Just like the Hammam
Al-Andalus, some of the historical edifices in Madrid still bear the
hallmark of Andalus. This includes the famous cathedral in the city of Madrid,
called Almudena Cathedral, a name that clearly resembles the names of one of
the holiest cities of Islam, Madina Al Munawwara.
Historical accounts
suggested that Almudena was originally a mosque but later converted into a
Church after King Alfonso reconquered Madrid. Another historical site of interest in Madrid
is Palacio Real (the Royal Palace) of the King of Spain, although it is
more of a museum now. The King no longer lives there; it is utilized for
ceremonies and visit by tourists.
Now that we have
visited some of the remarkable historical sites in Madrid, my attention has
returned to Cordoba, that magnificent city that represents the intellectual hub
of Andalusia. I visited Cordoba twice during our study period between 2014 and
2015. The first was with my friend and colleague, Muhammad Ahmad Bello. After experiencing the aura of Cordoba’s historical significance, we agreed that we should bring
our family with us, so that they will equally witness this interesting
adventure. We decided that after our graduation ceremony, we should embark on
another visit to Cordoba.
The visit to Cordoba
was made more interesting by the surprise appearance of my friend, and
brother, Suleiman Baba Suleiman. Before departing to Madrid, I called to tell
him that I would be away for my graduation ceremony. Suleiman told me that he
would also be on holiday in the United Kingdom around the same period. I shared many stories with him on my previous
visit to Cordoba.
Few hours after
defending our final project at the IE business School, Muhammad Bello and I
went back to the hotel to have some rest and prepare for the graduation
ceremony scheduled for the following day. Guess who is there on our arrival at
the hotel lobby? It was Suleiman and his wife checking in at the hotel. That
was awesome. It was a pleasant surprise.
On Saturday 19 December
2015, about five different families embarked on the journey to Cordoba,
primarily to visit the most historic site in the city, the Mosque-Cathedral.
There is something unique about the Mosque-Cathedral; perhaps, it is only in
Cordoba where the mosque means a church, and vice versa. If you meet any resident
of Cordoba, ask him about Mezquita (mosque), he would refer you to the Umayyad
mosque, though it is operating as a Church and tourist site at the moment.
During our first visit
to Cordoba in 2014, we walked from the train station to Mezquita. We asked a
lady for a description of the Mosque-Cathedral. “You mean the mosque?” and she
went on to tell us what Mezquita means to the people of Cordoba. “Everyone here
calls it the mosque,” she added.
The Mezquita is a huge
building situated in the old city of Cordoba. It is adorned by the minaret,
which historically was used by the Muezzin who makes the call to prayer. Inside
the premises, surrounded by a huge wall, which partially resembles ancient city
walls that you find in Hausa city-states like Kano and Bauchi. Some beautiful
orange trees were planted in different parts of the inner wall. There are
several entrances to the Mosque from different alleys surrounding the mosque.
There are several shops
and restaurants around the building, some of them managed by North African
Arabs. The premises was full of tourists from different countries. A number of
the visitors travel in groups with a tour guide providing explanation in
different languages.
On arrival at the
Mosque-Cathedral, we purchased tickets and headed to the door. At the entrance,
there were security officials who would give you brief guidelines about the dos
and don’ts of the tour.
“Are you a Muslim?” one
of the guards enquired. “You are welcome to make the tour, but please no
prayers are aloud.” He advised.
We then asked if there
is tour-guide, who will take us through the mosque and explain the historical
monument in English. The security guard looked at the officer next to him, and
spoke in Spanish. He walked away briefly, and then returned with a lady named
Christina, most likely in her late 40s or early 50s.
“I am a private-tour
guide, so you have to pay.” She said with a smile. “How much” we asked. “It is
50 Euros” she answered. Without hesitation, we asked her to go ahead, and
within seconds, we set our foot into Mezquita.
To be continued…
7:59pm
01/01/1438
02.10.2016
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