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An emblematic lost site and a silent witness to Córdoba’s Muslim past, Al-Madîna al-Zâhira has long remained elusive in the historical topography of Al-Andalus. Until now, the so-called «flourishing city» has been placed in twenty-two different locations across the region, yet without any material evidence on the ground. As a result, an extensive body of literature has grown around what became, in part, a historical myth, shaped by narratives that were often biased, partial, incomplete, or lacking empirical support. A new study from the University of Córdoba now seeks to close this scientific gap, relying on advanced aerial survey techniques applied to archaeology.
The city, built in the 10th century and destroyed in the 11th, has traditionally been located «at the gates of Córdoba, to the east». This hypothesis was largely based on what Antonio Monterroso Checa describes as a «topographical exegesis» derived from literary sources that, while evocative and accessible, «were not intended for this purpose». Monterroso Checa conducted the study as part of the Archaeological Environment of Córdoba research group within the Research and Transfer Unit in Heritage Sciences at the University of Córdoba.
Laser technology reconstructs a buried landscape
In his publication, the researcher highlights the advantages of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology, which enabled the creation of detailed 3D terrain models. These were combined with aerial surveys and decades of excavations that had previously failed to yield conclusive results. According to him, «the only valid and verifiable evidence capable of guiding the search for Al-Zâhira lies in the physical anomalies identified through millions of data points collected by a sensor mounted on a small aircraft».
The data points to La Pendolilla, «one of the vast royal estates located east of Córdoba», which has housed the royal stud farm since the late Middle Ages. Monterroso Checa hypothesizes that the remains identified there could correspond to the city founded by al-Mansour, hajib of Caliph Hisham II. LiDAR analysis revealed structural traces in the hills near Alcolea, about twelve kilometers from the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. Digital elevation models exposed «a series of ground anomalies extending over more than 1,200 linear meters», consistent with buried urban structures.
According to the study, the LiDAR data shows «irregularities indicating an organized architectural complex composed of rectangular and square buildings arranged on terraces». The urban layout also presents «deviations from the general orientation, with some buildings facing southeast», suggesting deliberate planning adapted to the terrain. Monterroso Checa believes these findings provide «sufficient precision to plan future geophysical surveys and possible excavations».
A new avenue for historians and archaeologists
The researcher writes that «there is sufficient historical and documentary basis to propose, as a working hypothesis, that the anomalies revealed by LiDAR-IGN correspond to the city». The site covers approximately 120 hectares, spanning four hilltops and part of a fifth, extending northward beyond.
His study sheds new light on a city founded in 978, when al-hajib Al-Mansour, under the Umayyad Caliph Hisham II of Córdoba, established a new seat of government on the right bank of the Guadalquivir. He relocated his family, officials, and court to a city that would flourish for roughly two decades as an administrative and military center, until it was sacked in 1009, seven years after his death.
The «flourishing city» was ultimately buried following a revolt that preceded the first Taifa period (1009–1091), marked by the fragmentation of Al-Andalus after the fall of Córdoba in 1031 and before the arrival of the Almoravids. According to Monterroso Checa, this study opens a new chapter in archaeological research by emphasizing precise terrain analysis and direct interpretation of the landscape. The next step, he notes, will be «a geophysical study to confirm the extent and internal structure of the remains identified».
