If your tourism trip to Cordoba, in Andalusia, you want to delve into the history of the Umayyad caliphate, which once made this Andalusian city on the most advanced in Europe, as well as see the famous Mosque, you should visit Medina Azahara.

Photography by ulybug

The archaeological remains of Medina Azahara, palace city built by Abd ar-Rahman III from 936, find them on the side of a hill, 10 kilometers west of Cordoba.

Arrival and times:

How to get to Medina Azahara from Cordoba? To go to Medina Azahara, if you have a car, from Barcelona you have to take the A-432 that goes to Palma del Rio. This road you take from the Ronda de Poniente. About 4 miles on the right are shifted to the Medina Azahara.

If you do not have a car, every day is a public transportation service bus that leaves at 11 am from the Alcazar Avenue, pick up tourists also walk from Victoria. The public bus back to Cordoba two hours after arrival in Medina Azahara.

Photography by fraboof

Opening hours of Medina Azahara:

In spring and summer (May 1 to September 15), visit Medina Azahara, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 to 20.30. and Sundays, 10 to 14 hours.

In autumn and winter (from September 16 to April 30), the opening hours of Medina Azahara are Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 to 18.30 hours.

Throughout the year, Sundays and holidays the hours are from 10 to 14 hours, and the Medina Azahara is closed Monday.

The entrance to Medina Azahara is free for EU citizens, and for other visitors, the ticket price is 1.5 euros.

How to visit Medina Azahara?

Until October 2009, before the opening of the Museum of Medina Azahara, to visit the archaeological remains had to climb to the top of the hill to park the car and from there, and inside the archaeological site, lowered your walk to explore this ancient Caliphate city.

But after the opening of the museum, which is adjacent to the former access road to the hill, you should leave your car in the parking enabled. It is advisable that first visit the museum for a first approximation of Medina Azahara.

Photography by fraboof

After the museum tour, and you can catch a shuttle bus continuously up to the entrance of the archaeological site. After visiting, you should take back one of the buses to go down to parking. The approximate time of the visit of Medina Azahara, including the tour of the museum, is between 2.5 and 3 hours.

Good Luck!