MATT CLARK visits two of Andalusia’s finest towns during a vacation to Spain

NESTLING amid the olive groves of Andalusia are two cities that once dominated the world, not only that, they boast the finest examples of Islamic art in the West; the Mezquita of Córdoba and Granada’s Alhambra Palace.

Córdoba was the capital of Al- Andalus, Moorish Spain, and during the eighth century rivalled Constantinople as a centre of learning and culture.

At a time when London was a collection of mud huts, it had half a million inhabitants, 700 mosques and 300 public baths. The streets were paved and lit; astronomy, medicine and mathematics flourished.

But Córdoba’s crowning glory is the Mezquita Mosque which dates back to 785 and took two centuries to complete.

When the city was captured by Ferdinand III in 1236 he ordered a Christian church to be built, rather incongruously, within its walls.

But the result is magnificent and while this has been a Christian cathedral for nine centuries, there is no mistaking its Moorish origins.

Today fewer than 40,000 people live in Córdoba which makes it a far easier place to get around. And there is more to see than just the Mezquita.

The real joy of this city is getting lost in the maze of stick-thin alleyways of the old Jewish quarter, or Juderia.

The formal gardens at La Alcazaba are also a must, as is Plaza del Potro, a quaint old square mentioned in Don Quixote after Cervantes stayed at the inn opposite.

This is a fine place for lunch under the shade of the orange trees. And in Spain that means one thing; tapas.

The Spanish don’t really drink without eating and tapas originated when bar owners began providing a morsel of food to encourage more customers through the door.

Once they were free to anyone who bought a drink, not any more.

That said, a couple of Euro is a small price to pay for delicacies such as garlic prawns or patatas bravas drenched in local olive oil and accompanied by crusty bread to mop it all up.

Marvellous stuff.

Córdoba is a friendly city but there wasn’t always a warm welcome for visitors.

By 1031, the Caliphate of Córdoba had broken into dozens of separate smaller kingdoms known as taifas and they competed against each other, not only in war but also in culture and the arts.

One of the most powerful of those was Granada and the Alhambra became its symbol of affluence. The name means crimson castle and at sunset you can see why.

But this wasn’t just a fortress; it was a palace and city all in one, built by the Nasrite dynasty in the 13th century.

If you think the Mosque in Córdoba is impressive, take a look at the delicate calligraphy and script in the Court of Lions or the intricate columns and tracery work in the Court of the Myrtles.

There was no grand plan for this massive site and that may explain why the pleasure garden known as The Generalife (pronounced: Hen-er-al-eefey) is so far from the palace.

It exists due to an astonishing feat of engineering, where a royal waterway was built to transport water from the River Darro, six kilometres up stream, to the Alhambra via the Generalife.

In town, Granada remains firmly influenced by its Moorish past and nowhere more so than The Alcaiceria; a warren of narrow streets leading from Plaza Bib-Rambla in the shadow of the Cathedral.

This was the former home of the Muslim silk exchange and reminiscent of Moroccan souks.

You’ll need your best bartering skills to grab a bargain.

For the true Moorish experience head to the Banos Arabes de Granada, a low-ceiling bathhouse that is still resplendent in its colourful tiles, mosaics and lattices.

Just as it was when the Moors ruled Andalusia and built the finest examples of Islamic art in the West.