Medina Azahara, the “brilliant city.”

Medina Azahara (Madinat al-Zahra), or the “Brilliant City” for Muslims, was built on the foothills of the Cordoban mountain range (in the Chabdál al-Arus or “Mount of the Bride”) to the northwest of Córdoba city. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in Spain, commissioned by the first Cordoban Caliph, Abd al-Rahman III, an-Násir (“The Victorious”).

Medina Azahara, World Heritage Site

Medina Azahara was conceived as the new seat of the caliphate government and as the residence of the Caliph. But it was not just a palace, it was a true city endowed with a complex urban organization in which the civil and military administration of the new state was carried out. The palatine city also became a symbol of the independence of the Umayyad sovereign in contrast to the Eastern Islamic caliphates, the Abbasid of Damascus and the Fatimid of Egypt. With its construction, Abd al-Rahman III asserted his rightful claim to the title of Caliph and all it entailed: in the year 929, he proclaimed himself the highest political and religious leader of Islam as the successor of the Prophet Muhammad and Prince of the Believers, and, as such, it was fitting for him to govern and reside in a monumental building reflecting the grandeur and symbolism of his rank.

However, to understand the importance of Medina Azahara, one must understand that although it is essentially an archaeological site, from an artistic point of view it is one of the most original monumental complexes within Hispano-Muslim architecture and Islamic art in general. This is due to the fact that neither its structure nor its decoration has been altered by later modifications, allowing the excavated remains to provide us with a very accurate idea of what it looked like in its time.

Medina Azahara was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 1, 2018. Thus, it has become an essential monument of Córdoba. With this declaration, Córdoba became one of the cities with the most inscriptions on the UNESCO World Heritage list—a total of four—along with the Mosque-Cathedral, the Historic Center, and the Patios.

Historical and Cultural Importance

Medina Azahara, seat of the Umayyad Caliphate, is one of the most important archaeological sites in Spain.

Objectives of the Exhibition

Our goal is to provide the general public with knowledge of the city’s historical and artistic heritage in an engaging, rigorous, and as simple a manner as possible for both lay readers and university students in the humanities. Additionally, we aim to offer abundant high-quality graphic or photographic material, often found in research works that are difficult for readers to access or taken on-site.

Contents and Visits

In addition to this presentation, our exhibition will include an approach to the history of the caliphate’s capital, “Córdoba in the 10th century.” Afterwards, we will present a synthesis of the archaeological research on Medina Azahara. This will be followed by a general description of the site, along with an analysis of the main remains discovered in the excavations, focusing on the most interesting artistic and archaeological aspects. Finally, we will provide the most important tourist information.

If you wish to visit the palatine city of Medina Azahara, do not hesitate to book one of our guided tours. We are experts in the interpretation of Cordoban historical heritage. If you have chosen to go sightseeing in Córdoba, choose a quality option—choose ArtenCórdoba.

Text: Jesús Pijuán.