted to Christian places of worship, but there are very distinct marks in the architecture that reveal the original intents of the buildings. For example, one of the 'churches' we visited wass decorated with traditional Jewish mosaics and had a split level in the temple, one level for men and the other for women and children. There were also Muslim arcs covering the city, especially in La Catedral de Cordoba. This cathedral is the perfect example of mixted cultures in Andalucia, as half of the building is covered in thousands of gorgeous Muslim arcs while the other half is decorated in traditional Christian statues and figures of the crucifixion and saints. Another interesting thing about Cordoba is that before the Reconquista, most interactions between the three religions occupying the city were peaceful. After the tour was concluded, our guide suggested we cross the river to check out the festival. It was similar to fairs in the United States, but there was a very distinct dress code.