Córdoba

(Travellers | Cities | Routes | Trade Goods | Themes)

by Caroline Stone

Córdoba (37.53 N, 4.26 W) lies on the river Guadalquivir, at a point where in Islamic times the river was still navigable, and it is surrounded by a fertile plain - both factors of importance in its history. At most periods, Córdoba has been a prosperous agricultural town, with olive-oil and its by-products the main sources of wealth, but under Muslim rule, it became the capital of Islamic Spain for over 250 years and one of the largest cities in the world.

Under the Romans, Córdoba [Corduba in Latin] was a very wealthy agricultural town, much fought over during the civil wars. It declined under the three centuries of Gothic rule, but revived at the beginning of the 8th century when the Muslim conquerors made it the capital of Islamic Spain. In 756, the last of Umayyad dynasty, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Mu’awiya, was chosen as ruler and over the next two hundred years Córdoba became the richest and most important city in Europe and the western Islamic world, rivalling even Baghdad and Damascus.

Córdoba’s prosperity was generated by its importance as a major trade centre and by the fertile, efficiently cultivated countryside. Many new cash crops were introduced by the Arabs, especially sugar, cotton, and rice. These were to have long-lasting economic, social and ecological repercussions. Silk production and the introduction of new fruits, flowers and vegetables played an important role in the city’s prosperity.

Córdoba’s relatively central position made it a logical place for the exchange of Mediterranean, Atlantic and African goods (Viking raids made coastal ports unsafe), as well as products brought down from Northern Spain.

Also important were its craftsmen, famous for their skills in the manufacture of arms and leather goods - the old English word cordwainer, meaning leather-worker, comes from Cordovan. Glass, soap and perfume, the production of which involved techniques introduced by the Arabs, were important exports. The last two used the indigenous olive oil as well as newly imported flowers such as jasmine and the Damask rose. Sugar, textiles and papermaking - learned from the Chinese and again introduced by the Muslims - were also among the bases of Córdoba’s prosperity.

Córdoba derived wealth from the control of the important mineral deposits in the surrounding mountains- silver, lead, copper and especially the very rich mercury mines at Almadén. This was no doubt the source of the famous lake of mercury, complete with singing girls, which so impressed visiting ambassadors at the amir of Córdoba’s country palace at Madinat al-Zahra.

Besides material wealth, Córdoba was famous as a centre of learning: "If you have books to sell, sell them in Córdoba", said the Arab proverb, "but if you have musical instruments, take them to Seville". Córdoba was a city where Muslim, Christian and Jewish scholars collaborated for the advancement of learning and was known, among other things, for its discoveries in the fields of medicine, optics and pharmacology. The city, following in the footsteps of Baghdad, sponsored translators, who played a part in transmitting classical learning to the Islamic world and eventually back to the west.

After the death of al-Mansur, a period of weak rule led to unchecked political tensions. Berber troups sacked the city, said to number over 1,000,000 inhabitants, in 1010, effectively ending the power of the Caliphate of Córdoba The city never regained its former splendour. It was, however, a prosperous kingdom until the Christian conquest in 1236, when many of its inhabitants left for the Kingdom of Granada, or for North Africa - particularly the wealthy and skilled. As a result, Cordoba’s industries declined and the city essentially stagnated, a pleasant small country town, until the latter part of the 20th century when tourism and the setting up of new industries caused a revival.