Córdoba, Spain

Córdoba (/ˈkɔːrdəbə/ KOR-də-bə, Spanish: [ˈkoɾðoβa] ^ⓘ), or sometimes Cordova (/ˈkɔːrdəvə/ KOR-də-və), is a city in Andalusia, Spain, and the capital of the province of Córdoba. It is the third most populated municipality in Andalusia.

The city primarily lies on the right bank of the Guadalquivir, in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. Once a Roman settlement, it was taken over by the Visigoths, followed by the Muslim conquests in the eighth century and later becoming the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba of Al-Andalus. Under Umayyad rule, Córdoba was transformed into a world leading center of education and learning, and by the 10th century it had grown to be the second-largest city in Europe. Córdoba experienced a manifold political crisis in the early 11th century that brought State collapse. Following the Christian conquest in 1236, it became part of the Crown of Castile as the head of the Kingdom of Córdoba.

Córdoba is home to notable examples of Moorish architecture such as the Mezquita-Catedral, which was named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 and is now a cathedral. The site has since been expanded to encompass the whole historic centre of Córdoba. Madinat al-Zahra near the city is also a World Heritage Site while the Festival de los Patios has been recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Córdoba has the highest summer temperatures in Spain and Europe, with average high temperatures around 37 °C (99 °F) in July and August. Summers are very dry whereas the mild winters have frequent rainfall.