"¡Mamá mira!"

Just a pleasant 40 C sunny day in Cordoba.
Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos: The word "alcazar" is of Arabic origin. It was ordered in 1328. Over time, it was home to the Umayyad caliphs and Isabella and Ferdinand. The only thing left of the original palace are some ruins, but the gorgeous gardens still reflect the Arabic style- lots of pools and fountains. There is a display of some original mosaics, dating back to reign of Emperor Augustus. Interesting fact: Though the mosaics are currently displayed on the wall, they were never used to decorate walls but always floors.

The Synagogue: It was built  in 1315 and is one of the few pre-Inquisition synagogues left in Spain. The synagogue was converted into a hospital and a chapel for some time before being restored as a synagogue/museum. I expected it to be a little bigger. The walls are decorated in mozarabe patterns and Hebrew writing.

Mezquita-Catedral de Cordoba: The building of the mosque began in 785. However, before the Great Mosque, there was a Roman temple and the Visigothic basilica of San Vincente on the spot. The orientation of the mosque should have been toward Meca, but this one was turned towards Damascus. 856 of the 900 pillars continue to stand in the mosque turned cathedral. The Maksura has thousands of tiny pieces of colored glass forming beautiful mosaic patterns along the walls and ceilings. The Cathedral was consecrated in 1236. The mosque was incorporated into the gothic, renaissance, and baroque structures of the cathedral. On the way out, there was a painting of Our Lady of Czestochowa. Funny, all the different places we find her. She was in a church in Mexico as well.

The main chapel and choir are stunning. From this comes the title of this post- a little boy called out to his mom to look at something he found in the choir. For some reason, it really stood out to me. Maybe it has something to do with how all mankind is drawn to beauty in one way or another.

From the Cathedral pamphlet:

"The visit to the Cathedral of Cordoba may awake the demand and the quest for a greater Beauty that will not wither with time. Because beauty, as truth and righteousness, are an antidote for pessimism, and an invitation to take pleasure in life, a shaking of the soul that provokes the longing for God."