Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos - Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos -

Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos

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Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos - Córdoba

Palace and fortress, but don´t forget its gardens; simply fantastic, with ponds with fish, orange trees, fountains, and flowers.

Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos - Visitors Guide

Alcazar of the Catholic Monarchs

A fortified palace, the Alcazar of the Catholic Monarchs in Cordoba was built in the 14th Century under Alfonso XI on the same site where an Arab Alcazar stood. The Alcazar is without a doubt one of the top sights in Cordoba

Tours to the Alcazar of the Catholic Monarchs

Tickets to the Alcazar can be bought at the entrance though we would recommend booking before hand. Guided tours are also great options to ensure your visit runs smoothly.

Alcazar Guided Tour with Skip the line

A very good option. It includes access tickets and it is very affordable
Great value

Alcazar, Mosque & Sinagogue guided tour

A very complete option to the 3 top highlights in Cordoba. Great price too
Combo offer

One of the most outstanding elements of the Alcazar is its magnificent park, which has survived in Arab style. It is interesting to note that what is today a top tourist attraction in Cordoba used to be a prison in the XIX century.

Many people decide to visit the Alcazar because it is near the Mosque of Cordoba and a very convenient visit in this sense. The best-preserved wall (which can be visited) is the Northern Wall. It faces the city and connects the tower of Lions with the tribute tower. The Alcazar has an almost square shape: 66 meters long and 62 meters wide.

Many visitors are not as impressed by its interior as they are by the gardens. There are however very interesting items like the Roman mosaics in one of the Halls and an impressive, unusual, and large Roman sarcophagus which is supposed to have been used for a whole family.

Besides its beauty, the Alcazar is very rich in history. Isabella and Ferdinand, the Catholic Monarchs, lived in the Alcazar for almost 9 years and it was here, at the Alcazar, where they first met Christopher Columbus and also where they planned war to conquer Granada (located 155 kilometers from Cordoba)

History of the Alcazar

The Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos was built in 1328 by the Castilian King Alfonso XI on the remains of the old Caliphate Palace. But the fortification had been used well before the Arabs arrived in Cordoba since vestiges of Roman and Visigothic origin have also been discovered.

Probably the most remarkable part of its story is that the Catholic Monarchs lived in this building for eight years, a fact that explains the name of the Alcazar.

The Catholic Monarchs were buried in the Cathedral of Granada. Both the Alcazar in Cordoba and Granada Cathedral share being in the shadow of the top highlights of each city (the Mosque and the Alhambra) and in both cases, they are mainly well-known due to their connection with the Catholic monarchs.

Subsequently, the Alcazar or Cordoba was used for other purposes (like it was also the case of the Alcazar of Toledo or the Alcazar in Segovia). In the case of the Alcazar of Cordoba, the building was a prison and also a main building for the Inquisition.

 

Tower of the Lions 

During your visit (in case you do not opt for a guided tour) we recommend you start your itinerary by walking up to enjoy the Tower of the Lions. From this tower, you will be able to admire the panoramic views of the fortress, its gardens, and its surroundings in the center of Cordoba.

The tower is also an excellent viewpoint to enjoy Córdoba. The silhouette of the Great Mosque is in the foreground, and also with views of the Roman bridge and the Guadalquivir River.

 

Roman Mosaics Museum

From the Tower of the Lions, the walls lead to the Torre del Homenaje, from where you will enter the interior of the Alcázar de Los Reyes Cristianos building. Do not expect rich decorations. On the contrary, the interior is sober, with some pieces of furniture and interesting objects that are a preamble to the Museum which, inside the Alcazar, showcases a good number of mosaics that date back from Roman times. The highlight of this part of the Alcazar is a Roman sarcophagus, though the most prominent corner of the building is the so-called Hall of Mosaics, a large room where the largest Roman mosaics are exhibited.

Inside the Alcazar building, you will also see the outstanding space of the Royal Baths.

 

Royal Alcazar gardens

The gardens are without a doubt the most impressive part of the visit. They offer a pleasant walk where the fountains are the main protagonists. You will enjoy various ponds, palm trees, cypresses, lemon trees …

 

Alcazar of the Catholic monarchs – Video

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