The Service Housing

As we have seen, the residential function is clear in the “Upper Dwellings“, which is not the case in the so-called Service Dwellings, where the staff worked to meet the food needs of the high-ranking officials who occupied the large residences located further south in Medina Azahara.

The Western Dwelling

However, this statement needs to be qualified, as the western dwelling may have had a residential use in addition to a service one: from an archaeological point of view, no architectural element has been preserved in this dwelling that would definitively confirm the latter use.

Therefore, it should be noted that the western dwelling was connected to the inner street coming from the “eastern service dwelling” and to the aforementioned “Upper Trapezoidal Space” by means of a staircase attached to the north side of the building’s courtyard. Furthermore, it can be stated with certainty that the western dwelling had an upper floor, accessed via the aforementioned staircase.

The Eastern Dwelling

As for the eastern dwelling, the domestic use we mentioned above is clearly evidenced. Organized around a courtyard, two parts can be distinguished in the dwelling, separated by a large double-leaf outer door.

Residential Space and Work Area

At the eastern end, there is an important cluster of rooms with a front portico and latrine, forming a hierarchical and autonomous unit with respect to the rest of the building. This space, of a residential nature, was likely occupied by the head of kitchens (sahib al-matbah) responsible for overseeing and directing the activity carried out in the other rooms, which are characterized by elements related to food handling, such as the oven, in addition to a double latrine that marks them as a heavily used work area.

Intermediate Spaces and Islamic Regulations

Both dwellings are separated by an intermediate room, which housed a storeroom—where products cooked in the oven of the eastern dwelling would be stored—and a facing bath to maintain the hygiene of the service dwelling staff.

This separation was made to comply with Muslim legal provisions in this regard, which stated that ovens should not be located near dwellings in order to avoid the obvious inconveniences of odors and smoke for the residents.

Relationship with the Large Residences in the Southern Sector

To the south of these dwellings, as previously mentioned, are two of the most important residences excavated so far in the palatine city of Medina Azahara, which we will now discuss separately: the eastern dwelling is known as the “House of Ya’far“, while the western dwelling is called the “Pool House“, residences that shared a bath used interchangeably by the tenants of both buildings.

Visiting the Service Dwellings

If you’re wondering what to visit in Córdoba, a great 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 Service Dwellings. Choosing quality tourism means choosing ArtenCórdoba.

Text: Jesús Pijuán.