Moorish Courtyard

The medieval construction of the Alcázar was almost completely destroyed after transforming the building into a prison in the 19th century. It is a magnificent example of a floor which is purely Muslim, more specifically Moorish and rectangular, of those known in the Christian Andalusia thanks to the Almoravids. Its corridors form a central cross, whose intersection is the location for a water fountain. In both ends, on the shorter sides of the rectangle, there are two shallow pools, with stairs and spillage areas.

The layout of the Moorish Courtyard allows even four sections of gardens, lower than the corridors. In each section, there are orange trees, lemon trees, pomegranate tree, laurel… These gardens have a great oriental influence from Persia. It is thought that the plantations were created and managed by people from that region, with the advice and leadership of Muslims from Granada, Seville…

Annexed to the walls and old rooms, a stuccoed skirting board goes along decorated with two different types of geometric and Arabic, where only red, black and ochre were used. The main motifs are the crests of León and Castilla.

On the eastern side of the Moorish Courtyard,it borders with the constructions built in the 19th century, with the aim of providing the prison with appropiate cells. On the northern side, there is a façade with a lon vaulted gallery, with round arches in the outside. The courtyard borders on its western side with a wall, with battlements at the top, connecting the Tower of the Lions and the Inquisition. On this wall, we can see an access opening which has been bricked up, with an arch of Arabic origin, slighted pointed, as well as a big door connecting to the gardens of the Alcázar.

In the courtyard, there is a small column preserved, which was found in the excavation carried out in the year 1951, and it remembers the old Roman buildings located underground, such as the Customs or the Palaces of the Procurator and Quaestor. In the column, we can see that the base, part of the shaft and the capital are not in very good conditions.

If you wish to know the Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs and its Moorish Courtyard do not hesitate to hire one of our guided tours. We are experts in the interpretation of the historic heritage from Córdoba. If you have chosen to do sightseeing in Córdoba, choose a high quality option, choose ArtenCórdoba.

Text: J.A.S.C.