Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images available at The Internet Archive) THE SPANISH SERIES CORDOVA THE SPANISH SERIES _EDITED BY ALBERT F. CALVERT_ SEVILLE MURILLO CORDOVA THE PRADO THE ESCORIAL SPANISH ARMS AND ARMOUR _In preparation--_ GOYA TOLEDO MADRID VELAZQUEZ GRANADA AND ALHAMBRA ROYAL PALACES OF SPAIN LEON, BURGOS, AND SALAMANCA VALLADOLID, OVIEDO, SEGOVIA, ZAMORA, AVILA, AND ZARAGOZA CORDOVA A CITY OF THE MOORS BY ALBERT F. CALVERT AND WALTER M. GALLICHAN WITH 160 ILLUSTRATIONS LONDON: JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD NEW YORK: JOHN LANE COMPANY MCMVII Edinburgh: T. and A. CONSTABLE, Printers to His Majesty _To_ _THE DUKE OF SOTOMAYOR_ _Lord High Chamberlain to H.M. the King of Spain, etc._ _My dear Duke,_ _Some of the pleasantest of my many pleasant memories of Spain are associated with, as indeed they were derived from, the sympathy you have displayed in my work and the great kindness I ever received from the Duchess of Sotomayor and yourself. For these, I hope, sufficient reasons--not as one who seeks to liquidate a heavy debt of hospitality, but rather rejoices in his obligations--I beg you to accept this dedication and permit me to associate your illustrious name with this modest volume._ _I am, My dear Duke, Your obliged and ever grateful, ALBERT F. CALVERT._ PREFACE It would be unnecessary to enlarge upon the reasons for including a study of Cordova in this series of Spanish Handbooks: indeed a series of this description would be incomplete without it. The beautiful, powerful, and wise Cordova,--‘the City of Cities,’ ‘the Pearl of the West,’ ‘the Bride of Andalus,’ as the Arabian poets have variously named it,--the ancient capital of Mohammedan Spain, is still one of the most curious and fascinating monuments of this singularly interesting country.