Ok so I'm back from Spain and i must say, even though I have now visited Spain three times and it is one of my favourite places (bar the heat) Cordoba is completely different and interesting, I am not entirely sure I'd return but I would advise anyone to go. The city was part of Al-Andalus which was a Moorish state and as such Cordoba is half Spain and half like being in Morroco or an Arab state.
It is reknowned for its tolerance under Moorish control as the city had Mosques, Synagos and Churches. Until the Reconquista by the Christian Spainsh, when they built a Cathedral inside the great Mesquita (Mosque) which makes the craziest juxtaposition of buildings I have ever seen. The Cathedral rises out of the Mosque as if squatting on it, and dominating the skyline along with the spire which used to be a Minaret.
My site is, in my obviously bias opinion the best part of the city, it is the abandoned mills in the river, visable from the Roman bridge, they were built by the Moors, who were experts in Irrigation and Hydrology and in bringing water and life to what was previously a pretty desert like landscape on the banks of the Guadalquivir River. ( despite our tutors and health and safety we decided the only way to see our site was to wade into the river, which had flooded the day before due to the worst rain spain had see in 30 years! Plus the site is a nature reserved and off limits to the public, its ok though the Policia only saw us the second time, although our tutor Vicky expected a call from the inquistion haha!) These Mills ground grain into flour and later some were adapted for use in creating textiles. One; Albolafia Molino was created to lift the waters the ten meters from the River to the city. However this great wheel was disabled on the order's of Spainish Queen Isabella after the Reconquista who said it made too much noise for her to sleep.
Anyhow now we are working on a model of this site, but Edinburgh Uni style so its a bit of a difference from what I'm used to; for example we will be using Oak!!! We are also constructed a drawing that explores what information we gathered from the trip and should help us utilise it. But between this I have also been doing some second year teaching, I will be working for the University on the next open day, and I have PLACED volunteer work to try and shoe horn in as ideally I would like to attend a workshop before Christmas, probably in Manchester. So keep ya posted...
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| Ruined mills, on a calmer day the one on the right is clearly visable but there is one behind the trees in the shadows on the left that is barely visable. |
My site is, in my obviously bias opinion the best part of the city, it is the abandoned mills in the river, visable from the Roman bridge, they were built by the Moors, who were experts in Irrigation and Hydrology and in bringing water and life to what was previously a pretty desert like landscape on the banks of the Guadalquivir River. ( despite our tutors and health and safety we decided the only way to see our site was to wade into the river, which had flooded the day before due to the worst rain spain had see in 30 years! Plus the site is a nature reserved and off limits to the public, its ok though the Policia only saw us the second time, although our tutor Vicky expected a call from the inquistion haha!) These Mills ground grain into flour and later some were adapted for use in creating textiles. One; Albolafia Molino was created to lift the waters the ten meters from the River to the city. However this great wheel was disabled on the order's of Spainish Queen Isabella after the Reconquista who said it made too much noise for her to sleep.
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| OUR ROUTE TO THE DESERTED, MID-STREAM MILLS |
Anyhow now we are working on a model of this site, but Edinburgh Uni style so its a bit of a difference from what I'm used to; for example we will be using Oak!!! We are also constructed a drawing that explores what information we gathered from the trip and should help us utilise it. But between this I have also been doing some second year teaching, I will be working for the University on the next open day, and I have PLACED volunteer work to try and shoe horn in as ideally I would like to attend a workshop before Christmas, probably in Manchester. So keep ya posted...
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