▁massive ▁palace ▁complex , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Med ina ▁Az ah ara , ▁built ▁some ▁five ▁kilom eters ▁north ▁of ▁C ór dob a . ▁ ▁The ▁Med ina ▁Az ah ara ▁was ▁mode led ▁after ▁the ▁old ▁Um ay y ad ▁palace ▁in ▁Dam asc us ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁symbol ic ▁tie ▁between ▁the ▁new ▁cal i ph ▁and ▁his ▁ancest ors . ▁It ▁was ▁said ▁that ▁C ór dob a ▁contained ▁ 3 0 0 0 ▁mos ques ▁and ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁sh ops ▁and ▁homes ▁during ▁his ▁reign . ▁ ▁Under ▁his ▁reign , ▁C ór dob a ▁became ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁intellectual ▁centre ▁of ▁Western ▁Europe . ▁He ▁expanded ▁the ▁city ' s ▁library , ▁which ▁would ▁be ▁further ▁en rich ed ▁by ▁his ▁success ors . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁rein for ced ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁fleet , ▁which ▁became ▁the ▁most ▁powerful ▁in ▁Mediter rane an ▁Europe . ▁I ber ian ▁ra iders ▁moved ▁up ▁to ▁Gal icia , ▁Ast ur ias , ▁and ▁North ▁Africa . ▁The ▁colon izers ▁of ▁Fra x inet um ▁came ▁from ▁al - And alus ▁as ▁well . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁his ▁cons olid ation ▁of ▁power , ▁Muslim ▁I ber ia ▁became ▁a ▁power ▁for ▁a ▁few ▁centuries . ▁It ▁also ▁brought ▁prosper ity , ▁and ▁with ▁this ▁he ▁created ▁m ints ▁where ▁pure ▁gold ▁and ▁silver ▁co ins ▁were ▁created . ▁He ▁renov ated ▁and ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁Mos que – C athedral