Cordova

the capital of the province of Cordova, Spain. It is situated on the Guadalquivir about fifty miles above Seville. It is noted for the manufacture of leather goods and silverware. The city has an interesting history. It is the old Colonia Patricia of the Romans, a place of wealth and luxury. Seneca and Lucan were born here. The city is still surrounded by a mighty wall and massive towers. Part of the wall is Roman. In 572 Cordova was taken by the Goths. From 756 to 1051 it was the capital of Arabian Spain. Under the Moors the city walls were fifteen miles in extent, and the population is thought to have reached 1,000,000. The city was famous for Cordova leather. The Moors erected their chief mosque here. It is a magnificent structure. In plan it is nearly square. Eighteen rows of columns carry arcades, above which a second tier of arches carries the vaulting of the ceiling. In richness of decoration, mosaic, and sculpture, the work is said to surpass the Alhambra. The interior ranks the mosque, now a cathedral, among the vast structures of the world. A nearby cloister is known as the Court of Oranges. During the period of the Moorish occupancy Cordova was a center of Arabian learning, the most celebrated center of the arts and sciences in Europe. Algebra, alchemy, and other subjects spread into western Europe through Cordova. In 1236 the city was captured by Ferdinand III of Castile, but under Christian ownership it declined rapidly in splendor, learning, and prosperity. The present population is about 58,000. Areas once adorned with fountains and expensive buildings are now used for kitchen gardens.