Final answer:
Baghdad and Cordoba were similar in that both were renowned centers of learning during the Islamic Golden Age, hosting extensive libraries and intellectual activities.
Step-by-step explanation:
How were the cities of Baghdad and Cordoba similar? The correct answer to this question is A: Both were centers of learning. Baghdad and Cordoba were significant centers of intellectual activity during the Islamic Golden Age. Both cities boasted extensive libraries and became hubs for scholars, who contributed to various fields such as science, theology, and medical sciences.
Baghdad, founded by the Abbasids, rapidly became a center of trade and culture, while Cordoba was similarly bustling with scholars, craftspeople, merchants, and was an important city under the Umayyad dynasty. They were not primarily known for Islamic pilgrimage, Jewish culture, or maritime trade in the context of this question.