Medina Azahara
Medina Azahara is the ruined palace-city founded around 936–940 by Abd al-Rahman III, first caliph of al-Andalus, 8 km west of Córdoba; it covered 112 hectares and is UNESCO-listed.
About Medina Azahara
Abd al-Rahman III, who proclaimed himself caliph in 929, founded Madinat al-Zahra on the lower slopes of the Sierra Morena as his new seat of government; the court moved there in 945. It was sacked during the civil war of 1010–1013 and its stone was carried off for centuries. Digging began in 1911, and UNESCO listed it as the Caliphate City of Medina Azahara in 2018.
The visit starts at the site museum, opened in 2009, with original finds and a short film. A shuttle then climbs to the ruins, where a path leads through the terraces: the great arcaded portico over the parade ground, aristocratic houses such as the House of Ja'far with its decorated stone, and wide views south over the Guadalquivir plain.
Entry is free for EU citizens and €1.50 for others. The compulsory shuttle between the museum car park and the ruins costs €3 return (€1.50 for children 5–12 and over-65s) and runs every 15–20 minutes. Groups under 10 need no booking. A city tourist bus runs from Córdoba. Paths are sloping and uneven, so reduced mobility is a challenge; allow 2.5–3 hours.
It is closed on Mondays. From late September to March it opens 09:00–18:00 Tuesday to Saturday and until 15:00 on Sundays; in summer it opens mornings and again in the late evening. Bring water and a hat, and note that the last shuttle up leaves an hour before closing.
Medina Azahara in pictures
What you’ll find
- Archaeological siteRuins visit (Free–€2, 09:00–18:00)Ticket
- Café or kioskFood and drinkBuy
- Car parkParkingFree
- ExhibitionExhibition visit (Free–€2, 09:00–18:00)Ticket
- Free entryFree visit (09:00–18:00)Free
- Gift shopSouvenirsBuy
- Night visitNight tour (from 21:15)Book
- Visitor centreVisitor information (09:00–18:00)Free
Nearby places to visit
Medina Azahara lies west of central Córdoba on the slopes of the Sierra Morena. Golfers will find Arruzafa Golf (5 km), a nine-hole pitch and putt beside the Parador de la Arruzafa, on the city's northern edge. In the Judería, the Córdoba Synagogue (6 km) is a small Mudéjar prayer hall with carved plasterwork and Hebrew verses, the Al-Iksir Alchemy Museum (6 km) occupies a 13th-century house, and the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba (6 km), enlarged under the same caliphs, is the natural companion to the palace-city. To the south-west, the Castillo de Almodóvar del Río (17 km) crowns a hill above the Guadalquivir.
Medina Azahara at a glance
Town
Córdoba
Address
Carretera de Palma del Río (A-431) km 5.5 14005
Opening hours
21 Sep–20 Mar: Tue–Sat 09:00–18:00; 21 Mar–20 Jun: Tue–Thu 09:00–18:00, Fri–Sat 09:00–21:00; 21 Jun–20 Sep: Tue–Sat 09:00–14:00 and 19:00–24:00 (evening: ruins only); Sun, holidays and Mondays before holidays 09:00–15:00; closed Mondays, 1 and 6 Jan, 1 May, 24, 25 and 31 Dec
Prices
Free for EU citizens, others €1.50; compulsory shuttle bus €3 return (€1.50 children 5–12 and over-65s, under-5s free)
Checked 1 Nov 2026 on the official website. Times and prices can change, so confirm before you go.
Website
museosdeandalucia.es/web/conjuntoarqueologicomadinatalzahra
Phone
+34 600 143 071
More places nearby
Other places within 25 km of Medina Azahara, nearest first.
