Geraniums, roses, palm trees, azahar (orange blossom) and bright bougainvillea bob their heads in terracotta pots. The scent of jasmine lingers in the air, as the bright palettes of colour contrasting sharply against the backdrop of whitewashed houses and blue windows and doors catches your eye. The only sound is the tinkle of flowing water in the fountains. It’s a serene moment that you want to treasure forever.
Cordoba, the sultry city of Andalusia, Spain, was under Moorish rule for more than 800 years. Due to the dryness and heat of the Andalusian summers, it were the Roman and Greek inhabitants who first started building their houses here, with a central courtyard or patio, with water fountains or wells, which provided ventilation to the rooms. With Muslim rule, the courtyards functioned as a private space inside houses especially for the women of the house. Trees and flowering plants were added to provide shade. It became a tranquil space which was the centre of family life.
Today owners have also added touches like ceramic tiles, pottery, ancient furniture, ironware, and archaeological finds. In 2002, the UNESCO inserted the patios of Cordoba on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The city even has an annual competition for the best decorated patio.
While most tourists can get a glimpse of these patios through the wrought iron grilles of gates, many owners allow them to go inside and take a look at a small fee. The patio on Calle San Basilio no. 44 is likely the most iconic and most photographed one in Cordoba. Once, as many as 13 families lived here, sharing the communal kitchen. With curtains of bougainvillea sprawling over the balconies and walls like a vertical garden, it looks like a work of art.
They say small is beautiful and one sees this in the pint-sized Patio de La Costurera, translated as the Tailor’s Patio, at 40, Calle de San Basilio which is small and narrow with a fountain. There is also Calleja Pañuelo, or the Alley of the Handkerchief.