Roman Bridge, Cordoba, Spain

Gualdalquivir River, Andalucia Region, Spain

The picturesque Roman Bridge of Córdoba, was originally constructed by the Romans in the 1st century BC across the Gualadquivir River in Southern Spain. This elegant bridge, is locally know as the “Old Bridge” as it was the only bridge over the Guadalquivir in the Cordoba area. The Bridge was ordered to be  reconstructed in the 8th century by Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani, the designated governor of the Islamic Umayyad Dynasty.  The Bridge has been reconstructed multiple times since the 8th century and currently includes two of the original Roman arches.

Calahorra Tower, Cordoba, Spain

In the 12th century, the Calahorra Tower( pictured at left) was constructed at the southern end of the Cordoba Bridge in an attempt to make the bridge more defensible against invaders.

Initially, the rounded section in the middle of the tower did not exist and the path to the bridge coursed between the two squared off towers with crenulated tops.  In 1570, the Puerta del Puente( Gate of the Bridge)  was constructed at the Northern end of the the Roman Bridge. In the 17th century, local authorities commissioned the sculpture of St Raphael, the patron Saint of Cordoba, which stands on the middle of the bridge with its back facing upriver.

Centered above the Roman Bridge of Cordoba in this new fine art photograph is the great Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, initially constructed in 785 and modified over subsequent centuries.

The Roman Bridge, Puerta del Puente, Calahorra Tower and the Mosque Cathedral of Cordoba all part of the historic Center of the city, were formalized as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984. Incidentally, Cordoba has four separate World Heritage sites, more than any other city in the world.

Also of interest to medieval fans, Cordoba’s famous Roman Bridge was featured in season 5, episode 3 of Game of Thrones. The Roman Bridge was the model for the mythical “Long Bridge of Volantis”. CGI was utilized to exagerate features and structures for the Game of Thrones Series.

I captured this beautiful new photograph of Cordoba while on a longer trip to the Andalucia region of Spain. During that adventure, we explored the amazing Alhambra in Grenada

The Orange tree lined streets of Seville and the Seville Cathedral and its bell tower, “La Giralda” as well as the magical New Bridge of Ronda, Spain. All the images from this recent trip can be found in my newest gallery, European Travel Photography