Medina Azahara

In the tenth century, Abd al-Rahman III declared himself caliph and built a new city to match the title. Madinat al-Zahra, known today as Medina Azahara, rose in terraces on the slopes of the Sierra Morena a few kilometres west of Córdoba, with the caliph’s residence and reception halls at the top, administrative buildings and gardens below, and houses, mosques and workshops for thousands of people. It was the seat of government and a showpiece for foreign embassies, decorated with carved stone, marble and fountains. Within a century it had been sacked during the civil wars that broke up the caliphate, and its stone was carried off for other buildings, so it lay buried for nearly a thousand years. Excavation began in the early twentieth century and continues today, and only part of the city has been uncovered. What you see is a wide hillside of walls, streets and courtyards, with highlights such as the great portico, the restored arches of the upper buildings and the views over the Guadalquivir valley. A modern visitor centre at the foot of the site explains it with models and finds. This page links to the Tiqets venue page, where the main product is a guided tour in English and Spanish.

Getting there: the site is about seven kilometres from the city centre, on the road to Palma del Río, and it is not an easy trip on your own. Visitors arriving by private car park at the visitor centre and must take a shuttle bus up to the archaeological site for a small fee. A couple of suburban bus lines pass nearby but stop some way from the entrance. A guided tour that includes transport is the simplest answer, so check the inclusions when you choose your product on Tiqets.

Practicalities: Medina Azahara is closed on Mondays and on a handful of holidays, including 1 and 6 January, 1 May and 24, 25 and 31 December. Hours vary through the year, with shorter hours on Sundays, so check the official calendar for your date. Entry is free for EU citizens and costs only a token amount for others, so the value of a paid tour lies in the transport and the guide. The Salón Rico, the richly carved reception hall of Abd al-Rahman III, has long been under restoration and has opened only on limited terms, so ask your guide whether it can be seen during your visit.

Making the most of it: start in the visitor centre, where the scale model and the excavated objects give you a picture of the city before you see the ruins. On the site itself, wear good shoes, as paths are uneven and slope steeply between terraces, and bring water and a hat, since there is little shade. Allow half a day in total with the transfer. It pairs naturally with a visit to the Mezquita, because the al-Hakam II extension in the city was built by the same court that finished the palace-city.