Cordoban Lanes

The Mesquita is the hub of the labrynthine lanes and is itself surrounded by a quadrangle of lanes, enlivened by cafes, boutique hotels and purveyors of tourist tat.





Wandering the lanes was my main pass-time in Cordoba.There is neither order nor logic.One just ignores any map and plunges into the maze, ever expectant for what may present around the inviting mystery of every corner

White walls and pastel shades on doors, balconies and window sills, all offset by black wrought iron lamps, ballustrades and all carpeted with painstaking-plotted granite-grey cobble stones.


The lanes and bijou squares hold evidence of religious separation-the Jewish lane leading to the old synagogue, baroque churches and statues to Islamic scholars and benign rulers who tolerated such difference, allowing the best of each culture to flourish.


Even on a rain-sodden winter's night, the lanes take another kind of beauty and mystery.




Should one be tempted to seek sanctuary, especially on a withering summer's afternoon, in the seductive private courtyards, ferocious canine guardians are quick to dissuade you.