Corduba

Corduba is the Latin name for the ancient city that is today Córdoba, a city in the autonomous community of Andalusia, southern Spain. It sits on the Guadalquivir river, at a strategic crossroads between the Sierra Morena and the Betic Cordillera. The site has long been inhabited, with urban significance rising under Roman rule and continuing through the medieval period.

In the Roman era, Corduba developed into a major urban center in the province of Baetica. It served as a provincial capital and produced notable figures such as Seneca the Younger, who was born there around 4 BCE. The city preserves substantial material remains, including the Puente Romano (Roman Bridge) and traces of an amphitheatre, baths, and defensive walls.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Corduba passed through Visigothic and later Islamic rule. In the early 8th century it was conquered by the Umayyads and grew into the capital of the Emirate and later the Caliphate of Córdoba, one of the medieval world’s most important centers of culture and learning. The Great Mosque of Córdoba (Mezquita) and a flourishing library symbolized its scholarly prominence, under rulers such as Abd al-Rahman II and Al-Hakam II.

Cordoba was reconquered by the Crown of Castile in 1236. Under Christian rule it remained an important regional city and administrative center. Today the historic core preserves architectural layers from Roman, Visigothic, and Islamic periods and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.