Popular Best Things to Do Near Madrid - 2024

"This building is officially called politically correct: "The Mosque-Cathedral Complex in Cordoba." But colloquially, the name is shorter — the Mosque "Alhamah", or simply "Mosque", or "Mesquite".As in most other cities with a history dating back thousands of years, most of the buildings stand in place of those that existed before. So, once in the center of Roman Cordoba there was a temple dedicated to the sun god. Later, the Visigoths built the temple of San Vicente in its place. After the transfer of the city to the Arabs in 711, both Muslims and Christians used it together, dividing it into two zones. But the prosperous city grew rapidly, space became scarce, and in 786, Abdarrahman I bought the Christian part of the church and some other buildings around. In just a few years, a magnificent mosque was built on this site.Columns, capitals, and stone from various Roman and Visigothic structures in Spain, Europe, and even Africa were used to speed up construction. Therefore, the oldest part of Mesquite is actually an archaeological museum.Later, as the city grew, the Mosque was expanded three times under different rulers: under Abdarrahman II and Alhakim II, the length increased to the south, to the river, and to the north, due to the expansion of the courtyard. Under Vizier Almanzor (Al Mansour), the largest increase in the complex took place, almost doubling, due to an extension on the eastern side. As a result, the total area reached almost 24 thousand square meters.Before going inside, we walked around this giant rectangle from three sides. As always, with the arrival of Christians, Muslim and Christian details began to become closely intertwined. For example, on the southern facade there are Christian frescoes and sculptures under the Arab arches."

"The large and medium-sized city of Spain has many Alcasar castles. The most famous of them is Alcasar castle in Segovia. The first minister's cartoon "Snow White" produced by Disney in 1937, in which the castle was modeled on the castle of Segovia, and it was made famous. The location of the castle was established by the Romans and the Moors. From 1155 onwards, it was gradually expanded to be a royal palace; in December 1474, Princess Isabella went from here to the church in Mayor Square to become King Isabella I; in 1764, the castle was converted into an artillery academy; and in the 19th century, it was badly damaged in the fighting. The castle, which is preserved for reconstruction in 1862, is listed as one of the ten most beautiful castles in Europe with its beautiful appearance, elegant shape and dreamy color. Along the central axis of the ancient city, the castle is at the end of the west end. Before you see the castle, pass the Queen Eugenia Square, which is a statue commemorating the May 1808 Madrid people's resistance to Napoleon's army. The best view of the spectacular panoramic view of the castle, the west or northwest side of the castle; Best location, the lawn in the valley at the northwest end of the castle, or the mountains outside the city opposite."

"Segóvia, Spain, the most marked and well-known landscape, not the "Ancient Roman Grand Aqueduct". During the ancient Roman period of Turazhen the Great (AD 53-117), in order to introduce the water of the Frio River 18 kilometers away into the city of Segolia, the canal was dug and aqueducts were built to attract water into the city. The aqueduct is 813 meters long and is made of dry khaki granite (without mortar), which is strong and unusual. The aqueduct is 813 meters long and 128 towering columns support double-layered 148 arches. The top of the sink is a canal, more than 30 meters above the ground. The initial section standard 30X30cm was repaired at the end of the 15th century and was converted into a cement tank around 1930, and has been maintained and used since then. The Da Aqueduct has become the city symbol of Segovia. The city emblem and flag of Segovia, and the image of the Da Aqueduct is in the center. In 1985, the ancient city of Segovia + ancient Roman Grand Aqueduct was listed as a World Heritage Site. The current Grand Aqueduct stands at the southern end of the core tourist area of Segovia; the south side is the parking lot (no vehicles can enter the core tourist area), and the north side is the Grand Plaza and the visitor center. The tourists coming and going, hustle and bustle, looking up, queuing for pictures, are all impressed by the unique beautiful scenery."

"The Segovia Cathedral, which stands at the highest point of the ancient city of Segovia, has won the reputation of "the lady in the church" for its elegant shape. In 1520, the old Romanesque church on the original site was burned in the fire of war; During the reign of Carlos V, construction of the new church began in 1525, taking nearly 200 years to complete. As the latest Gothic church in Spain, the Cathedral of Segovia is a classic work of late Gothic architecture. The main tower of the Byzantine 88-meter-high clock tower is directly piercing the sky, the Roman-style arches are magnificent, the Gothic spires are scattered, the towering main tower is in line with the many small spires scattered, and the flowery appearance of the "lady" is more "majesty"... Mayor Square in front of the church, The tourists were excited to take the cathedral as the background."

"Toledo Cathedral, the second largest church in Spain, is located in the center of the ancient city. In the 6th century, the Goths established a religious temple here; in the 9th century, the Moors changed to Islamic temples; in1226-1493, it was converted into a Catholic church. The towering bell tower, the magnificent vault, the wide atmosphere of the nave, the small chapel of the stars and the moon... One rare treasure has made the exquisite masterpiece of the gothic architecture and become the classic landmark of the ancient city. The 90-meter-high bell tower of the church is the highest point of the ancient city. Walking through the narrow streets of Wanyan, looking up... You can always see her, and you will not get lost. In the town hall square in front of the cathedral, there are often self-effacing street artists performing, adding a bit of elegant art."