Jewish Quarter evening in Córdoba

The Jewish Quarter itself

Wikipedia describes the old Jewish quarter, near the cathedral, as many irregular streets that preserve some of the city's medieval look. It contains a museum, the Casa de Sefarad, and the synagogue, built in 1315. The venue itself describes its house as standing in the Jewish Quarter, a World Heritage area, a few minutes from the Mosque-Cathedral. For an evening around a show, the streets are the sight; there is no need to book anything.

The Mosque-Cathedral

The Great Mosque was begun in 785 by order of Abd al-Rahman I and turned into a cathedral in 1236, Wikipedia says; UNESCO has listed it as World Heritage since 1984. In 1994 the status was extended to the whole historic centre. Its courtyard is the Patio de los Naranjos, the Courtyard of the Orange Trees. Seen from outside in the evening, the building makes a landmark for finding your way back through the lanes.

The Calleja de las Flores

Wikipedia calls the Calleja de las Flores one of the most popular tourist streets of Córdoba: a narrow street that ends in a plaza. Its white walls are hung with flowerpots, and in photographs the bell tower of the Mosque-Cathedral sits at the far end. It is short enough to walk in a few minutes, and quiet enough to make a good last stop before or after a show.

The Roman bridge and the Calahorra

The Roman bridge over the Guadalquivir was built in the early 1st century BC, Wikipedia says, and for two thousand years was the city's only bridge. It was pedestrianised in 2004. At its southern end stands the Calahorra tower, a fortified tower that houses the Al-Andalus Living Museum. The bridge is part of the historic centre listed in 1994, and in the evening the lit bridge and the lit cathedral together make the classic view of the city.

Patios

Córdoba's courtyards are a tradition of their own. Wikipedia says that in the second and third week of May, during the Festival de los Patios, many houses in the old centre open their private courtyards to visitors, and that UNESCO recognises the festival as intangible cultural heritage. Outside the festival, some patios stay open as museums or gardens, such as the Palacio de Viana; check the current hours on their own sites before going.

Putting the evening together

A simple evening has three parts: a walk to the Mosque-Cathedral and the Calleja de las Flores before the show, the show itself at Tablao Cardenal for eighty minutes, and a slow walk down towards the Roman bridge afterwards. The ticket does not include a meal, so book dinner separately for before or after. Leave extra time to find the door on Calle Buen Pastor in streets that were not laid out for maps.

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