Sinagoga de Cordoba (Cordoba Synagogue), Cordoba

On a quiet lane stands the city’s 14th-century synagogue-small in scale, but rich in survival stories. One of only a handful left in Spain, it may have once served as the private temple of a well-to-do family.

Moorish design runs through its bones. A simple gateway opens into a pocket-sized courtyard, where potted plants rest on a mosaic floor. From here, you step into an entrance hall, with stairs curling up to the women’s gallery.

The prayer hall is the star here. Its ceiling rises high above the small space, with walls covered in intricate patterns and Hebrew writing. On either side are small wall recesses-one now holds a menorah, though they once kept the Torah scrolls safe.

High on the walls, open archways lead your eye into the women’s section, once shielded by lattice for privacy. Above it all, a vaulted ceiling of wood panels and beams crowns the room, casting a warm, timeworn glow.

Visiting this synagogue isn’t about size-it’s about standing in a rare, intact echo of Jewish life in medieval Spain, still holding its place in the story of Córdoba.