Spain/Castilla La Mancha: Toledo

Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage City, is perhaps one of the most deserving this title in the world. Through its over 2000 year history it witnessed dozens of kingdoms and rulers and different cultures, often co-existing peacefully side by side. It was a major outpost of the Roman Empire and then the capital of the post-Roman Visigothic kingdom, then spent centuries as a major center under the Arab Ummayd dynasty rulers, then conquered/surrendered/reconquered by Christians in the Middle Ages. Interestingly, despite many wars, ethnic groups always found safe home in the city as it was known as the city of three faiths – Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Toledo is strategically located on high grounds surrounded by rivers, the entire city is also walled-off with fortifications and towers. At the very top is the massive square Toledo Castle. The city is a jigsaw of narrow stone streets and stone buildings with a dozen churches sprinkled around. But two religious buildings clearly stand out – the Cathedral and the synagogues of the Jewish Quarter (next posts).
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