Patio of the Pillars

The space known as the Patio of the Pillars is located to the north of the “Vivienda de la Alberca“. It is organized around open lintelled galleries supported by square pillars arranged around the patio. On all sides of the complex, except the south, a series of rooms precede the mentioned galleries; on that southern side, there is a street coming from the “Service Dwellings” –mentioned earlier– through which a main water supply conduit runs. The latrines, as in the “Upper Dwellings“, were located in the eastern corner of the northern side, preceded by a patio.

Layout of the rooms

Each group of rooms connects to their respective galleries through access openings, protected by horseshoe arches resting on pillars. The rooms on the north and east sides are arranged as central, elongated rooms extended in width, ending in small square alcoves at each end.

The layout of the Patio of the Pillars with large rooms suggests its use as a place for holding meetings and councils rather than as a private residence. In contrast, on the west side, the two existing rooms were arranged in parallel and, to highlight their importance compared to the others, they were paved with white marble, while the rest used violet-colored limestone.

Staircase and internal connections

The open space that remained to the north of the most important rooms of the patio –those on the west side, as mentioned– was not used to build more rooms, but rather a staircase –of the minaret type– was built there, turning to the right around a central wall.

The staircase provided access to a structure above the aforementioned rooms or to the upper terrace, and beneath its northern section ran a passageway that connected to the westernmost of the two mentioned rooms and led to the foot of the private rooms of Caliph Abd al-Rahman III.

Historical transformations

The construction of the Patio of the Pillars represented one of the most important restructurings undergone by Medina Azahara throughout its history, because originally, in this part of the palatial city, there were two large dwellings arranged from north to south; of these, only remains of the southern dwelling survive, specifically, the small pool found in the center of its northern side.

Outstanding artistic elements

From an artistic point of view, it is worth noting the presence of a Roman-era sarcophagus, located in the center of the patio and facing the rooms on the west side. The sarcophagus was used as a water basin and stands out for its mythological decoration (depiction of the Hunt of Meleager).

Visit to the Patio of the Pillars

If you’re wondering what to visit in Córdoba, a good option would be the archaeological site of Medina Azahara by choosing one of our guided tours. There, we will dedicate a special section to the Patio of the Pillars. Choosing to enjoy quality tourism means choosing ArtenCórdoba.

Text: Jesús Pijuán.