{"id":74961,"date":"2023-02-28T12:10:40","date_gmt":"2023-02-28T11:10:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/visitanddo_1790.test\/?p=74961"},"modified":"2026-09-30T23:06:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T21:06:32","slug":"la-puerta-de-almodovar-de-cordoba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/la-puerta-de-almodovar-de-cordoba\/","title":{"rendered":"The Almod\u00f3var Gate in C\u00f3rdoba"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"product\"><div class=\"product\">\n<p>The <strong>Almod\u00f3var Gate<\/strong> It is the best-preserved of the gates in the walls of C\u00f3rdoba, and the natural entrance to the Jewish quarter.<\/p>\n<p><strong>It\u2019s free to watch, at any time<\/strong>, and next to it stands a statue with an interesting story behind it.<\/p>\n\n<h2>\u26a0\ufe0f Firstly, the most common misunderstanding<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The Almod\u00f3var Gate has nothing to do with Almod\u00f3var del R\u00edo Castle.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The door<\/strong> is <strong>within C\u00f3rdoba<\/strong>, on Calle Cairu\u00e1n, right next to the Jewish Quarter. It is a gate in the city walls.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The castle<\/strong> is in <strong>Almod\u00f3var del R\u00edo<\/strong>, some 23 kilometres away, and is the fortress that appeared in <em>Game of Thrones<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>And that\u2019s exactly where the name comes from:<\/strong> The path leading to that village started at this gate.<\/p>\n\n<h2>How to get there<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Cairu\u00e1n Street<\/strong>, in the historic quarter, next to the north-western edge of the Jewish Quarter. The street is also known as <strong>\u00abCalle de la Muralla\u00bb<\/strong>, and you simply need to follow the stone wall to find the door.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>From the Mosque-Cathedral:<\/strong> a few minutes\u2019 walk through the Jewish Quarter.<\/li>\n<li><strong>From Plaza de las Tendillas:<\/strong> a short walk.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Useful reference:<\/strong> it is next to the <strong>Red Cross hospital<\/strong> and a step away from the <strong>Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>It\u2019s a pedestrian zone<\/strong>, so if you\u2019re coming by car, it\u2019s best to park outside the old town and finish the journey on foot.<\/p>\n\n<h2>History: C\u00f3rdoba, the city of seven gates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/%C2%B4puerta-de-almodovar-cordoba-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"The Almod\u00f3var Gate in C\u00f3rdoba, with its towers and city walls\" class=\"wp-image-72696\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Almod\u00f3var Gate, with its towers and the section of wall on Cairu\u00e1n Street.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Islamic medina had seven gates<\/strong>, and the chronicler <strong>Ibn Baskuwal<\/strong> He listed them as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bab al-Q\u00e1ntara<\/strong>, by the Bridge, in line with the Roman Bridge.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bab al-Hadid<\/strong>, del Hierro, also known as de Zaragoza.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bab al-Tulaitula<\/strong>, in Toledo, on the site of the ancient Roman gate on the Via Augusta.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bab al-Yahud<\/strong>, of the Jews, to the north.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bab Amir al-Qurasi<\/strong>, then Puerta de Gallegos.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bab Ishbiliya<\/strong>, from Seville.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bab al-Yawz<\/strong>, the <strong>Puerta del Nogal<\/strong> \u2014 this one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The Arabic name refers to walnut trees<\/strong> which grew in the surrounding area.<\/p>\n\n<h3>From Puerta del Nogal to Puerta de Almod\u00f3var<\/h3>\n<p><strong>In 1236, following the Christian conquest<\/strong>, came to be known as Almod\u00f3var after the road that led out of it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>And the door we see today dates from the 14th century<\/strong>, the result of a Christian renovation that altered the original Islamic character of the building. <strong>However, it retained two defensive elements:<\/strong> the <strong>battlements<\/strong> and the <strong>parapet<\/strong>, the parapet walk along the wall.<\/p>\n\n<h3>What\u2019s left of the seven?<\/h3>\n<p><strong>It is worth being precise here, as there is a rumour that it is the only one to have survived.<\/strong> It isn\u2019t: <strong>there are three left<\/strong> of those seven gates.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The Almod\u00f3var Gate<\/strong>, the best-preserved one.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Bridge Gate.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>The Gate of Seville.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The other four went missing<\/strong> as the city has grown. The fact that this is the best-preserved section is what makes it the best point of reference for visualising the medieval defensive wall.<\/p>\n\n<h2>\ud83d\udd0d What to look for on the door<\/h2>\n<p><strong>It is built of ashlar<\/strong>, with a central span between <strong>two prismatic towers<\/strong> united by a <strong>slightly pointed arch<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Two details that often go unnoticed:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The battlements are pyramid-shaped<\/strong>, not straight lines.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The arch is framed by an alfiz<\/strong>, that frame surrounding the arch, which is a hallmark of Al-Andalus architecture.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2>\ud83d\uddff The statue of Seneca and who paid for it<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Next to the door stands the monument to Lucius Annaeus Seneca<\/strong>, the Stoic philosopher born in Roman C\u00f3rdoba at the beginning of our era and who died in Rome in the year 65.<\/p>\n<p><strong>And here\u2019s the fact that hardly anyone mentions:<\/strong> The bronze sculpture is by <strong>1965<\/strong>, by <strong>Amadeo Ruiz Olmos<\/strong>, and <strong>It was paid for by the bullfighter Manuel Ben\u00edtez, \u00abEl Cordob\u00e9s\u00bb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A bullfighter funding a monument to a Stoic philosopher in his town<\/strong>, right in the middle of the 1960s. It\u2019s the sort of detail that says more about C\u00f3rdoba than many plaques ever could.<\/p>\n\n<h2>What\u2019s nearby<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The gate serves as the entrance to the Jewish Quarter<\/strong>, so the natural thing to do is to cross it and carry on.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The mural on the city wall on Cairu\u00e1n Street<\/strong>, with its <strong>elongated pond<\/strong> and the garden area. It\u2019s one of the quietest spots in the city centre.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The gardens on Paseo de la Victoria<\/strong>, on the other side.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Going through the arch<\/strong>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/barrio-de-la-juderia-de-cordoba\/\">Jewish Quarter<\/a>: the Synagogue, Calleja de las Flores and the statue of Maimonides in Tiber\u00edades Square.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Less than ten minutes away<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/la-mezquita-de-cordoba\/\">the Mosque-Cathedral<\/a> and the Roman Bridge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The entire complex is a World Heritage Site:<\/strong> the Mosque since 1984, and <strong>the entire historic centre since 1994<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Travelling from M\u00e1laga<\/h2>\n<p>We are a local tour operator based in M\u00e1laga with over 50 years\u2019 experience organising trips around Andalusia. <strong>C\u00f3rdoba is best explored in a day<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>There is no entrance or opening hours for the door<\/strong>, so it fits in whenever you have some free time. And as it\u2019s on the edge of the Jewish Quarter, it\u2019s a good place to start or finish your walk.<\/p>\n<p>For everyone else: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/what-to-see-in-cordoba\/\">What to see in C\u00f3rdoba<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/que-ver-gratis-en-cordoba\/\">what to watch for free<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/best-monuments-of-cordoba\/\">the monuments<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/patios-de-cordoba\/\">the courtyards<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n<h3>Is the Almod\u00f3var Gate the same as Almod\u00f3var Castle?<\/h3>\n<p>No. The Puerta de Almod\u00f3var is a gate in the city walls located within C\u00f3rdoba, on Calle Cairu\u00e1n, next to the Jewish Quarter. Almod\u00f3var del R\u00edo Castle is a fortress situated some 23 kilometres from the capital, which served as a filming location for Game of Thrones. The gate is so named because the road leading to that town began there.<\/p>\n\n<h3>How many gates in the city walls remain in C\u00f3rdoba?<\/h3>\n<p>Three of the seven gates that the Islamic medina once had: the Almod\u00f3var Gate, the Puente Gate and the Sevilla Gate. The Almod\u00f3var Gate is the best-preserved, which is why it is sometimes mistakenly claimed to be the only one still standing.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Why was it called Puerta del Nogal?<\/h3>\n<p>Because in Arabic it was known as Bab al-Yawz, referring to the walnut trees that grew in the surrounding area. It changed its name in 1236, following the Christian conquest, when it came to be called Almod\u00f3var after the road leading out of the town towards Almod\u00f3var del R\u00edo.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Who paid for the statue of Seneca in C\u00f3rdoba?<\/h3>\n<p>The bullfighter Manuel Ben\u00edtez, \u00abEl Cordob\u00e9s\u00bb. The bronze sculpture was erected in 1965; it is the work of Amadeo Ruiz Olmos and is dedicated to the philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca, who was born in Roman C\u00f3rdoba.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Can you visit the Almod\u00f3var Gate?<\/h3>\n<p>It can be viewed from the outside, freely and at any time, with no admission fee or opening hours. It is located in a pedestrianised area, so it is best to walk there. The usual route involves walking along the section of the city wall on Calle Cairu\u00e1n and passing through the archway into the Jewish Quarter.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Which century does the Almod\u00f3var Gate date from?<\/h3>\n<p>The present structure is the result of a 14th-century Christian renovation built over the earlier Islamic gateway. The battlements and the parapet walk \u2013 the walkway along the top of the wall \u2013 have been preserved from that original phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/la-puerta-de-almodovar-de-cordoba\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Cordoba\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/what-to-see-in-cordoba\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"The Almod\u00f3var Gate in C\u00f3rdoba\"}]},{\"@type\":[\"LandmarksOrHistoricalBuildings\",\"TouristAttraction\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/la-puerta-de-almodovar-de-cordoba\/#puerta\",\"name\":\"Almod\u00f3var Gate\",\"alternateName\":[\"Bab al-Yawz\",\"Puerta del Nogal\"],\"description\":\"A gate in the walls of C\u00f3rdoba, of Islamic origin and renovated in the 14th century. 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It\u2019s free to watch, at any time, and next to it stands a statue with an interesting story behind it. \u26a0\ufe0f Firstly, the most common misunderstanding The Almod\u00f3var Gate has nothing to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":74960,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[670],"tags":[709],"class_list":["post-74961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-besuchen-und-tun","tag-cordoba"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74961"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74961\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitanddo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}