If the cities continue to get more beautiful each day we will be in Shangri La soon.

As each of these cities served as the capital if its world at different times, one must understand that they all have been amazingly important. Today we visited the famous Mesquita de Córdoba, the Córdoba mosque. It is the second largest mosque in the world. I recall from my graduate school course that the continuous repetitive arched in the mosque were designed to demonstrate the continuous and enduring presence of God. The mosque was constructed over hundreds of years and under a number of califs beginning in the ninth century. It’s art and construction are still impressive today.

One gets into Córdoba by crossing the Roman bridge. It has been restored and is now only a pedestrian bridge so that generations after us will be able to enjoy it.

Today’s group shot on the Avenida denlas Flores with the bell tower in the background. The original minaret is inside the bell tower.

The Christian conquest in 1288 both preserved the mosque and defiled it by placing a gothic cathedral in the center. As our guide explained to us quite expertly, although the construction of the church does destroy the lines and the continuum of the arches, it’s presence is likely what saved the mosque for us to see today.