Museo Vivo de al-Andalus – Torre de la Calahorra
Museum in the Torre de la Calahorra, next to the Roman Bridge in Córdoba, which traces the culture of al-Andalus across eight rooms, with an audio guide included.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Torre de la Calahorra stands on the left bank of the Guadalquivir and was used to control the bridge built by the Romans, which is still in use. Its successive remodellings have left their mark on the architecture: the horseshoe arch that served as a gate beside the bridge and the rectangular enclosure flanked by towers, probably reinforced in the 12th century. The first written mentions date from the 13th century; in the 14th century Henry II repaired it and added a tower with a moat and a drawbridge, and in 1514 a defensive barbican was built around it. It later served as a prison for the Córdoban nobility, as barracks, and as a girls' school in the 19th century.
It was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1931, and in 1985 the Spanish Historic Heritage Act granted it the highest level of protection. It then became the property of Córdoba Town Council, which two years later entrusted the building to the Fundación Roger Garaudy, now the Fundación Paradigma Córdoba para la Convivencia, which fitted it out as the seat of the Museo Vivo de al-Andalus.
The museum offers an educational overview of the culture of al-Andalus between the 9th and 13th centuries, through architecture, music, science and the coexistence of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions. It is toured through eight rooms with an audio guide, and from the tower's terrace there is a panoramic view of Córdoba's historic centre.
Highlights
- Eight rooms on the culture of al-Andalus: thought, science, palace life, the Alhambra, music, the Mezquita Aljama and the city of Córdoba
- Audio guide included in all tickets, in ten languages
- Climb to the terrace with views over Córdoba's historic centre
- Medieval defensive tower beside the Roman Bridge
- Seat of the Fundación Paradigma Córdoba para la Convivencia
Permanent exhibitions
- Museo Vivo de al-Andalus: salas I a IV – The first rooms of the route, devoted to the tower, to thought, to scientific advances and to the splendour of palace life in al-Andalus.
- Museo Vivo de al-Andalus: salas V a VIII – Rooms on the Alhambra as an evocation of paradise, on music, the Mezquita Aljama and the city of Córdoba.
- Operated by
- Fundación Paradigma Córdoba para la Convivencia
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Students, Carné Joven holders, pensioners, retirees and people with disabilities |
| Groups (15+ people) | –Group rate for groups of 15 people or more, whether from the European Union or not. Group booking through the website. |
| Super-reduced rate | €2For people born in or residing in Córdoba or its province. |
All rates include the climb to the terrace and the audio guide.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 60 min |
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Getting there & parking
The museum is in the Torre de la Calahorra, at the southern end of the Roman Bridge of Córdoba.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Audio guide | yes (ES, FR, EN, DE, IT, AR, JA, PT, ZH, RU) |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The visit lasts about one hour and is made with an audio guide, included in the admission. As an optional extra there is a video projection (a 55-minute documentary on the evolution of humanity), which is not available until further notice. Groups can book through the website. |
