archaeological ensemble of madinat al-zahra

We booked the guided tour- well worth it. ArteCórdoba run these and you will learn so much more than just walking around by yourself- it just brings the place to life. We were guided by Ana D. whose English was perfect and as an art history graduate her knowledge and descriptions, enthusiasm and imagination ensured we came away with a comprehensive understanding of the history of the city and its surroundings. We did this tour before exploring Córdoba; I can recommend that order of doing things in itself as you'll understand the city much better. It is well worth it! ¡Gracia' Ana!

We were pleasantly surprised by the modern museum. A short film shown every 20 minutes which was very well done and informative. Nice cafe and small gift shop. We didn't have to pay entrance fee, but paid on bus to the site. Only cost 1.50 euros for pensioners, and 2.20 euros for everyone else. This included return trip. Fascinating site, especially after seeing the film, so do that first.

About 30 minutes from downtown Cordoba but well worth the trip. The ruins are only partially unearthed, and you can walk through them on your own. What makes the trip worthwhile is the outstanding museum. Displays are beautifully crafted and explanations are very thorough. Visit the museum first, allow about an hour. Then a shuttle bus takes you to the ruins which make sense if you have visited the museum first.There is a small cafe at the museum which has excellent sandwiches and soups, as well as drinks, snacks, etc.

The views from the hill, where Madinat Al-Zahra is established, are astonishing. The architectural ensemble itself is also quite interesting, therefore worth visit.. Great on a sunny day! The museum at the foot of the hill was unfortunately disappointing.

Great place to go with the kids or Couple. Better avoid mid day in summer because of the heat. Take a CAP. Fascinating, they have a movie that explains the history of the place.

We took a bus with a guide from the consortium and really enjoyed the explanation (I think it is really important to go with a guide here because imaging how the ruins were in the Xth century is really hard if it is the first time you visit). Although only 12% of the antient city has been restored in the last 100 years (imagine how big it was!) and in about 1.5h you take a look of it, it is facinating the lifestyle of those people from the califat age. After this we went to the museum and watched a film that is very didactic and shows the lifestyle of the califa recreating what you can see nowadays and what it was before. The film has been awarded and is really helpful to understand how the ruins were. We really enjoyed and recommend as a must go visit in Cordoba!

What a civilization, a palace of huge dimentions. Although Madinat az Zahra is a ruin but whilst going through it, one sees what a beautiful this castle once was. A treasure in the heart of Andalucia

Walking to see the ruins of madinat ah zahra, i wondered how spectacular it must have looked like back in the day.One story i heard was that the sultan abd rahman the 3rd was so rich he planted pearls in his water lillies to awe inspire his guests.I just wish there could be a scaled model of the actual facility to show visitors how amazing the architecture was.

We took the citybus at Av.de la Republica Argentina in the morning.Stops at the main road, still had to walk 15' to the museum, integrated in the landscape.Extraordinary place, the film in auditorium about history Madinat al Zahra is recommended. If you walk around in museum you see the archeological archives. Need to take a shuttle to the site. We were in few, the advantage of traveling the first week of December. Still 20°..

I am so glad we did not miss this important site.The contemporary displays and wonderful exhibits are absorbing.

Must go place.. Visit the Museo, watch the video & go to archaeology site. Bus to site every 15-20 minutes. Bring water & snack togetherz and camera too ;)

Now there are just ruins, but thank to Medina Azahara Museum (beside to ruins), you can see how this city was long time ago. Later to visit the museum, you can walk down along ruins, close your eyes, and imaging how it was. How arab Kalipha walking between palms and Cristian embassors arrived.As a Disney movie.

Both the archaeological area and the museum (they are connected with a free shuttle, which regularly runs between the two locations) are amazing!

15-minutes drive away from the core of Cordoba, you can arrive at Madinat Al-Zahra, a palace that was built by Abd al-Raḥmān III who reigned from 912 AD. Ab al-Rahman III was 21 when he became ruler of Cordoba. Later he declared himself Caliphate, meaning the commander of the faithful. That title signified that he was the supreme leader of the Islamic world, or at least so he claimed. Medina Al-zahra eventually became one of the biggest palaces in the world at the time. To build it, 10,000 workmen were deployed and they built it with African White Marble. If you do not speak Spanish, the easiest way to visit this archaeological site is to buy the ticket from one of the Tourist Office: which includes a tourist bus ticket, museum and archaeological site entrance fees as well as an English speaking guide. That way, you will not waste your time, trying to find out where to go and what to see. Among all attractions, the archaeological site is the most precious one. Spend some time in there please. Inside the museum, there is a video which digitally recreate the grandeur of the palace. Do not miss that video show; I watched it 3 times! A trailer of it can be found on Youtube. All in all, do not miss Madinat Al-Zahra when you are in Cordoba.

We just happened to read about this as we were driving to Seville. If you like archeology at all you will love the bus tour to the site. It's an amazing piece of excavation and only 11% of the city has been excavated so far. Wander, you will enjoy!