Located inside the Calahorra Tower, opposite the Great Mosque, at the end of the Roman Bridge. Its aim is to provide a recreation of the Cordoba of the period between the 9th-13th centuries, at a time of brilliant cultural, artistic and scientific achievement. Its modern facilities include a system of headphones and infrared data transfer that guide you through the eight themed rooms with dioramas.
History
The building rises up at the south of the Roman bridge, the far end from the city center. It is a fortified gate originally built by the Moors (Almohads) and extensively restored by King Enrique II of Castile in 1369 to defend the city from attack by his brother Pedro I the Cruel from the South. It was originally an arched gate between two towers. Enrique II added a third cylindrical shaped tower connecting the outer two.
In the 18th century, it was used as a prison and in the 19th century, it was a girls school. The tower was declared a national monument in 1931. the restoration of the tower and the Romain bridge and the surrounding area in 2007 was awarded the EU prize for cultural heritage “Europa Nostra” in 2014.
It currently houses the Museo Vivo de Al-Andalus. This fascinating museum is particularly educational with audiovisual presentations which vividly depict how life was in Cordoba around the 10th Century AD when three cultures lived side by side Christianity, Muslim and Judaism. There is a scale model of the Mosque as it was in Moors times before the cathedral was constructed.
Visitors are also able to go on the roof for a spectacular view of the mosque and the city.
Location
Puente Romano s/n
14009 Córdoba, Cordoba (Andalusia)
Opening Hours
1st October to 30th April
10 am. to 6 pm.
1st May to 30th September
10 am. to 2 pm. / 4:30 pm. to 8:30 pm.
Prices
Tickets: 4,50 €
Students and retired people: 3 €
Contact
+34 95 729 39 29