Night visit to the Mosque of Cordoba

‘El Alma de Córdoba’ (The Soul of Córdoba) It is the night-time tour of the Mosque-Cathedral: a one-hour tour with light, sound and projections, with the monument closed to the public.

And there are two things you should be aware of before booking.

⚠️ What you need to know before booking

• In winter, there are only performances on Fridays and Saturdays. From October to February, it is not held on the rest of the week.
• Photography and video recording are prohibited. This is the most surprising rule, and it applies throughout the entire route.
• It is not a drop-in visit: The group moves forward, following the staff, without straying from the path.
• Children need a ticket even if it’s free, and they must be included in the booking.

Seasonal opening hours

Season tickets change every season, and this is where most people get it wrong:

Months	Days	Passes
Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb	Fridays and Saturdays only	8.00 pm and 9.30 pm
March and September	Monday to Saturday	9.00 pm and 10.30 pm
April and May	Monday to Saturday	9.30 pm and 11.00 pm
June, July and August	Monday to Saturday	22:00

In summer, the pass is later —at 10.00 pm— because it has to be pitch dark. And in summer there’s usually just one showing, not two.

Timetables may be subject to change due to liturgical events or the chapter’s schedule, so it is advisable to confirm the exact date when making a booking.

Price and tickets

General admission is around €20–25, with a discount of around €14–18 for people aged 65 and over, people with disabilities, students up to the age of 26 and children aged 7 and over, provided you have the relevant accreditation.

We deliberately give a range rather than an exact figure: Prices have risen in recent years and the sources do not agree. Check the monument’s official website when you make your purchase.

Children under 7 get in for free, but without an audio guide and accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. Even so, they must be included in the reserve.

The capacity is 100 people per session and it sells out, particularly at weekends and during the high season. Tickets can be bought at the box office or on the official website.

What is the route like?

It starts in the Patio de los Naranjos, featuring an audiovisual presentation on the history of the building and the city. From there, you enter the church.

Inside, the lighting sets the tone for the tour: You make your way through the darkness, and each space is lit up in stages, with synchronised sound. There is no guide that mentions: the explanations are coming via headphones.

And that’s one of its advantages: the system displays simultaneously in nine languages —Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Arabic and Russian—so each attendee can follow along in their own language.

Duration: one hour approximately.

What can be seen

1. The Orange Tree Courtyard, with the opening projection and the bell tower lit up.
2. The prayer room, where the play of light across the forest of columns is the most recognisable feature.
3. The maqsura and the mihrab, with the golden mosaics highlighted by spotlights.
4. The nerve domes of the extension carried out by Al-Hakam II.
5. The Renaissance crucer, the contrast with the Christian side.

If you want to get to know each area, have a look round beforehand the parts of the Mosque and its architecture: the narrative follows a chronological order and is much easier to follow if you know what each thing is.

What to expect – and what not to expect

It is advisable to adjust your expectations, because it’s not what many people imagine:

• It is not a guided tour with someone who can explain things and answer questions. It is an audiovisual production with a set route.
• It is not a substitute for a day visit. In the dark, it is impossible to make out the details of the marble, the capitals or the inscriptions. Ideally, you should do both.
• It is a place of worship, so please be quiet and follow the staff.
• No photos. If you were planning to take photos of the illuminated Mosque, this isn’t the place.

What it does offer: the building, with no one else inside, in semi-darkness, with the light focused on whatever it happens to be illuminating at any given moment. Those who have already seen the Mosque by day tend to appreciate it much more …for anyone seeing it like this for the first time.

Travelling from Málaga

We are a local tour operator based in Málaga with over 50 years’ experience organising trips around Andalusia.

A night out in Córdoba is a seasonal activity and it is not available all year round. Please enquire about availability If you’re interested, because the package includes tickets to the show with an audio guide, a guided tour of the Jewish Quarter and transport from Málaga and the Costa del Sol.

In the meantime, to see Córdoba by day:

And a planning notice: The day trip takes place during the day and Come back before the night screenings start. If you’re planning a night-time visit, you’ll need stay overnight in Córdoba or go on your own.

The rest of the city, in What to see in Córdoba, its monuments and the Jewish Quarter. And the monument in detail, at its decorative features and the bell tower.

Frequently asked questions

Is it allowed to take photos during the evening tour of the Mosque?

No. Photography and video recording are prohibited throughout the tour, in order to preserve the nature of the experience. This is the rule that surprises visitors the most, so anyone wishing to photograph the illuminated monument should be aware that this is not permitted on this tour.

How much does *El Alma de Córdoba* cost?

Standard admission is around 20–25 euros and concessions range from 14 to 18 euros, applicable to those aged 65 and over, people with disabilities, students up to the age of 26 and children aged 7 and over with valid proof of eligibility. Children under 7 enter free of charge, without an audio guide and when accompanied by an adult. Prices have varied in recent years, so it is advisable to check the official website when booking.

On which days are there evening tours of the Mosque of Córdoba?

It depends on the month. From October to February, there are only performances on Fridays and Saturdays, at 8.00 pm and 9.30 pm. From March to September, performances take place from Monday to Saturday, with showtimes getting later as the season progresses: 9.00 pm and 10.30 pm in March and September, 9.30 pm and 11.00 pm in April and May, and a single performance at 10.00 pm in June, July and August.

How long does the night-time tour last?

Around an hour. It begins in the Patio de los Naranjos with an audiovisual presentation and continues inside the church, where the lighting is switched on in stages whilst the commentary is provided via headphones. Capacity is limited to one hundred people per session.

In which languages is the night-time tour available?

There are nine languages: Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Arabic and Russian. The headphone system broadcasts simultaneously in all of them, so each visitor can follow the tour in their own language without needing separate audio guides.

Is it worth it if I’ve already seen the Mosque during the day?

This is precisely the situation in which it is put to best use. Anyone familiar with the building can identify the features that the lighting highlights and appreciate the contrast with a daytime visit. Conversely, it does not work quite as well: in the dark, the details of the marble, the capitals and the inscriptions cannot be appreciated, so the night-time tour complements the daytime visit but does not replace it.