Day Trip from Cordoba Spain: Ruins of Madinat al Zahra

Did you already recover from my red and white striped post about Cordoba in Spain? What if I’d say there is more where that came from? Surprised, aren’t you? But don’t worry, I will not throw more pictures of the Mezquita of Córdoba at you, but I do have something else for you. I took a day trip from Cordoba to the ruins of Madinat al-Zahra (also called Medina Alzahra or Medina Al Zahara) and I’d like to share this amazing site with you.

In all fairness, I had never heard from this place either. When you plan a road trip to Andalusia, you know you’ll visit Malaga, Ronda, Seville, Córdoba, and Granada. But there are hidden gems here and there in between.

The ruins of Madinat al Zahra, just outside of Cordoba are one of them. Newly appointed by Unesco as a World Heritage Listing, it is worth a visit if you like ruins!

Ready for more red and white stripy goodness? Keep on reading.

I paid for everything in full myself. I was not paid or sponsored. All my opinions and experiences are my own.

Probe around the Globe does use affiliate links. If you decide to follow one of my links and make a purchase, I’ll earn a small commission. This is at no extra cost to you.

If you travel to Cordoba Spain, consider a day trip from Cordoba to the ruins of Madinat al-Zahra. Explore the ancient 10th century Arab city and museum.

The Ruins of Madinat al Zahra

The archeologial site of Madinat al Zahra (also named Medina Al Zahara) shows you the history of a grand city structured palace. Caliph Abd al Rahman III built the city around 940 AD.

You can roam through the streets of the city, walk under the arches and marvel at the great views of the hills surrounding Cordoba.

The uniqueness of these ruins lay in the fact that the Caliph built the city at the top of his reign, but he only ruled for a short period (35 years). Berbers sacked and pillaged the city and the materials of the Medina al Zahra were used all over the region.

After 1010 AD, Madinat al-Zahra was soon forgotten.  It wasn’t until 1910 when excavation of the site began to unravel the mysteries of this period. This makes a day trip from Cordoba to Madinat al Zahra a unique experience because it really feels like time stood still. Only 10% of the ancient city is excavated but they uncovered some true architectural gems.

If you travel to Córdoba Spain, consider a day trip from Córdoba to the ruins of Madinat al-Zahra. Explore the ancient 10th century Arab city and museum.
View of the ruins are the area around it
If you travel to Córdoba Spain, consider a day trip from Córdoba to the ruins of Madinat al-Zahra. Explore the ancient 10th century Arab city and museum.
Overlooking the ruins and the city in the distance

It is all in the name: Medina Al Zahra

Madinat al-Zahra was built by a Caliph but the city doesn’t carry his name. The legend has it that the caliph had many wives. Syrian Az-Zahra was his favourite. She suffered from home sickness to Syria. As a present to her, he built the palace and surrounded the grounds with lovely blossom trees and parks. In spring time, the white blossoms would drift on the wind, making it look like snow, resembling the snow-capped Syrian mountains.

If you travel to Córdoba Spain, consider a day trip from Córdoba to the ruins of Madinat al-Zahra. Explore the ancient 10th century Arab city and museum.
View of the fields with not yet excavated ruins

What to see at Madinat al Zahra Cordoba

The site of Madinat al Zahra is not particularly big (it is not Ephesus in Turkey, more like the ruins of Knidos) but has some interesting features.

When you follow the path, you visit several ‘offices’ with great arches. They are built like a basilica (ancient market hall) with a larger open space capped with dome-like arches.

The Pórtico de Medina al Zahra at the side of the ruins is adorned with red and white arches, in my opinion, one of the highlights. The views of the unexcavated lands as you walk down to the arches are striking.

If you travel to Córdoba Spain, consider a day trip from Córdoba to the ruins of Madinat al-Zahra. Explore the ancient 10th century Arab city and museum.
Basilica like “offices” with coloms and arches
If you travel to Córdoba Spain, consider a day trip from Córdoba to the ruins of Madinat al-Zahra. Explore the ancient 10th century Arab city and museum.
The wall continued for several meters around the city

Another diamond is the decoration of the house of the prime minister of the caliph. Delicate floral patterns adorn the arches in the house. Unfortunately, the royal reception hall was still under restoration, so I didn’t get to see it myself.

If you travel to Córdoba Spain, consider a day trip from Córdoba to the ruins of Madinat al-Zahra. Explore the ancient 10th century Arab city and museum.
Decoration on the house of Ya’fa, the prime minister

The museum of Madinat al-Zahra

He ruins and the whole site of Madinat al-Zahra were added to the Unesco World Heritage List in 2018. This shows its importance as an historic time stamp of the great Arab ruler in modern day Andalusia Spain.

In 2009 a modern museum opened at the bottom of the site. I didn’t visit it myself but it showcases many Islamic artifacts found at the site of Madinat al-Zahra. It serves as a unique timestamp and exhibits the urban lay-out and planning of cities in this period.

If you travel to Córdoba Spain, consider a day trip from Córdoba to the ruins of Madinat al-Zahra. Explore the ancient 10th century Arab city and museum.
Reception Hall of Abd ar-Rahman III – Image from Wikipedia

Day trip from Cordoba

Only located 8 km west from Cordoba, the ruins of Madinat al Zahra can be easily visited on a day trip from Cordoba or en route to the city. You start at the museum where you can take the shuttle bus to the ruins.

You must buy a ticket for the bus at the museum. The shuttle bus costs €2 and runs every 20 minutes. The entrance to the ruins and museum of Madinat al-Zahra is free for EU citizens and €1,50 for others.

If you travel to Córdoba Spain, consider a day trip from Córdoba to the ruins of Madinat al-Zahra. Explore the ancient 10th century Arab city and museum.
Wander freely among the ruins and porticos

How to get to Madinat al-Zahra?

By car: follow the signs on Avenida de Madinat al-Zahra from Cordoba. You can park your car for free at the car park of the museum. You buy your ticket for the shuttle bus at the museum for €2.

By bus: tourist busses run daily from Cordoba (bus stop Puerta de Almodóvar) to Madinat al Zahra. Tickets are €8,50 for a return, including the shuttle bus to the site.

You must book this with an agency in Cordoba or you can book online.

If you travel to Córdoba Spain, consider a day trip from Córdoba to the ruins of Madinat al-Zahra. Explore the ancient 10th century Arab city and museum.
The portico

By taxi: because the museum of Madinat al-Zahra is only 6 km away from Cordoba, it is fairly affordable to ask a taxi driver to drop you off at the museum car park.

By tour: you can also book your day trip from Cordoba to Madinat al Zahra as a guided tour. Prices vary; check the local tour offices in Cordoba or book online.

Can’t get enough of the red and white striped design of Córdoba? Why not consider a day trip from Córdoba to Madinat al-Zahra. Explore the ruins of the 10th century city Medina Al Zahara and soak up the ancient Arab city planning and architecture.

If you travel to Cordoba Spain, consider a day trip from Cordoba to the ruins of Madinat al-Zahra. Explore the ancient 10th century Arab city and museum.
Share it on Pinterest
If you travel to Cordoba Spain, consider a day trip from Cordoba to the ruins of Madinat al-Zahra. Explore the ancient 10th century Arab city and museum.
Save for later

12 Comments

  1. These ruins look fascinating! I didn’t realise there were ruins like this in Spain but I would definitely love to see them! Thank you for the ‘how to get there’ tips too – will be able to plan this into our next trip to Spain!

  2. I am a big fan of art, culture, history, ruins … and I have been planning my Andalusia trip for a few years now (Oh, time passes so fast), but I have never heard of Madinat al-Zahra . Thanks for sharing the info. It is on my list now!

  3. Karen

    I love the line “You can roam through the streets of the city” – a great way to rediscover the past. Such a nice idea about the white blooms representing the snow capped mountains. An interesting read.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.