{"chapterKey":"spain/cordoba-medina-azahara","title":"Cordoba: Medina Azahara","regionSlug":"spain","status":"published","photos":[{"sha":"8f71c4210fd8ff2e593b0cb35067d6792d807368997f45211da439b4940be85f","caption":"Residents were paid a bounty if they built a house in the new city, which grew quickly. Its name means City of the Flower but comes from a prized concubine of that name. That's Cordoba in the background.","width":1632,"height":1224,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/d18b6a616f54cc5f7e00afe0cf4b4b36","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/4699cdb163b583bd576ef32fab1990dc","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/f32c4947e0d1db828a3de4418032df4f","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/a8b386fad16a7378ae6f304fd0d6be33","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/8f71c4210fd8ff2e593b0cb35067d679","altText":"Residents were paid a bounty if they built a house in the new city, which grew quickly. Its name means City of the Flower but comes from a p"},{"sha":"7e799751653932a99c5d04cf4f4bf1978542f79ed2f2064d11a6860905bfb45e","caption":"An elaborate system of canals, aqueducts, and tunnels brought water about 10 miles to the site.","width":1632,"height":1224,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/80cbba6686f05130a3eee408bf4a9758","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/8f8043e8874a8bceac330c14aaf3bda8","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/4e5d53f319a49c3b734ff3c7cf08b8f9","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/f0b78224ab7a0027e38edfbd0ff574c6","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/7e799751653932a99c5d04cf4f4bf197","altText":"An elaborate system of canals, aqueducts, and tunnels brought water about 10 miles to the site."},{"sha":"1e75cae1c9de33edecfbf770bdf1eab5dd55afd793cd24d6a8d621c75c126b81","caption":"The vestibule to an audience chamber is the one building on the site that evokes the city as it was.","width":1632,"height":1224,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/ca4b4fdaa8f280e346b68294c903d17b","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/b2a924adf6ff2db39204e42df5f2db0a","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/22806d6ac06c06c75a7f84d7e31174e7","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/6b09450ab8e06040ee66e75328d8b4e5","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/1e75cae1c9de33edecfbf770bdf1eab5","altText":"The vestibule to an audience chamber is the one building on the site that evokes the city as it was."},{"sha":"392f9e8bf5766fd5933e16acd838a37787512fe5692d481c5b17ca6a336ee9be","caption":"The ceiling is modern, though the original was of arbor vitae from North Africa, a very longlasting timber in this climate. Just not this longlived.","width":1224,"height":1632,"aspect":0.75,"orientation":"portrait","layoutHint":"narrow","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/96230d5a7d5ade46d22cc7273e2dd972","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/8ff82c4969b3fe7e5f1dd0ec75b1d950","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fd4f8812dbc46a118c3b42531c62fed6","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/392f9e8bf5766fd5933e16acd838a377","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/392f9e8bf5766fd5933e16acd838a377","altText":"The ceiling is modern, though the original was of arbor vitae from North Africa, a very longlasting timber in this climate. Just not this lo"},{"sha":"6305cb231d502710b73362e5408596f5e9de211b24851872e554db998e9e49c4","caption":"Two arcades divide the room into three sections. The columns were presumably taken from Roman buildings.","width":1632,"height":1224,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/be9114035182878442e5d214bac73b0b","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/c6797b09aaeafc5d8e5620e6ab865e14","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/4f0a9f15bcbe11c43bdc591328148b66","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/87420d60e0224eb2cbefcc34332f0cb6","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/6305cb231d502710b73362e5408596f5","altText":"Two arcades divide the room into three sections. The columns were presumably taken from Roman buildings."},{"sha":"ec4f74969f8b5aadcfd0598d640ff03216aad3438f27fc709d48d014d565a6fc","caption":"The columns support well-developed horseshoe arches and polychrome or *ablaq* voissoirs./P>","width":1224,"height":1632,"aspect":0.75,"orientation":"portrait","layoutHint":"narrow","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/f77705fab85e3dc38a8024cf6224d71c","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/177cfc7098c205237f4764c2807fb67b","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/448f487d9322f8729c71a129a89bdecd","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/ec4f74969f8b5aadcfd0598d640ff032","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/ec4f74969f8b5aadcfd0598d640ff032","altText":"The columns support well-developed horseshoe arches and polychrome or ablaq voissoirs./P"},{"sha":"89e9c35f55ed61dd2f72f0374fa3d182ebe96205636ca896e4f6bba0aa3291c9","caption":"The arches rest on a distinctive capital. The sculpted wall panels above are called *atauriques *.","width":1224,"height":1632,"aspect":0.75,"orientation":"portrait","layoutHint":"narrow","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/c33bf35905af52205e97f31a5b9e5c03","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/3ea9a5c1d46539b5c1b9e04adc550eb4","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/c46b49269dda1ae489ea830ef04fa98b","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/89e9c35f55ed61dd2f72f0374fa3d182","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/89e9c35f55ed61dd2f72f0374fa3d182","altText":"The arches rest on a distinctive capital. The sculpted wall panels above are called atauriques ."},{"sha":"f8dcb8593f832ad19519968706aca387d17363f2336f948a603a4c012aabe23d","caption":"An *ataurique* showing the tree of life.","width":1632,"height":1224,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/a2fd1b7515bd882ea7aba4a56f917fd5","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/34444de4d6b96179e074d435236cb007","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/72a0f6404414ab5a8d1aa040caa44d3a","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/dbd6dd38686db682b7dcb617c0994731","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/f8dcb8593f832ad19519968706aca387","altText":"An ataurique showing the tree of life."},{"sha":"f28c20023e22ce93849125c634fcdb5f68a670fc8a078402ba03879005db9da0","caption":"The head of the hall echoes the *mihrab* of the mosque in Cordoba, right down to the framing *alfiz*.","width":1632,"height":1224,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/4e5850c1376c320c7aea6f8c2ce9fb6f","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/8a6bb19e31dd51f21fcbb9ebe1a735df","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/b60cb90a53a7623cbb54b7b629edd43c","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/e32414829c41de44a28371f6763468f5","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/f28c20023e22ce93849125c634fcdb5f","altText":"The head of the hall echoes the mihrab of the mosque in Cordoba, right down to the framing alfiz."},{"sha":"4815dc61527325887723ba6aefa91f1febc38da02fbc821630dac34510ceaf1b","caption":"The building at the left deviates from the rest of the city, which faced south. That's because it was the mosque and faced southeast, toward Mecca.","width":1632,"height":1224,"aspect":1.3333,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/d7d5b6128517f4ecde140e022b7f8af8","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/26cea752b6b9ec1af5827e1f6c66d160","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/5555549e2d0ee6fe1e85230553daf98e","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/750d74fe106649407a41176d7a320592","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/4815dc61527325887723ba6aefa91f1f","altText":"The building at the left deviates from the rest of the city, which faced south. That's because it was the mosque and faced southeast, toward"}],"createdAt":"2022-02-28T01:25:52.000Z","updatedAt":"2022-02-28T01:25:52.000Z","lead":"The Medina Azahara—originally the *Medina al-Zahra*—was begun as the new capital of al-Andalous in 929, the year Abdel Rahman III declared himself caliph. A rectangle measuring about 750 by 1,500 meters, it was ready for occupancy in 946 but did not become the capital until 981. A mere 25 years later, in 1004, a Berber revolt destroyed it so completely that until the 19th century the ruins remained a mystery. Archaeological work began in 1911, but the site is still 90% buried. Ironically, the much flimsier Alhambra at Granada remains intact, thanks to protection by later kings.","visitedDate":"2003","publishedDate":"2003-09-11T04:00:00.000Z","originalUrl":"https://www.greatmirror.com/index.cfm?countryid=641&chapterid=654&picturesize=medium","heroSha":"8f71c4210fd8ff2e593b0cb35067d6792d807368997f45211da439b4940be85f","authorLabel":"Bryan Wallach","_meta":{"sameAs":[]}}