Sefardi Tour of Cordoba

General information

Destination	Category
Cordoba, Spain	Sightseeing Tours

Program details

Sepharad was the Hebrew name given by Spanish and Portuguese Jews to Iberia before their expulsion at the hands by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492. In this magnificent walking tour you’ll discover the fascinating Jewish legacy of the old town of Cordoba. We’ll explore the old Jewish Quarter and learn all about the place of the Jews in Cordoban society before their expulsion or forced conversion. Your knowledgeable local guide will tell you about their customs and the tour will end at a Sephardic restaurant where you can try some traditional tea and pastries.

We’ll start with a stroll around the maze of narrow streets of the Judería or old Jewish Quarter where we’ll visit the magnificent synagogue, built in 1315 by Simon Majeb. It is one of only three synagogues still standing in Spain and is largely unaltered. The buildings around it were probably used as public baths and a Talmudic school. We’ll also stop to admire the monument to Maimonides, one of the greatest of Jewish religious thinkers, also respected by Muslims and Christians and have a walk around Casa Sefarad, a fascinating museum dedicated to the history of the Jewish presence in the city.

We’ll also get to know the mediaeval Islamic city, visiting the splendid Mezquita and the famous Arabic souks. On a more prosaic level you’ll also learn about the reverence of the Arabs for water with a visit to the old Arab Baths and the Albolafia water mill that used the force of the River Guadalquivir for grinding corn.

Meeting/ pick-up point: Puerta de Almodovar.
Duration: 3 hours.
Start/opening time: Tuesday to Friday at 4pm. Saturday and Sunday at 10am. From 16/06 to 15/09 only Thursday and Friday at 10.30am.
Languages: English and Spanish.
Others: Customers must be at the meeting point 15 min before the start of the tour. Includes admission to the Synagogue and Casa Sefarad and tea and pastries at a traditional restaurant.