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Stories, history and food traditions from Córdoba (Page 14)

Long-form editorial pieces written by resident correspondents: cultural deep-dives, the origins of local dishes, and the people and traditions that shape everyday life in Córdoba.

Berenjenas con miel origin: golden fried aubergine rounds with dark miel de caña on a terracotta plate in an Andalusian courtyard, the cane syrup pooling at the base of crisp battered slices, warm natural light catching the glaze

Berenjenas con Miel: Moorish Roots of Córdoba's Sweetest Tapa

Pedro Del Pozo Updated

The Moorish origin of berenjenas con miel traces to 8th-century Al-Andalus, where fried aubergines and honey defined sweet-savoury cooking in Córdoba.

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The remnants of Madīnat al-Zahrā's grand halls where Al-Hakam II's legendary 400,000-manuscript library once stood, destroyed during the Fitna civil war. Al-Hakam II library Córdoba.

Al-Hakam II's Library: 400,000 Books That Vanished

Sophie Marchand Updated

Al-Hakam II's library at Madinat al-Zahra, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, held 400,000 manuscripts in the 960s. Almanzor burned the philosophy books.

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Interior of the Mezquita-Catedral of Córdoba, symbol of convivencia in medieval Córdoba, showing red-and-white striped double arches of jasper and marble receding into shadow, the Renaissance cathedral nave visible in the background, photorealistic golden-hour light

Convivencia: The Story Córdoba Tells About Itself

Sophie Marchand Updated

Convivencia, the interfaith harmony idea tied to medieval Córdoba, was coined in 1948. What the actual history shows is more complex and more interesting.

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Córdoba patio festival courtyard during the May competition, flower-covered walls and central fountain

Why Córdoba's Patios Open for Only Two Weeks a Year

María Fernanda González Updated

Córdoba's patios are private homes, not museums. Six reasons explain the short window — about two weeks, UNESCO's 'twelve days' — all residents can offer.

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Interior of the Córdoba Synagogue at Calle de los Judíos, Mudéjar stucco arches and women's gallery with Hebrew inscriptions visible on upper walls, warm directional light, photorealistic

The Córdoba Synagogue's Five Lives Since 1315

Sophie Marchand Updated

Built in 1315 as a private yeshiva, the Córdoba Synagogue survived pogroms, became a rabies hospital, then a cobblers' chapel, before rediscovery in 1885.

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Flamenquín cordobés history: a golden crispy fried pork roll on a rustic ceramic plate at a traditional Córdoba taberna, sliced open to reveal the jamón serrano filling, natural Andalusian light on a stone counter

A 1908 Córdoba Ad Offered Flamenquín. Is It the Dish We Eat Now?

Pedro Del Pozo Updated

The word flamenquín appears in a Córdoba newspaper in 1908; the only dated recipe story is Andújar 1939. What the record proves, and why both towns claim it.

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Aerial view of the Medina Azahara archaeological site near Córdoba, medina azahara history discovery, three terraces cut into the Sierra hillside with the Salón Rico arches partially restored, surrounding unexcavated land extending to the horizon, photorealistic warm afternoon light

Medina Azahara: The Palace-City Buried for a Thousand Years

Sophie Marchand Updated

Built by Abd al-Rahman III in 936 CE, sacked in 1010, and buried for nine centuries, Medina Azahara is now roughly 9% excavated and UNESCO listed since 2018.

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Reconstruction view of the original Great Mosque of Córdoba founded by abd al-rahman i cordoba in 785 CE, striped red and white double arches over Roman and Visigothic columns, golden midday light through the prayer hall, photorealistic

Abd al-Rahman I: The Fugitive Who Founded Córdoba

Sophie Marchand Updated

Abd al-Rahman I survived the massacre of his Umayyad family in 750 CE, fled six years across North Africa, and founded the Emirate of Córdoba at just 25.

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The Puente Romano of Córdoba from the south bank of the Guadalquivir at golden hour, sixteen arches spanning the river, the Mezquita-Catedral tower visible behind, roman bridge cordoba history

Córdoba's Roman Bridge Has Only Two Arches Called Roman

Sophie Marchand Updated

Córdoba's Roman Bridge has 16 arches, and only two are usually called Roman. From an emir's rebuild around 720 to the 2008 restoration, here is what you cross.

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Ibn Hazm writing the Ring of the Dove in medieval Al-Andalus Córdoba, scholar at a candlelit desk with Arabic manuscript and quill, warm ochre tones, photorealistic

Ibn Hazm's Ring of the Dove: Córdoba's Love Treatise

Sophie Marchand Updated

Ibn Hazm's Ring of the Dove (1022 CE) is the medieval Arab world's most searching analysis of love and one of the most readable books to survive Al-Andalus.

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Sevillanas vs flamenco: dancer in traje de flamenca performing in a Córdoba tablao, red-and-white striped arches in the background, castanets raised

Sevillanas vs Flamenco: What Tourists Always Confuse

Sophie Marchand Updated

Sevillanas is a four-copla folk dance anyone can learn in an afternoon. Flamenco takes years and depends on duende. Here's the real difference, explained.

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Horse-drawn carriages carrying the Virgen de la Salud image through Córdoba's streets during the May procession, women in traje de flamenca alongside, Puente de Miraflores in the background

Virgen de la Salud: The Story Behind Córdoba's Feria

Sophie Marchand Updated

Two plowmen, a marble-coped well, and 200 years of healing devotion: the 1665 discovery that made the Virgen de la Salud patroness of the Feria de Córdoba.

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