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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 10 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Dana Facaros

Begun in the year 785, when Abd ar Rahman I made Cordoba the capital of al-Andalus, the Mezquita (Mosque-Cathedral). is a breathtaking tour de force designed to show that this western outpost of Islam was equal to anything in the east.

Its seemingly endless columns, horseshoe arches and beautiful double arches melt into distant shadows. Originally open on the sides, with light pouring in, it was walled-in when the Christians built a cathedral in the centre, itself a treasure-filled masterpiece although it seems intrusive in this magical forest of 580 columns, this pure meditation in stone.

Don’t miss

For a couple of euros more, you can also visit the recently restored Campanario Tower, the highest point in the city with breathtaking views over the Mezquita and Cordoba.

Go (back) at night: the Soul of Cordoba tour (with audio guide) costs a bit more, but includes a film, and uses sound and light that emphasise the Mezquita’s hypnotic beauty.

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Price from: £8
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Buy tickets online before you go, and pick up the audio or multimedia guide in English to get the most out of your visit, although there are also many excellent guided tours with priority entrance.

When to do it

The mosque and bell tower are open all year round, seven days a week (with a break for lunchtime prayer). The Soul of Cordoba tours run nightly.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba Guided Tour

Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba Guided Tour

Cordoba

Ideal Guided tour for those who want to know the Mosque - Cathedral of Cordoba in depth. It will be done by expert historians who will be ab...

€14 | Rating 4.71 / 5 [184 ratings]

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Cathedral Mosque without waiting for queues Enjoy with this Guided Tour

Cathedral Mosque without waiting for queues Enjoy with this Guided Tour

Cordoba

In this Guided Tour of the Mosque-Cathedral, the Official Guide will invite you to enjoy, traveling through the time tunnel to discover this...

€18 | Rating 4.97 / 5 [104 ratings]

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Cordoba Mosque Guided Tour

Cordoba Mosque Guided Tour

Cordoba

Discover the most relevant mosque in Cordoba, where we offer you a guided visit with our professional guide that will explain the technical ...

€24 | Rating 4.54 / 5 [132 ratings]

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Guided tour Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba

Guided tour Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba

Cordoba

Discover the most emblematic monument of Al-Andalus on a tour of the extraordinary Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. Our guides will make you tra...

€24 | Rating 4.97 / 5 [36 ratings]

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Hotel Balcon de Cordoba

Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain[0.2 miles]

An evocative 17th-century mansion with plush rooms, a charming courtyard, a panoramic rooftop bar and a superb location near La Mezquita.

Official star rating:

Hotel Madinat

Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain[0.3 miles]

Delightful 11-bedoom hotel for couples, packed full of quirky charm and local flavor, right in the heart of old Cordoba. 

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Cordoba

Andalusia, Spain

A fascinating city of labyrinthine lanes and Roman and Moorish monuments, including one of the world’s greatest buildings: the Mezquita.

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Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..

Stone hammam beds under arches beside the bathing pool
Experience

Hammam at Hammam Al Andalus

Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain[0.2 miles]

Next to La Mezquita, a small hammam in a traditional Andalusian brick, tiles and garden setting. The massages are excellent including the hot stone bed option; it’s so relaxing your two-hour slot will seem to fly by. Book online here.

Best for ages: 18+ | £29 | 1-3 hours

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Exterior of the marketplace, with many arches and people walking around
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El Zoco

Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain[0.3 miles]

Also known as the Mercado de la Artesania, this patio house in Calle Judio hosted the first handicraft shops in Spain. Come here to peruse the city’s traditional arts – leather, ceramics and silver – and watch silversmiths make delicate filigree.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Overview >
View inside the covered market, where stalls have seating and food on display
Experience

Victoria Market

Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain[0.8 miles]

Andalusia’s first food court occupies a 19th-century forged iron building, where 20 stalls sell delicacies from around the world, along with local goodies (the seafood is exceptional); tables in the gardens wait for tasting them in-situ.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Sunny ruins of the Upper Basilica building from the Medina Azahara
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Medina Azahara

Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain[7.9 miles]

The partially excavated and reconstructed halls, mosque, gate, porticoes and gardens of a 112-hectare mysterious palace city. It was built in the 10th century by Abd-ar-Rahman III, the first Caliph of Cordoba; now a World Heritage Site.

Best for ages: 18+ | £17

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Round-ups that include this experience

101 World’s greatest historic buildings

Multiple countries

The great civilisations of the past have left a legacy of constructions that still stand out and inspire. Built without the wonders of 20th-century technology, many are also monumental feats of engineering; others offer such grace and beauty, that they’ll literally take your breath away.

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