It has now been over seven years since I went to Cordoba in Andalusia in southern Spain. It was a city I had long wanted to visit, given that it has a particular history – stretching back to the Carthaginians, Romans, and the medieval Moors – that had long fascinated me. So, what did I see in Cordoba and what was the history that was so interesting? And what can we learn today from Cordoba’s past?
The city’s origins
It may have been the Carthaginians, from the north African city of Carthage, who founded Cordoba, before it was occupied by Carthage’s great rival – Rome – in 152 BC. The Encyclopedia Britannica states that “the city flourished under their (Roman) rule […] Under Augustus, the city became the capital of the prosperous Roman province of Baetica. It declined under the rule of the Visigoths from the 6th to the early 8th century”.
However, the 8th century AD was to be the start of Cordoba’s most glorious years as it was taken over by the Umayyad Caliphate, becoming the largest urban centre in western Europe, with a population of over 100,000.
Cordoba under the Umayyad Dynasty
In 711 AD, the Moors, from present-day Morocco, invaded what is now southern Spain, defeating the Visigoths who were in power. Merely five years later, the emir Al-Horr declared Cordoba an emirate under the rule of the Caliphate of Damascus in modern-day Syria. This position lasted until 756 AD, when Abd al-Rahman I took power and declared Cordoba an independent emirate, although still with strong ties to Damascus.
The most remarkable building in Cordoba was and still is the world-famous Mezquita, the construction of which began in 785 AD. Ancient Roman and Visigoth materials were used for this, especially for the columns, making the striking red and white arches that can be seen throughout. The Mezquita was enlarged in 833 AD by Abd-al Rahman II.
In 929 AD, ruler Abd al-Rahman III of the Umayyad dynasty declared Cordoba totally independent and founded the Caliphate of Cordoba. The economic and cultural development of the city picked up speed. It embodied a sophisticated culture and the most advanced bureaucracy in Europe. Cordoba built more than 300 mosques and about 300 public bathhouses. During this time, there were also many fountains and decorative tiles made.
The Mezquita was enlarged again by Al-Hakam II, a strong supporter of science, culture and art. He also built a library with as many as 400,000 volumes. Cordoba became a great scientific centre, and is also known as the origin of Islamic law.
In 1236 AD, Ferdinand III entered the city, and it became a Christian city. Consequently, in later centuries, a Christian cathedral in the centre of the Mezquita, which had become the second largest mosque in the world, surpassed only by the mosque in Mecca. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Cordoba, the multicultural city
What is particularly impressive about the history of Cordoba is that it is a city where three and arguably four cultures were able to co-exist: Muslim, Christian, Jewish and to some degree Roman. In the early years of the caliphate, Cordoba was a genuinely multicultural city, and whilst the Moors (who were Muslim) were in control, Jewish and Christian citizens, while having to pay taxes to the Caliphate, also had their rights, including the right to worship freely.
Indeed, one of the most famous historical figures from Cordoba’s glory years was Moses Maimonides, a Jewish man born in Cordoba in 1135 AD. He was a Jewish jurist, physician and philosopher, and is considered to be one of the greatest intellectual figures of medieval Judaism.
His first major work began at age 23 and was completed 10 years later, and was a commentary on the Mishna, a compendium of Jewish laws. He also wrote The Guide for the Perplexed in Arabic, “[constituting] a major contribution to the accommodation between science, philosophy, and religion.” His contributions in religion, philosophy, and medicine have influenced Jewish and non-Jewish scholars alike.
These were the kinds of things that could happen in Cordoba, as it flourished precisely because it was a multicultural city where Muslims, Jews and Christians could live safely and happily together. Thus, there was a cross-fertilisation of cultures, which led to the development of new ideas in philosophy, science, architecture and numerous other areas.
It is true that the caliphate slowly began to disintegrate and became more oppressive as the threat from Christian armies invading from the north during the Reconquista became greater. However, for over a hundred years, Cordoba was a beacon of learning, tolerance and innovation and truly an example of what multicultural societies can achieve.
Lessons for today
Cordoba is a great place to visit, with a unique mixture of historical attractions dating back to its days when it was the greatest city in western Europe and when people from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam lived peacefully and successfully together in one city. You can visit the Mezquita, stroll around the Jewish Quarter, with its famous synagogue, or take in any number of other attractions.
And Moses Maimonides was not the only great scholar to come out of Cordoba during this period, with Muslim and Christian scholars also contributing to human advancement.
The story of Cordoba is an excellent reminder to us all that multicultural societies can work, if given a chance. Indeed, the real story of Cordoba at its peak is that thanks to its multiculturalism it became such a great city.
We should all remember Cordoba.
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