Best of Cordoba and Sevilla

The Roman Architecture of Cordoba
The first thing that caught my attention as we walked off the bus was the Roman aqueducts. I remember learning about Roman civilization and the importance of the aqueducts in history class, but I couldn't believe I was crossing over them. I tried to picture the millions of people that walked across the same aqueducts over the past two thousand years, but I couldn't even fathom it. I was amazed that the city was so incredibly old and once held such a powerful empire. I loved that there were ruins from Ancient Rome still preserved in the city. It was interesting that they were casually across the street  from shops and an ice cream store like it was no big deal...

Roman aqueducts

Roman ruins in the city of Cordoba

Religious Acceptance in Cordoba

By far the most impressive place in Cordoba was the Mezquita. Once a massive mosque, the Mezquita now serves as a cathedral and holds Catholic masses. The most impressive part is that the original mosque was largely a preserved, a rare occurrence in Spanish history. Most often when a new religion takes over, they completely destroy the remnants of the conquered religion. In this case, the cathedral looked more like a mosque with its striped arches and marble pillars. In Cordoba, there was also a large population of Jewish people, and all three religions were able to live in peace and coexist for centuries. Oftentimes, I feel disenchanted with religion after hearing all the destruction and war people create in the name of religion, but this place was an amazing symbol of respect.

Original part of the mosque

Example of mix of Arab and Spanish style

Synagogue in Cordoba

 Plaza de Espana in Sevilla
One of my favorite places of the trip was the Plaza de Espana because it had amazing architecture and history. I absolutely loved the concept of an outdoor library and the beautiful benches, but I was saddened to hear that it couldn't be a reality anymore because people kept taking the books. As the capital of Andalusia, I was impressed with the depictions of all the cities and the many flags inside (every flag Spain has ever had).

Reales Alzacares

I was very impressed that Sevilla had the largest palace that is still in use in all of Europe. It was absolutely beutiful (despite five million tourists), I want to live there....Again, the Arab influence couldn't be ignored, and I loved the intricate tile work that was supposed to represent religious acceptance. The gardens, where we even saw a peacock, and the many fountains were breathtaking. I only wish that we were able to spend more time here; by that time, my feet hurt so much and I was so tired that I don't think we were able to fully enjoy and learn about its significance. 

Cathedral Tower

After seeing the beautiful mezcla of religions at the Mezquita in Cordoba, the Cathedral in Sevilla was the opposite, and it was interesting to learn of the mentality behind its construction. As the largest cathedral in Spain, the Spanish destroyed the mosque that used to be here in order to build the most impressive cathedral they could. It only took 70 years, but it is filled with amazing art and the remains of Christopher Columbus. Although it was impressive, it was interesting and a little disheartening to appreciate the differences between this cathedral and the one in Cordoba that was symbolic of religious acceptance. 

That time we got lost in Sevilla and walked around for an hour...