Issue date: 05 Oct, 2020
WORLD HERITAGE. CALIPHATE CITY OF MEDINA AZAHARA
Despite the fleeting nature of its existence, disappearing during the Al-Andalus wars just 70 years after its creation, the city of Medina Azahara certainly shone, as its name suggest.
Abderramán III wanted a city that truly reflected the grandeur of the Umayyad dynasty. This is why in 936 he ordered the city to be founded at the foot of the Sierra Morena, opposite Guadalquivir Valley. More than 10,000 people took part in building it.
Medina Azahara became the greatest architectural example of the Umayyad dynasty, and in fact many specialists refer to it as a private Versailles because of its red columns and its finely engraved spires encrusted with gold and precious stones.
Covering an area of more than 112 hectares, the city was built in tiers to take full advantage of the orography of the place.
With its own mosque, recreation and relaxation areas, and residential zones, there were also other areas that had a more official function.
Legends and stories about the city still abound a thousand years on, the most well known of which says that the city was constructed because of the love for a woman called Azahara.
In July 2018, this architectural jewel, which was hidden for an entire millennium, was included in the prestigious World Heritage list, making Cordoba the only city in the world with four World Heritage declarations and Spain the country with the third highest number of distinctions after China and Italy.
The mini sheet dedicated to this magical city features one of its best preserved buildings, which has the famous semicircular arches frequently found in its architecture.
The stamp shows the detail of one of the arches, with a background of blue sky, and is perforated with the same arched shape.
Rate A - €0.75. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, up to 20 g.
Rate A2 - €0.85. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, between 20 g and 50 g.
Rate B - €1.65. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to Europe (including Greenland), up to 20 g.
Rate C - €1.75. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the rest of the world (except USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand), up to 20 g.
Rate D - €2.10. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, up to 20 g.