I bought our tickets the night before and got the first available time slot which was right at…read moreopening. We also queued up on the left side of the entrance for online ticket holders. We were the first ones in the door and for a short time able to take photos without anyone else around us. Honestly even after spending more than an hour exploring we never experienced any crowds that weekday in January. Overall impression was blown away with the way in which the mosque was integrated into a Catholic Church. Much of the moorish features (especially the very recognizable red and white arches everywhere) and the Mihrab were retained. Beautiful. A variety of western styles (Gothic or Renaissance) were used to build out the church choir, chapel, etc. The minaret, now bell tower, was a separate admission but we decided to skip the climb. I recall there was a limited number of tickets at each time slot so buy it in advance if you want to climb up. Definitely one of the highlights while visiting Cordoba.

Beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site. The mosque was built fist and then a cathedral was built…read moreinside of it. The only place in the world where a mosque and a cathedral are coexisting with architecture of both open to any visitor. In the 13th century, under Ferdinand III, the Saint, Cordoba's Great Mosque was turned into a cathedral and new defensive structures, particularly the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos and the Torre Fortaleza de la Calahorra, were erected. There's a ticket fee to get in, but from Monday-Saturdays, you can get in for FREE between 8:30a-9:20am. A great way to see this marvel for free.