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The Roman mausoleum of Córdoba, an ancient structure, is a cylinder shaped funerary monument which belongs to the Republican era and was built the 1st century AD. In 1993, during the construction of the Jardin de la Victoria and Jardin Diego de Rivas, workers found the remains of a Roman mausoleum. Post its discovery, it was reconstructed following the original pattern. It stands near the road that connected the ancient city with Hispalis (now Seville), and exited from the city by the western gate, or “Porta Principalis Sinistra” (Puerta de Gallegos).

The structure comprises of a chamber tomb which housed the Urn, as well as remains of the basement, cornices, and crenellated parapet. Because this mausoleum bears similarity to other mausoleums in Rome and Italy, historians suggest that it may have been designed by an Italic architect.

The Roman Mausoleum of Cordoba is an example of an ancient Roman law that once carried out burials at the sides of the roads outside the city that connected Cordoba to Seville.

The mid-sized city of Cordoba in Spain holds pride in its status as a World Heritage Site and its culturally diverse population. One of the major tourist attractions in Cordoba is the Mezquita, the huge former mosque-turned-cathedral.

The structure was built in 786 as a mosque under the patronage of the Muslim rulers. With the advent of the Christian Reconquista of Cordoba in 1236, the structure underwent a transformation as a church and four centuries later a cathedral at the center of the building was constructed.

The Mezquita has a massive bell tower on the building’s north side. The structure looks almost like a fortress with an elaborate set of Moorish-style archway and windows spaced every so often.

The Patio de los Naranjos, or Court of the Oranges own remarkable beauty with its symmetrically lines grove of orange trees. There is a beautiful fountain in the middle. The Patio is free to enter and is open during the day as a public park – the ticket booths are located on the bell tower side of the courtyard.

The Mihrab in the Mezquita is a spectacular archway decorated with Arabic writing which was the focus of the mosque, as it faced in the direction of Mecca and was what every Muslim faced as they knelt on the floor to pray . In the corner of the building nearby are glass cases with artifacts excavated from beneath the Mezquita, and the walls along the side of the building are lined with chapels, each one with an intricate piece of artwork.

At the center of the building, there is a tall cathedral which is decorated and illuminated richly in the interiors. The tourists cannot help but admire and ponder over the striking similarities and differences between Muslim and Christian architecture.

The city of Cordoba bears remnants of its Roman, Moorish and Christian rulers in the form of the city walls the remains of which form a major attraction of the city. The Romans laid down the layout of the city which lasts even today. Their walls were maintained by the Moors and later Christian rulers. Even today, visitors may recognize the whole extent and the former importance of the walls.

Cordoba ‘s earliest walls date from the Roman Republic , and completely surrounded the city. For Romans, city walls were sacred and those who scaled them instead of passing through the city gates faced the death penalty. Islamic cities expanded more freely than Roman cities, and they held less respect for their walls. The Moors called the old Roman city the Medina, and its walls stayed the same. As Christians from the north drew nearer to Cordoba,the new rulers made changes to the walls creating new boundaries.  A new wall was built around Cordoba ‘s eastern suburbs, called the Axerquía (al-Sarquiyya). Christian repairs to the city’s walls were made in both stone and rammed-earth (tapial), and it is often difficult to distinguish between Moorish and Christian work because the Christians often hired Moslem workmen living under Christian rule ( Moriscos ).

In the 19th century, the invasion of Spain by Napoleon led to the destruction of these walls as little by little, stretches of wall, towers and gates were torn down to make way for new streets. Among the outlasting remains there are three city gates: the 10th century Seville Gate (Puerta de Sevilla), the Jew Gate, and the Bridge Gate which is also known as Triumphal Arch. Largely untouched portions of the wall can be found along the river to the west of the Roman Bridge, in Cairuan Street (Calle de Cairuan), as well as in Marrubial Street (Ronda de Marrubial).

Cordoba lies in Southern Spain and is the capital of the province of Cordoba. This moderately-sized modern city has a number of parks and gardens where the locals and tourists, young and old can take respite from the humdrum of city life and relax in the arms of nature. Here are some of the famous parks and gardens of Cordoba:

Gardens of the Royal Fortress
This is a famous attraction of Cordoba featuring large basins and fanciful fountains, lovely arranged palm and orange trees, and a wide range of flora.

Botanical Garden
Lying adjacent to the Guadalquivir river, this is one of the largest parks of Cordoba. It also has an ethnobotanical museum which is dedicated to the relations between human beings and plants. The garden has a vast collection of Mediterranean plants along its hiking trail and plants from different climates in its greenhouse. The garden is divided into eight different theme areas, including a tree area, a rose garden, a botanical school, and a section dedicated to Canary plants. The park also features several offers for blind visitors, including a garden of flavor and Braille descriptions.

Alcazar Gardens
Stretching to a wide span of 55 thousand square meters, Alcazar has several water spouts and various plants of all shapes and sizes. You will also find a goldfish pond in the center of the walkway bordered with tall greens. Cordoba Guitar Festival and several other musical concerts are held here.

Sierra De Cardeña Y Montoro Natural Park
Standing in the north eastern peripheral of Cordoba, the park has several dozens of bird species, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians along with oak trees, pine trees, and olive trees. The park is also rich with granite rocks, locally called bolas , that are up to 1 meter in diameter.

Placed between Seville and Granada, Cordoba is a great stop for tourists travelling around Andalusia. Cordoba can be covered in a span of two days although you could race round it in a day. There are a number of affordable and quality accommodation facilities in Cordoba.

Though Cordoba is famous for its Mezquita (mosque), which is one of the largest in Europe, there are many other places worth a visit. Here are some of them:

Mezquita / Cordoba Cathedral
Cordoba’s Mezquita is the largest one in Europe and perhaps the most beautiful mosque ever constructed by the Moors in Spain. Standing right in the heart of the city, it is surrounded by the old Jewish and Moorish quarters.

Plaza del Potro
This quaint old square is mentioned in Don Quixote, apparently Cervantes himself stayed at the inn opposite.

Alcazár de los Reyes Cristianos
The tourists can enjoy the beauty of the gardens of the Alcázar. The buildings, which were the former residence of the Inquisition and today host one of the largest complete Roman mosaics in existence, are worth a visit.

Arab waterwheels and Roman bridge
Arab waterwheels stand on the river just south of the Mezquita. Over the bridge, the Torre de la Calahorra houses large scale models of the Mezquita with audio guide explanations of its history.

Plaza de la Corredera
The town hall building stands on the site of a ruined Roman temple. The plaza is the site for Roman amphitheatre, Inquisition burnings, a bullring, and happens to be a hotspot for Cordoba’s druggies.