Madinat al-Zahra 
Description
(also called Medina Azahara) Located about 6KM west of Cordoba, this was once the site of the palace and administrative centre for the whole of the Al-Andaluce Caliphate. Once a majestic city that was used to show the wealth and power of the Emir, and designed to be a lasting legacy, from construction to destruction only took 80 years. Today only about 15% of the site has been excavated, but the key elements of the Alcázar and the city have been uncovered and are on display. A visit starts in the visitors centre about 2KM away from the site with a museum and a film detailing how the city was developed and would have looked, then you take a bus up to the top of the site to visit, catching the bus back when you have finished
Charge
Free to visit the site and the museum for EU citizens, charge for all others. Everyone is charged for the bus, though if you come on the Cordoba Vision service this is included in the tour price.
Getting There
Getting to the site by public transport is difficult, and involves a long (3KM) walk. The easiest way is to take the Cordoba Vision tour where a Coach picks you up from the centre of Cordoba and takes you to the visitors centre - cost of the tour includes the bus up to the site. About 3 hours later the bus takes you back again. Seats have to be reserved online or at the tourist office in advance. When I visited in March there were two departures each morning.Latitude: 37.886125; Longitude: -4.867786
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