Torre Alminar de San Juan, Ancient minaret in Plaza de San Juan, Córdoba, Spain.
Torre Alminar de San Juan is a minaret on Plaza de San Juan in Córdoba that once served as a prayer call tower for a mosque. The structure features twin horseshoe arches supported by marble columns and rises from a square base.
The tower was built in the 9th or early 10th century under Emir Abd al-Rahman II as a prayer call structure for the original mosque. It was integrated into the Church of San Juan after the Christian conquest in 1236 and has survived to this day.
The tower shows how Islamic buildings changed purpose after the Christian conquest in 1236, becoming part of the Church of San Juan. Visitors can see today how two faiths shaped the same structure over centuries.
The tower sits in central Córdoba on Plaza de San Juan and is easy to reach on foot. The site has few obstacles, so people with mobility challenges can view the structure from the plaza level.
This is the only intact minaret tower from the Qurtuba period in Córdoba, preserving most of its original Islamic features. Many visitors overlook that the structure has stood for nearly 1100 years and witnessed two distinct religious eras.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
