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The world’s third-largest mosque remains a place of grandeur and mystical power.

All around the Mezquita is the city’s ancient Jewish quarter, dating back to the time of the Roman Empire. Its narrow alleyways are brilliantly whitewashed, hung with flowerpots, and graced with beautiful Moorish patios. This district also has Andalucía’s only medieval synagogue, built in 1315.

This fortified palace, built in 1328, was used by the Inquisition (1500s–1820) and as a prison (until the 1950s). But today it is tranquil, with gardens, water terraces and fountains .

To the side of the Mezquita, the former bishop’s palace was built over the original Moorish alcázar. Fine arts of the diocese are housed here.

A former 16th-century charity hospital is now the city’s main art museum. It has a collection of works by local painters and sculptors, as well as paintings and drawings by Masters such as Goya, Ribera, Murillo, Zurbarán, and Valdés Leal.

This small but elegant square, adorned with a 16th-century fountain , was once the livestock market.

Housed in a Renaissance mansion, this is one of the region’s best archaeological museums. A highlight is the 10th-century Moorish bronze of a stag, found at Medina Azahara.

This noble residence (14th- to 18th-century) includes preserved period rooms and furnishings .

If you want to see the hide of the bull Islero, who gored the renowned Manolete to death in 1947 – as well as a replica of the sarcophagus of the matador – this museum is a must. Dedicated to the bullfight, it is filled with stuffed bulls’ heads, posters, costumes and other memorabilia.

Crossing the Río Guadalquivir, this massive arched bridge has Roman foundations, although it was rebuilt by the Moors. Halfway across is a statue of the Archangel Raphael, whom the people of the city still honour with flowers for saving it from the plague.