MONUMENTS
MEDINA
AZAHARA
MEDINA AZAHARA
It was commissioned by ‘Abd al-Rahman III, who had just proclaimed himself the first caliph of the West. The construction of this palatine city of great dimensions (it covered up to 277 acres) was completed in the middle of the 10th century. To date, only a tenth of it has been reconstructed and restored: the aristocratic area. Here were the Caliph’s private residence, the Prime Minister’s house, the seat of the governing bodies, the mosque outside the walls of the Caliph’s palace and the reception hall known as the Salón Rico (Rich Hall).
It is one of the most important archaeological sites in Spain and is currently being promoted as a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Site status, under the name of “Caliphate City of Medina Azahara”.
It is considered one of the most original and authentic examples of Hispano-Muslim architecture, as its structure and ornamentation have not been modified or altered since its discovery.
Legend has it that Caliph ‘Abd al-Rahman III had this palace city built in the foothills Cordoba’s Mountain Range in honor of his favorite slave, Azahara.
In time, this fable was disproved by researchers, who concluded the purpose of this magnificent building was to demonstrate the power of the Caliph. In this way, he showed his greatness to the foreign authorities who visited him.
Unfortunately, the splendor of this building was short-lived, as it was destroyed some 70 years later by the Berber rebellion led by Sulaiman al-Mustain. As a result, in the centuries that followed it was barbarously plundered and pillaged.
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