The Mezquita, an eighth-century mosque later turned into a cathedral, is the most visited site in the Andalusian town in southern Spain.
Image Credit: AFP
2 of 15
But since it reopened at the end of May, only 16,000 people have set foot in the UNESCO World Heritage site considered one of the most accomplished works of Moorish architecture - the number of visitors it would normally receive in a week.
Image Credit: AFP
3 of 15
A lone tourist walks around The Mezquita in Cordova, one of Spain's interior cities that is being disproportionately hit by the drop in tourism.
Image Credit: AFP
4 of 15
"It will take months to make that up," said church spokesman Jose Juan Jimenez Gueto, although money set aside in previous years means staff have been kept busy with restoration projects.
Image Credit: AFP
5 of 15
Nearby restaurants, hotels and shops are not so lucky, and many are closed.
Image Credit: AFP
6 of 15
In Spain, the world's number two tourist destination behind France, spending by foreign tourists plunged by 62 percent in the first five months of the year compared with the same period in 2019.
Image Credit: AFP
7 of 15
In Andalusia, hotel occupancy is at an average of just 25 percent, a good 10 percentage points lower than in establishments along the coast, said Francisco de la Torre, head of the region's hotel association.
Image Credit: AFP
8 of 15
Tourists arrive to a visit The Mezquita in Cordoba after restrictions were lifted following a national lockdown put in place to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Image Credit: AFP
9 of 15
US travel blogger Alyssa Ramos poses for a photo at the "Patio de los Naranjos" at The Mezquita in Cordoba.
Image Credit: AFP
10 of 15
Tourists walk in the "Patio de los Naranjos" at The Mezquita in Cordoba.
Image Credit: AFP
11 of 15
A tourist visits the "Patio de los Naranjos" at The Mezquita in Cordoba.
Image Credit: AFP
12 of 15
Tourists shop for souvenirs in Cordoba. In Spain, the world's number two tourist destination behind France, spending by foreign tourists has plunged by 62 percent in the first five months of the year compared with the same period in 2019.
Image Credit: AFP
13 of 15
A tourist guide works at The Mezquita in Cordoba.
Image Credit: AFP
14 of 15
A shop owner looks down an empty street in Cordoba after restrictions were lifted following a national lockdown put in place to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Image Credit: AFP
15 of 15
Foreign tourists are nearly non-existent and even Spanish tourists few and far between.
Image Credit: AFP
This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to improve your experience and provide more personalized service to you.
Both on your website and other media. To find out more about the cookies and data we use, please check out our Privacy Policy.
