ARCHAEOLOGICAL COMPLEX MEDINA AZAHARA

It was on July¹ , 2018, in Bahrain, that the caliphal city of Medina Azahara was classified as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO. As "a complete urban complex (...) that provides in-depth knowledge of the Western Islamic civilization of Al Andalus, now disappeared, at the height of its splendor." Inherited from the Caliphate of Cordoba in the tenth and eleventh centuries, this Medina Azahara, from the Arabic Madinat al Zahra, "the shining city", was built seven years after the Emir Abd al-Rahman III proclaimed himself Caliph in 926. According to legend, it was the ideal city he dreamed of for his beloved, Azahara, but historians deny this and the reality is more prosaic. The main purpose was to show the world the greatness and superiority of the Umayyad dynasty, compared to the Baghdad Caliphate where the Abbasid dynasty reigned, which had massacred Abd al-Rahman's ancestors in the 8th century. Surrounded by walls, the city served as a residence for the court and it was used for sumptuous celebrations and also housed administrative offices and gardens. But only 70 years after its creation, the internal wars in the heart of Al-Andalus reduced it to ruins and the remains forgotten for almost a thousand years were only rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century. A sort of ephemeral city that constitutes an extraordinary bank of archaeological and historical research since to date only 10% of the site has been uncovered.

The visit. It is carried out in two times: a passage by the museum, a large modern space where are exposed very many parts in connection with this period, and where one can also look at a completely instructive audio-visual on the city. Then an access to the site by bus and free visit of the site.

Some steps. Unlike in the 10th century, the visit is made from the top down, starting from the "ronda de la muralla norte" and entering the complex through the Puerta Norte. Turning to the right, we reach the residential area where we will find two examples of houses organized around large square patios. Then come the stables, including the Casa de Ya Far, a good example of the residence of a high official in the Caliphate period. This space serves as a link between the residential and administrative parts of the site. We will cross theEdificio basilical superior, then a large portico with a beautiful appearance that constituted the ceremonial entrance to the complex and a terrace that allows us to see the Mezquita Aljama, at the bottom of the site. The circuit of the official part culminates on the terrace where the salon of Abd al-Rahmn III is located.

Whether you come by organized bus tour from Cordoba or by your own means, access to the site is only by special minibuses, which run every quarter of an hour. The guided tour lasts 3 hours, which is not enough time to assimilate so much information. Another constraint, if you come by your own means, a rather small parking lot, quickly saturated. Sometimes a little neglected until the exhibition relating to the Umayyads, in 2001, Medina Azahara is since the Unesco classification much more visited. For the moment, the site itself includes very few indications and it is sometimes difficult to understand what one sees. It is assumed that in the future, a system of audio guides will complete this initial information.