Study in Cordoba, Spain

Study in Cordoba, Spain

Puente Romano en Córdoba

Córdoba, known in English as “Cordova,” is a city in the Andalusia region of Southern Spain. The municipality is also the capital of the province of the same name.

Córdoba was conquered by invading Islamic armies in the eighth century, at which time it became the capital of the Islamic Emirate and renamed the Caliphate of Córdoba, which included the majority of the Iberian Peninsula.

According to some experts, Córdoba, in the 10th century, was most likely the most populous city in the world. Moreover, under the rule of Caliph Al Hakam II the city had also become a major center for education under its Islamic rulers. Al Hakam II opened many libraries in the region that is now Córdoba, as well as a number of medical schools and universities. During these centuries, Córdoba became a predominantly Muslim society with minorities living in a restricted second-class status.

Today Córdoba is a moderately-sized and very modern city, and its population last year was just under 350,000 permanent residents.  A very historically important city, Córdoba was recently named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the United Nation’s cultural body.

In terms of climate, Córdoba has the warmest summer high temperatures, not just in Spain but in all of Europe, with average high temperatures of approximately 37 °C (99 °F) in July, and similar heat in August and early September.

Cordoba is best known as being home to one of Andalucía’s three great monuments: the Mezquita, the other two being Seville's Alcazar and Granada's Alhambra. Like the other two municipalities, the city embodies the region's rich cultural and religious history. The Mezquita—which dates from Cordoba's zenith, as capital of Al-Andalus and the largest and most important city in Western Europe, with 500,000 inhabitants—is, in fact, a mosque with a cathedral inside it. During its hugely prosperous and successful Moorish Caliphate era (766-1031), Cordoba was a great cultural, political, financial and literary center, with the largest library in the world.

Córdoba also has a fairly large Jewish quarter, and its synagogue is one of only three surviving synagogues that existed before the Reconquest in Spain. After the Mezquita, Cordoba is probably most famous for its magnificent flower-filled patios, with their annual open-doors-festival-contest in May. Preceded by the Cruces de Mayo competition, and with the Feria at the end of the same month, May is probably the best month to visit Cordoba.

Things to Do and See in Córdoba

There are a number of great things to do and see in the historic city of Córdoba, but perhaps the two most visited sites are the Mezquita and the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos.

The Mezquita (Mosque Cathedral)

The aforementioned Mezquita (Mosque) in Córdoba dates back to the 10th century when Córdoba reached its apex under a new emir, Abd ar-Rahman III, who was one of the great rulers of Islamic history. At this time, Córdoba was one of the largest and most prosperous cities in Europe, outshining Byzantium and Baghdad in science, culture and the arts. The development of the Great Mosque paralleled these new heights of splendor. 

Today the Mezquita de Cordoba (Cordoba Mosque or Cordoba Cathedral) can be visited throughout the year for a small entrance fee. The walkway to the Mosque takes visitors through the Patio de los Naranjos, a classic Islamic ablutions courtyard which preserves both its orange trees and fountains. When the mosque was used for Muslim prayer, all nineteen naves were open to this courtyard allowing the rows of interior columns to appear like an extension of the tree with brilliant shafts of sunlight filtering through.

Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos

The Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos (Castle/Palace of the Christian Kings) features a castle that is surrounded by delightful gardens and a Moorish bathhouse.

A Muslim Alcazar once stood where the Episcopal Palace stands today, but the building was reformed in the Baroque period and was recently reconditioned in order to house the Diocesan Museum. Alongside this museum, the Exhibition Palace occupied what used to be the Church of San Jacinto and the Hospital of San Sebastian, an outstanding construction opposite the Mosque, featuring a portico that stands out among the Gothic jewels in Cordoba. Inside the palace, in the Romero de Torres Hall, one can admire a bevy of beautiful 16th century frescoes, among other architectural and artistic wonders.

If you wish to be warped in the grandeur of the Middle Age, the city of Cordoba would be the perfect destination for you. As a matter of fact, the city is home to a great deal of ancient architecture; particularly the old towns in the area. Nonetheless, it is one of the most modern Spanish cities where you can find reputable schools that ring a bell not only in Europe, but all throughout the world.  Cordoba City, also known as the intellectual centre of Europe, is well-renowned for its collection of prestigious schools.
 
Education in Cordoba has got a fair share of British scholastic standards inherent to Spanish academic programs. In delivering quality and competent education, Cordoba schools are equipped with world-class curricula alongside state-of-the-art educational facilities. Students, nevertheless, can get a share of ancient arts and architecture from school buildings inspired in retroactive fashion, such as the Andalucian buildings.
 
For students who intend to study in Cordoba schools, here are some handy tips:
 

• Spanish is the primary language in the city although some classes utilize the English language.
• Smoking in any public place has been rendered as an illegal activity across Spain.
• Wearing skimpy clothing is not advisable for women due to rude comments.

 
Major Fields of Study in Cordoba, Spain
 
Cordoba universities, more often than not, offer course programs premised on Spanish language and culture. Nested in the well-renowned World UNESCO Heritage Site, schools in the city are likely to pass on national treasures such as Castilian language and culture, not to mention world history, as well as, arts and architecture. Fair enough, academic institutions in Cordoba have been accredited for pertinent academic curricula on world history and the humanities. Cordoba universities are nonetheless recognized for there chemical and life sciences programs.
 
Popular courses accessible in Cordoba colleges and universities are as follows:

• Archaeology and heritage
• Arts history
• Green Chemistr
• Zootechnology and sustainable management

Schools in Cordoba, Spain

• Academia Hispanica Cordoba happens to be a proud member of the International House Group of Language Schools. While the school originated in Cordoba, it has already branched out to 150 schools across 50 countries providing course programs on language services, as well as, teacher training.

• Meyer School of English is a specialty academic institution dedicated to teaching American and European languages. Tagged as the Academy of Languages, it caters to students who wish to learn English, French, Italian, and German.

• University of Cordoba has been one of the most prominent universities in the Andalusian region known for its Moorish roots. Affiliated with commercial and industrial sectors, the school specializes on the humanities, life sciences, and physical sciences.