Cordoba is a thing of legend and myth; at once alluring in its historical intensity and enthralling in its modern energy. Rising up from the banks of the Guadalquivir River under the gaze of the Sierra Morena foothills, the city’s UNESCO core is a palimpsest of styles formed from dusty Moorish architecture left over from various passing caliphates, whitewashed Andalusian tapas joints and elaborate Jewish synagogues. Away from the centre, the dusty remains of Azahara, or the swinging lanterns of Cuesta del Bailio add yet more dimensions to this multifaceted town.

Ask any Cordoba tour guide to recommend the must-see sights here and they’ll lead you straight to the grand Mezquita, Cordoba’s iconic Mosque-Cathedral complex that dominates the heart of the old town with a series of exquisite colonnaded halls, adorned with onyx, granite and marble alike. Stroll through the orange groves of the Patio de los Naranjos, wonder at the glorious Mihrab gate, and then head off to de-stress at the adjoining Hammam of Al Andalus, just like the old emirs. Afterwards, head out to survey the tight-knit lanes of the Juderia, to see where the carnivalesque Feria de Cordoba erupts every May, or simply settle for a cup of soothing North African brew in one of the city’s many Arabic teahouses.