In recent months, UNESCO has been discussing the inclusion of Medina Azahara in the prestigious list of enclaves and monuments World Heritage. On this you can read more carefully, since we wrote about it on our website: https://cordobafreetour.es/noticia/tours/330/medina-azahara-posible-patrimonio-de-la-humanidad. And such a day as today is closer than ever because, apparently, at the summit that will be held from Sunday, June 24, 2018 in Bahrain, the specialists will make this dream come true to turn Medina Azahara into a Heritage of Humanity. Reasons there are plenty.
Well, this Cordoba jewel, "La Perla de Al-Ándalus" as it was called in its brief existence, also hides its legends and secrets. And one of the best known is the legend of the almond trees of Medina Azahara, in Arabic Madinat al-Zahra.
It all began with a love story, when a slave from the north of the Iberian Peninsula known as Azahara, the Resplendent, arrived at the Caliphate court of Abderramán III. It appeared as a gift from so many received by the caliph, but this was not a gift either. Her beauty glowed and, finally, he fell in love with her. He fell in love so much that he built a palatial city in his honor called Medina Azahara. The new palatial city was not lacking in detail: it hired the best craftsmen, the best materials brought from all of Al-Andalus and Oriente; He also ordered to make and decorate the palaces with beautiful gardens and populate them with the most beautiful animals.
But not all that splendor or all that beauty managed to please the love of Caliph Abderramán III. I watched her sob day after day, night after night, looking toward the horizon. The governor asked him what was happening to him and that his love missed the snowy mountains of his native land. Abderramán III, maddened in love, decided to look for a solution to that great problem, and it occurred to him to plant almonds all that area so that, when they were in flower, it seemed that it was completely snowed and that pleased Azahara.
He called the best gardener in Córdoba and they brought those almond trees from the mountains of Murcia. And after planting and growing, in the months of January-March they flourished and in the Cordoba mountain range it never stopped snowing in those months. This filled with joy and joy Azahara, who swore eternal love and was no longer sad at his side.
So if you want to discover more about these curiosities and legends that the palatine city collects, you can visit it being the free entrance for members of the European Union and having a cost of 1.50 € for the rest of visitors.
In terms of visiting hours, they change according to the time of year. Next we detail the schedules of Medina Azahara according to the month:
From September 16 to March 31:
From Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sundays and holidays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Closed Monday
From April 1 to June 31:
From Tuesday to Saturday from 9.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m.
Sundays and holidays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Closed Monday
From Tuesday to Sunday and holidays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Closed Monday
From July 1 to September 15:
If you want to know all the secrets of Córdoba, join our free tours that start at 11.00 at Puerta de Almodóvar (mandatory reservation). Discover our routes at https://cordobafreetour.es/ Follow the yellow umbrella, the experts who will show you all the secrets of Córdoba.
