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The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba ( es, Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba), officially known by its
ecclesiastical
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Immediately inside this rectangular inscription frame is another inscription in a horizontal band above the mihrab, in dark letters against a gold background, which quotes ''Surah'' 59:23, translated as:
Nuha N. N. Khoury, a scholar of Islamic architecture, has interpreted these inscriptions, in combination with the other foundation inscriptions in this part of the mosque, as an attempt to present the mosque as a "universal Islamic shrine", similar to the mosques of Mecca and Medina, and to portray Caliph al-Hakam II as the instrument through which God built this shrine. This framed the official history of the Umayyad dynasty in prophetic terms, promoting the idea of the new Umayyad caliphs in Cordoba as having a universal prerogative in the Islamic world.
File:Maqsura de la Mezquita de Córdoba.jpg, View of the intersecting arches in the ''maqsura'' area around the mihrab
File:Mezquita de Cordoba Mihrab.jpg, The mihrab
File:Mezquita marble carving of mihrab DSCF5465.jpg, Carved marble decoration on the lower walls around the mihrab
File:Cordoba Mosque 07.jpg, The mosaics in the voussoirs of the mihrab arch
File:Great Mosque of Cordoba, mihrab area, 10th century (28) (29208542874).jpg, Part of the Kufic inscriptions in the mosaics of the ''alfiz'' above the mihrab
File:Great Mosque of Cordoba, mihrab area, 10th century (32) (29761847451).jpg, The blind arcade above the ''alfiz'', with mosaics
File:Cordoba Mosque 16. Mihrab.jpg, Interior of the mihrab and its shell-shaped dome
File:Cordoba Mosque 01.jpg, The middle dome over the ''maqsura'', in front of the mihrab
File:East door of the Maqsura, Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Spain - DSC07158.JPG, ''Bab Bayt al-Mal'', to the left of the mihrab, the door that led to the mosque's treasury
File:Cordoba Mosque 13.jpg, Dome in front of the ''Bab Bayt al-Mal''
File:West door of the Maqsura, Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Spain - DSC07154.JPG, ''Bab al Sabat'', to the right of the mihrab, the door that led to the passage linking with the Caliph's palace
File:Cordoba Mosque 14.jpg, Dome in front of the ''Bab al-Sabat''
File:Capilla de Villaviciosa, Mosque of Cordoba, Spain - DSC07112.JPG, The interlacing arches at the entrance to Al-Hakam II's 10th-century extension (the Villaviciosa Chapel)
File:Bóveda de la Capilla de Villaviciosa (Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba).jpg, The ribbed dome at the entrance Al-Hakam II's 10th-century extension (the Villaviciosa Chapel)
File:Mezquita Villaviciosa dome SW corner DSCF5149.jpg, Details of one of the corners of the dome
Abd al-Rahman III added the mosque's first minaret (tower used by the muezzin for the call to prayer) in the mid-10th century. The minaret has since disappeared after it was partly demolished and encased in the Renaissance 
The original minaret was 47 meters high and had a square base measuring 8.5 meters per side. Like other Andalusi and North African minarets after it, it was composed of main shaft and a smaller secondary tower or "lantern" (also with a square base) which surmounted it. The lantern tower was in turn surmounted by a dome and topped by a finial in the shape of a metal rod with two golden spheres and one silver sphere (often referred to as "apples") decreasing in size towards the top. The main tower contained two staircases, which were built for the separate ascent and descent of the tower. About half-way up, the stairways were lit by sets of horseshoe-arch windows whose arches were decorated with voussoirs of alternating colours which were in turn surrounded by a rectangular ''alfiz'' frame (similar to the decoration seen around the arches of the mosque's outer gates). On two of the tower's façades there were three of these windows side by side, while on the two other façades the windows were arranged in two pairs. These double pairs or triplets of windows were repeated on the level above. Above these, just below the summit of the main shaft on each façade, was a row of nine smaller windows of equivalent shape and decoration. The top edge of the main shaft was crowned with a balustrade of sawtooth-shaped merlons (similar to those commonly found in Morocco). The lantern tower was decorated by another horseshoe archway on each of its four facades, again featuring an arch of alternating voussoirs framed within an ''alfiz''.
Construction of a new cathedral bell tower to encase the old minaret began in 1593 and, after some delays, was finished in 1617. It was designed by architect Hernan Ruiz III (grandson of Hernan Ruiz I), who built the tower up to the bells level but died before its completion. His plans were followed by Juan Sequero de Matilla who finished the tower after him. The bell tower is 54 meters tall and is the tallest structure in the city. It consists of a solid square shaft up the level of the bells, where serliana-style openings feature on all four sides. Above this is a lantern structure which in turn is surmounted by a cupola. The dome at the summit is topped by a sculpture of Saint Raphael which was added in 1664 by architect Gaspar de la Peña, who had been hired to perform other repairs and fix structural problems. The sculpture was made by Pedro de la Paz and Bernabé Gómez del Río. Next to the base of the tower is the ''Puerta del Perdón'' ("Door of Forgiveness"), one of the two northern gates of the building.
File:Mezquita-catedral de Córdoba interior 13.jpg, The nave of the cruciform core of the cathedral or ''Capilla Mayor'', looking towards the altar
File:Vault choir cathedral Cordoba.jpg, Details of the Gothic lines and iconographic sculpting over the altar of the ''Capilla Mayor''
File:Bóveda del crucero - Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba.jpg, Elliptical dome over the crossing
File:WLM14ES - 16102009 205931 CRDB 1090 - .jpg, One of the arms of the transept
File:Mezquita-catedral de Córdoba interior 20.jpg, Gothic decoration on the ceilings of the transept arms
File:Cordoba Mezquita.jpg, Example of the arches of the former mosque incorporated into the sides of the transept
File:WLM14ES - 16102009 210034 CRDB 1096 - .jpg, The choir section and ceiling
File:Crucero en la Catedral-Mezquita de Córdoba. (17198276242) (3).jpg, Details of the
File:Cathedral–Mosque of Córdoba (6933169868).jpg, The main altar
File:Córdoba 2015 10 23 2737 (25613740144).jpg, The tabernacle (center) and the lower region of the altar
File:Córdoba 2015 10 23 2733 (25613751954).jpg, The upper region of the altar, with the central canvas of the '' Assumption''
File:Coro de la Mezquita de Córdoba (España).jpg, Overall view of the choir
File:Córdoba 2014.21.jpg, View of the seats on the upper and lower rows
File:Córdoba 2015 10 23 2744 (25945609200).jpg, The upper part of the episcopal throne of the choir, featuring a life-size representation of the Ascension
File:Capilla de Villaviciosa, Mosque of Cordoba, Spain - DSC07117.JPG, Capilla de Villaviciosa
File:Córdoba (15179244529).jpg, Capilla Sagrario
File:Royal Chapel - La Mezquita - Córdoba (2).JPG, Capilla Real
File:Monstrance - Capilla de Santa Teresa - La Mezquita - Córdoba.JPG, Capilla Teresa
File:Escritura en la Mezquita de Córdoba (España).jpg, Capilla San Clemente
File:Capilla de la Concepción - Mezquita de Córdoba 002.jpg, Capilla de la Concepción
The ''Puerta de San Esteban'' (formerly the ''Bab al-Wuzara'' in Arabic) is one of the oldest well-preserved and historically significant gateways of Moorish architecture. It was originally the gate by which the Muslim emir and his officials entered the mosque and it presumably existed since the mosque's first construction by Abd ar-Rahman I in the 8th century. However, its decoration was completed by Muhammad I in 855. Centuries of slow deterioration and restoration attempts have erased some elements of its decoration, but major original aspects of it remain. Its historical-architectural significance derives from being the earliest surviving example to display the classic ornamental features of Moorish gateways: a door topped by a horseshoe arch with voussoirs of alternating color, which in turn is framed by a rectangular ''alfiz''.
Many other gates were added over the course of subsequent expansions of the mosque. These later gates have even more elaborate decoration, particularly from the 10th century during Al-Hakam II's expansion (starting in 961), visible today on the western exterior façade of the former prayer hall. Al-Mansur's final expansion of the mosque a few decades later (starting in 987–988), which extended the mosque laterally to the east, copied the design of the earlier gates of Al-Hakam II's expansion. Al-Mansur's doors are visible on the building's current eastern façade. Some remains of the original eastern doors of Al-Hakam II's expansion, before Al-Mansur's displacement of the eastern wall, are still visible inside the mosque-cathedral today. The best-preserved example is the door popularly known as ''Puerta del Chocolate'' or ''Puerta del Punto'', located next to the southern wall and serving today as the visitors' exit from the cathedral's treasury rooms, which was formerly a door to the mosque's treasury as well. Many of the exterior gates, however, have undergone various periods of decay and restoration. The most elaborate gates on the eastern wall today are in large part the work of 20th-century restorations. Many of the original Arabic inscriptions on these doors have nonetheless been preserved, however. Susana Calvo Capilla has noted that many of the inscriptions on the 10th-century gates have eschatological and proselytizing connotations, possibly reflecting a conscious rebuttal of heterodox religious currents that the authorities deemed threats at the time. Three of the doors, for example, include Qur'anic verses that deny Christian beliefs on the divinity of Christ.
The ''Puerta de las Palmas'' (Door of the Palms) is the grand ceremonial gate from the Courtyard of the Oranges to the cathedral's interior, built on what was originally a uniform façade of open arches leading to the former mosque's prayer hall. Originally called the ''Arco de Bendiciones'' (Arch of the Blessings), it was the setting for the ceremonial blessing of the royal flag, a ritual which was part of a Spanish monarch's coronation ceremony. Its current form dates from the restoration and remodelling done by Hernán Ruiz I in 1533, who created a plateresque façade above the doorway. The facade's statues depict the
File:Postigo de la Leche.JPG, Postigo de la Leche
File:Puerta de los Deanes de la Mezquita de Córdoba (España).jpg, Puerta de los Deanes
File:Spain Andalusia Cordoba BW 2015-10-27 15-45-14 (cropped and retouched).jpg, Puerta de San Esteban
File:Puerta de San Miguel - Mezquita de Córdoba.jpg, Puerta de San Miguel
File:Puerta O3 de la Mezquita de Córdoba.JPG, Puerta del Espíritu Santo
File:Postigo del Palacio de la Mezquita de Córdoba.JPG, Postigo del Palacio
File:Puerta de San Ildefonso, Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba.jpg, Puerta de San Ildefonso
File:Puerta del Sabat - Mezquita de Córdoba.JPG, Puerta del Sabat
East façade, along Calle del Magistrado González Francés, north to south:
* Puerta de la Grada Redonda
* Fuente de Santa Catalina
* Puerta de Santa Catalina
* Puerta de San Juan
* Puerta del Baptisterio
* Puerta de San Nicolás
* Puerta de la Concepción Antigua
* Puerta de San José
* Puerta del Sagrario
* Puerta de Jerusalén
File:Puerta en la Mezquita de Córdoba.JPG, Puerta de la Grada Redonda
File:Puerta de Santa Catalina (Mezquita de Córdoba).JPG, Puerta de Santa Catalina
File:Puerta de San Juan - Mezquita de Córdoba.jpg, Puerta de San Juan
File:Puerta del Batisterio - Mezquita de Córdoba.jpg, Puerta del Baptisterio
File:Puerta de San Nicolás - Mezquita de Córdoba.jpg, Puerta de San Nicolás
File:Puerta de la Concepción Antigua - Mezquita de Córdoba.jpg, Puerta de la Concepción Antigua
File:Puerta de San José - Mezquita de Córdoba.jpg, Puerta de San José
File:Puerta del Sagrario - Mezquita de Córdoba.jpg, Puerta del Sagrario
File:Puerta_de_Jerusalén_-_Mezquita_de_Córdoba.jpg, Puerta de Jerusalén
North façade, along calle Cardenal Herrero, west to east:
* Puerta del Perdón
* Puerta del Caño Gordo
File:2002-10-26 11-15 Andalusien, Lissabon 157 Córdoba, Mezquita.jpg, Puerta del Perdón
File:Puerta del Caño Gordo, Mezquita de Córdoba.JPG, Puerta del Caño Gordo
/ref> However, Spanish church authorities and the Holy See, Vatican have opposed this move. Muslim prayer has not been always banned outright and there are some cases of token concessions in the past, including Saddam Hussein's prayer at the Mihrab in December 1974.
Rivers of Paradise: Water in Islamic Art
', ed. S. Blair and J. Bloom (London: Yale University Press, 2009), pp. 81–103 *D.F. Ruggles,
' (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008)
Mezquita (Great Mosque) of Córdoba at Google MapsThe Mosque of Cordova (during early 19th century)''Al-Andalus: the art of Islamic Spain''
an exhibition catalogue from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba (see index)
The Great Mosque of Cordoba in the tenth century
VirTimePlace.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Great Mosque of Cordoba Moorish architecture in Spain Buildings and structures in Córdoba, Spain Historic centre of Córdoba, Spain Former mosques in Spain Roman Catholic churches in Córdoba, Spain Conversion of non-Christian religious buildings and structures into churches Arcades (architecture) 8th-century mosques 7th-century churches in Spain Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Province of Córdoba (Spain) Cordoba Religious buildings and structures converted into mosques Buildings converted to Catholic church buildings Architecture of the Emirate of Córdoba Architecture of the Caliphate of Córdoba Renaissance architecture in Spain
Dome of the Villaviciosa Chapel
In the nave or aisle of the hypostyle hall which leads to the mihrab, at the spot which marks the beginning of Al-Hakam's 10th-century extension, is a monumental ribbed dome with ornate decoration. The ribs of this dome have a different configuration than those of the domes in front of the mihrab. Their intersection creates a square space in the center with an octagonal scalloped cupola added over this. In total, this intersection of ribs creates 17 vaulted compartments of square or triangular shape, in different sizes, each further decorated with a variety of miniature ribbed domes, star-shaped mini-domes, and scalloped shapes. The space under this dome was surrounded on three sides by elaborate screens of interlacing arches, similar to those of the ''maqsura'' but even more intricate. This architectural ensemble apparently marked the transition from the old mosque to Al-Hakam II's expansion, which some scholars see as having a status similar to a "mosque-within-a-mosque". The dome is now part of the Villaviciosa Chapel, while two of the three intersecting arch screens are still present (the western one has disappeared and been replaced by the 15th-century Gothic nave added to the chapel). Like the ornate decorative arches, this dome and the other ribbed domes of the ''maqsura'' were highly influential in subsequent Moorish architecture of the period, appearing also in simpler but imaginative forms in the small Bab al-Mardum Mosque inToledo
Toledo most commonly refers to:
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and giving rise to other ornamental derivations like the much later stucco
Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...
domes of the Great Mosque of Tlemcen and the Great Mosque of Taza.
The courtyard
The courtyard is known today as the ''Patio de los Naranjos'' or "Courtyard of the Orange Trees". Until the 11th century, the mosque courtyard (also known as a '' sahn'') was unpaved earth with citrus and palm trees irrigated at first by rainwater cisterns and later by aqueduct. Excavation indicates the trees were planted in a pattern, with surface irrigation channels. The stone channels visible today are not original. As in most mosque courtyards, it had fountains or water basins to help Muslims perform ritual ablutions before prayer. The arches that marked the transition from the courtyard to the interior of the prayer hall were originally open and allowed natural light to penetrate the interior, but most of these arches were walled up during the Christian period (after 1236) as chapels were built along the northern edge of the hall. The courtyard of the original mosque of Abd ar-Rahman I had no surrounding gallery or portico, but it is believed that one was added by Abd ar-Rahman III between 951 and 958. The current gallery, however, was rebuilt with a similar design by architect Hernán Ruiz I under Bishop Martín Fernández de Angulo between 1510 and 1516. The current layout of the gardens and trees is the result of work carried out under Bishop Francisco Reinoso between 1597 and 1601. Today the courtyard is planted with rows of orange trees, cypresses, and palm trees.Bell tower and former minaret
Abd al-Rahman III added the mosque's first minaret (tower used by the muezzin for the call to prayer) in the mid-10th century. The minaret has since disappeared after it was partly demolished and encased in the Renaissance bell tower
A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tower ...
that is visible today, which was designed by Hernán Ruiz III and built between 1593 and 1617. The minaret's original appearance, however, was reconstructed by modern Spanish scholar Félix Hernández Giménez with the help archeological evidence as well as historical texts and representations. (For example, the two coat-of-arms on the present-day cathedral's Puerta de Santa Catalina depict the tower as it appeared before its later reconstruction.)
The original minaret was 47 meters high and had a square base measuring 8.5 meters per side. Like other Andalusi and North African minarets after it, it was composed of main shaft and a smaller secondary tower or "lantern" (also with a square base) which surmounted it. The lantern tower was in turn surmounted by a dome and topped by a finial in the shape of a metal rod with two golden spheres and one silver sphere (often referred to as "apples") decreasing in size towards the top. The main tower contained two staircases, which were built for the separate ascent and descent of the tower. About half-way up, the stairways were lit by sets of horseshoe-arch windows whose arches were decorated with voussoirs of alternating colours which were in turn surrounded by a rectangular ''alfiz'' frame (similar to the decoration seen around the arches of the mosque's outer gates). On two of the tower's façades there were three of these windows side by side, while on the two other façades the windows were arranged in two pairs. These double pairs or triplets of windows were repeated on the level above. Above these, just below the summit of the main shaft on each façade, was a row of nine smaller windows of equivalent shape and decoration. The top edge of the main shaft was crowned with a balustrade of sawtooth-shaped merlons (similar to those commonly found in Morocco). The lantern tower was decorated by another horseshoe archway on each of its four facades, again featuring an arch of alternating voussoirs framed within an ''alfiz''.
Construction of a new cathedral bell tower to encase the old minaret began in 1593 and, after some delays, was finished in 1617. It was designed by architect Hernan Ruiz III (grandson of Hernan Ruiz I), who built the tower up to the bells level but died before its completion. His plans were followed by Juan Sequero de Matilla who finished the tower after him. The bell tower is 54 meters tall and is the tallest structure in the city. It consists of a solid square shaft up the level of the bells, where serliana-style openings feature on all four sides. Above this is a lantern structure which in turn is surmounted by a cupola. The dome at the summit is topped by a sculpture of Saint Raphael which was added in 1664 by architect Gaspar de la Peña, who had been hired to perform other repairs and fix structural problems. The sculpture was made by Pedro de la Paz and Bernabé Gómez del Río. Next to the base of the tower is the ''Puerta del Perdón'' ("Door of Forgiveness"), one of the two northern gates of the building.
The ''Capilla Mayor'' and cruciform cathedral core
The cathedral's main chapel (known from Spanish as the ''Capilla Mayor'') is located at the cruciform nave and transept at the center of the building. This cruciform section was begun in 1523 and finished in 1607. The design was drafted by Hernan Ruiz I, the first architect in charge of the project, and was continued after his death by Hernan Ruiz II (his son) and then by Juan de Ochoa. As a result of this long period and the succession of architects, this cruciform section presents an interesting blend of styles. The first two architects introduced Gothic elements into the design which are visible in the elaborate tracery design of the stone vaults over the transept arms and above the altar. Juan de Ochoa finished the structure in a more Mannerist style typical at the time, finishing the project with an elliptical dome over the crossing and abarrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault, wagon vault or wagonhead vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve (or pair of curves, in the case of a pointed barrel vault) along a given distance. The curves are ...
ceiling – with lunette
A lunette (French ''lunette'', "little moon") is a half-moon shaped architectural space, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void.
A lunette may also be segmental, and the arch may be an arc take ...
s along the side – over the choir area.
The design and decoration of the ensemble includes extensive iconography. The Gothic-style vault over the main altar is carved with images of musical angels, saints, apostles, and an image of Emperor Charles V (Carlos V), with an image of Mary at the center. The many writings spread amongst the images in turn form a long litany to Mary. The elliptical dome of the crossing rests on four pendentives which are sculpted with images of the four evangelists. On the dome itself, are the images of the eight Fathers of the Church
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical pe ...
along the outer edge and an image of the Holy Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...
at its center, which together are part of a Counter-Reformist iconographic program. Over the choir area, the central area of the barrel vault ceiling is occupied by images of the Assumption, Saint Acisclus and Saint Victoria, while the sides feature images of David, Solomon
Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...
, Daniel
Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...
and Samuel
Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bibl ...
along with the theological virtues.barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault, wagon vault or wagonhead vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve (or pair of curves, in the case of a pointed barrel vault) along a given distance. The curves are ...
ceiling over the choir
Main altar
The altar of the ''Capilla Mayor'' was begun in 1618 and designed in a Mannerist style by Alonso Matías. After 1627 the works were taken over by Juan de Aranda Salazar, and the altar was finished in 1653. The sculpting was executed by the artists Sebastián Vidal and Pedro Freile de Guevara. The original paintings of the altar were executed by Cristóbal Vela Cobo but they were replaced in 1715 by the current paintings by Antonio Palomino. The altar consists of three vertical "aisles" flanked by columns with compositecapitals
Capital may refer to:
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. The central aisle houses the tabernacle (executed by Pedro Freile de Guevara) at its base, while its upper half is occupied by a canvas of the ''Assumption''. The two aisles on the side contain four more canvases depicting four martyrs: ''Saint Acisclus'' and ''Saint Victoria'' on the bottom halves and '' Saint Pelagius'' and '' Saint Flora'' in the upper halves. The upper canvases are flanked by sculptures of Saint Peter and Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
, and the central portion is topped by a relief sculpture of ''God the Father
God the Father is a title given to God in Christianity. In mainstream trinitarian Christianity, God the Father is regarded as the first person of the Trinity, followed by the second person, God the Son Jesus Christ, and the third person, God t ...
''.Choir stalls
The choir stalls, located across from the altar, were crafted from 1748 to 1757 and were executed by Pedro Duque Cornejo. The ensemble was carved mainly out ofmahogany
Mahogany is a straight-grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Unive ...
wood and features a row of 30 upper seats and a row of 23 lower seats, all intricately decorated with carvings, including a series of iconographic scenes. At the centre of the ensemble on the west side is a large episcopal throne, commissioned in 1752, that resembles the design of an altarpiece. The lower part of the thrones has three seats, but the most impressive element is the upper part which features a life-size representation of the '' Ascension of Jesus.'' The last figure which stands above the summit of the ensemble is a sculpture of the Archangel Raphael.List of chapels
West wall, from north to south: * Capilla de San Ambrosio * Capilla de San Agustín * Capilla de Nuestra Señora de las Nieves y San Vicente Mártir * Capilla de los Santos Simón y Judas de la Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba * Capilla de la Concepción de Salizanes o del Santísimo Sacramento * Capilla de San Antonio Abad * Capilla de la Trinidad * Capilla de San Acacio * Capilla de San Pedro y San Lorenzo * Museo de San Vicente South wall, from west to east: * Capilla de San Bartolomé * Capilla de Santa Teresa * Capilla de Santa Inés * Capilla del Sagrario East wall, from north to south: * Capilla de San Antonio de Padua * Capilla de San Marcos, Santa Ana y San Juan Bautista * Capilla de San Mateo y Limpia Concepción de Nuestra Señora * Capilla de San Juan Bautista * Capilla de Santa Marina, de San Matías y del Baptisterio * Capilla de San Nicolás de Bari * Capilla de la Expectación * Capilla del Espíritu Santo * Capilla de la Concepción Antigua * Capilla de San José * Capilla de la Natividad de Nuestra Señora * Capilla de Santa María Magdalena North wall, from west to east: * Capilla de San Eulogio * Capilla de San Esteban * Capilla de Nuestra Señora del Mayor Dolor * Capilla de la Virgen de la Antigua * Capilla de San Andrés * Capilla de la Epifanía * Capilla de Nuestra Señora del Rosario * Capilla de las Benditas Ánimas del Purgatorio * Capilla de los Santos Varones * Capilla de Santa Francisca Romana y Santa ÚrsulaDoors
Doors of the Islamic period
The ''Puerta de San Esteban'' (formerly the ''Bab al-Wuzara'' in Arabic) is one of the oldest well-preserved and historically significant gateways of Moorish architecture. It was originally the gate by which the Muslim emir and his officials entered the mosque and it presumably existed since the mosque's first construction by Abd ar-Rahman I in the 8th century. However, its decoration was completed by Muhammad I in 855. Centuries of slow deterioration and restoration attempts have erased some elements of its decoration, but major original aspects of it remain. Its historical-architectural significance derives from being the earliest surviving example to display the classic ornamental features of Moorish gateways: a door topped by a horseshoe arch with voussoirs of alternating color, which in turn is framed by a rectangular ''alfiz''.
Many other gates were added over the course of subsequent expansions of the mosque. These later gates have even more elaborate decoration, particularly from the 10th century during Al-Hakam II's expansion (starting in 961), visible today on the western exterior façade of the former prayer hall. Al-Mansur's final expansion of the mosque a few decades later (starting in 987–988), which extended the mosque laterally to the east, copied the design of the earlier gates of Al-Hakam II's expansion. Al-Mansur's doors are visible on the building's current eastern façade. Some remains of the original eastern doors of Al-Hakam II's expansion, before Al-Mansur's displacement of the eastern wall, are still visible inside the mosque-cathedral today. The best-preserved example is the door popularly known as ''Puerta del Chocolate'' or ''Puerta del Punto'', located next to the southern wall and serving today as the visitors' exit from the cathedral's treasury rooms, which was formerly a door to the mosque's treasury as well. Many of the exterior gates, however, have undergone various periods of decay and restoration. The most elaborate gates on the eastern wall today are in large part the work of 20th-century restorations. Many of the original Arabic inscriptions on these doors have nonetheless been preserved, however. Susana Calvo Capilla has noted that many of the inscriptions on the 10th-century gates have eschatological and proselytizing connotations, possibly reflecting a conscious rebuttal of heterodox religious currents that the authorities deemed threats at the time. Three of the doors, for example, include Qur'anic verses that deny Christian beliefs on the divinity of Christ.
Doors of the Christian period
After the mosque's conversion to a cathedral in 1236, Spanish Christian designs were increasingly added to new or existing gates. The small ''Postigo de la Leche'' ("Door of the Milk") on the west side of the building has Gothic details dating from 1475. Among the most notable monumental Christian-era portals are the ''Puerta de las Palmas'', the ''Puerta de Santa Catalina'', and the ''Puerta del Perdón''.
The ''Puerta de las Palmas'' (Door of the Palms) is the grand ceremonial gate from the Courtyard of the Oranges to the cathedral's interior, built on what was originally a uniform façade of open arches leading to the former mosque's prayer hall. Originally called the ''Arco de Bendiciones'' (Arch of the Blessings), it was the setting for the ceremonial blessing of the royal flag, a ritual which was part of a Spanish monarch's coronation ceremony. Its current form dates from the restoration and remodelling done by Hernán Ruiz I in 1533, who created a plateresque façade above the doorway. The facade's statues depict the Annunciation
The Annunciation (from Latin '), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the biblical tale of the announcement by the ange ...
while, unusually, the smaller figures in the lower corners depict mythological creatures.
The ''Puerta de Santa Catalina'' (Door of Saint Catherine) is the main eastern entrance to the Courtyard of the Oranges. Its name referred to the presence of a nearby Convent of Saint Catherine. Its current appearance dates from the work of Hernán Ruiz II, who took over work on the cathedral in 1547 after the passing of his father (Hernán Ruiz I). The gate has a Renaissance façade on its exterior: the doorway is flanked by two columns and is surmounted by a '' serliana''-style composition of columns forming three alcoves topped by a curved lintel. Within the three alcoves are the remains of three murals depicting Saint Catherine (''Santa Catalina''), Saint Acisclus (''San Acisclo'') and Saint Victoria (''Santa Victoria'').
The ''Puerta del Perdón'' (Door of Forgiveness) is one of the most ritually important doors of the cathedral, located at the base of the bell tower and directly opposite the ''Puerta de las Palmas''. A gate existed here since the Islamic period; its location is aligned with the mihrab of the mosque and with the central axis of the building before Al-Mansur's expansion. Its first reconstruction in the Christian period of the building dates to 1377, but it has been modified several times since, notably by Sebastián Vidal in 1650. The faded mural paintings inside the blind arches above the outer doorway include a depiction of ''Our Lady of the Assumption'' in the middle, with ''Saint Michel'' and ''Saint Raphael'' on the sides.
List of doors
West façade, along Calle Torrijos, north to south: * Postigo de la leche * Puerta de los Deanes * Puerta de San Esteban * Puerta de San Miguel * Puerta del Espíritu Santo * Postigo del Palacio * Puerta de San Ildefonso * Puerta del Sabat2000s Muslim campaigns
Muslims across Spain have lobbied the Catholic Church to allow them to pray in the complex, with the Islamic Council of Spain lodging a formal request with the Vatican.Thomson, ''Muslims ask Pope to OK worship in ex-mosque'', Reuters, (2011)/ref> However, Spanish church authorities and the Holy See, Vatican have opposed this move. Muslim prayer has not been always banned outright and there are some cases of token concessions in the past, including Saddam Hussein's prayer at the Mihrab in December 1974.
Ownership dispute
The building was formally registered for the first time by the Córdoba's Cathedral Cabildo in 2006 on the basis of the article 206 of the ''Ley Hipotecaria'' from 1946 (whose constitutionality has been questioned). The diocese never presented a formal title of ownership nor did provide a judicial sentence sanctioning the usurpation on the basis of a long-lasting occupation, with the sole legal argument being that of the building's "consecration" after 1236, as a cross-shaped symbol of ash was reportedly drawn on the floor at the time. Defenders of the ecclesial ownership argue on the basis of continuous and peaceful occupation of the building by the Church whereas defenders of the public ownership argue that the mosque-cathedral never ceased to be a State's property, initially belonging to the Crown of Castile (and henceforth the Spanish State). PSOE's Isabel Ambrosio, Mayor of Córdoba from 2015 to 2019, defended a model of public and shared management. In July 2019, the PP's mayor of Córdoba, José María Bellido, closed down a commission investigating ownership rights, saying it should be reserved for Catholic worship. He noted, "There are no administrative tasks arising from this commission and I've no intention of reactivating it."Legacy
Architectural influence
The Great Mosque of Cordoba is a high point of the architecture of al-Andalus and one of the most important monuments of early Islamic architecture. It had a major influence on the subsequent architecture of Al-Andalus and of the Maghreb – what is known as "Moorish" architecture or western Islamic architecture – due to both its architectural innovations and its symbolic importance as the religious heart of the region's historic Cordoban Caliphate. Amira Bennison, for example, goes on to comment: Jonathan Bloom also comments: Among other examples of important precedents, the overall form of the 8th or 9th-century ''Bab al-Wuzara'' gate (''Puerta de San Esteban'' today), with its horseshoe arch, voussoirs of alternating colours, and rectangular ''alfiz'' frame, became one of the most recurring motifs of Islamic architecture in the region. The minaret commissioned by Abd ar-Rahman III in 951–952 was also highly influential and became the model for later minarets in the Maghreb and al-Andalus. Georges Marçais traces the possible origins of some later architectural motifs to the complex arches of Al-Hakam II's expansion, most notably the interlacing arches of theAljafería
The Aljafería Palace ( es, Palacio de la Aljafería; ar, قصر الجعفرية, tr. ''Qaṣr al-Jaʿfariyah'') is a fortified medieval palace built during the second half of the 11th century in the Taifa of Zaragoza in Al-Andalus, present ...
in Zaragoza (11th century), the polylobed arches found throughout the region after the 10th century, and the '' sebka'' motif which became ubiquitous in Marinid, Zayyanid
The Zayyanid dynasty ( ar, زيانيون, ''Ziyānyūn'') or Abd al-Wadids ( ar, بنو عبد الواد, ''Bānu ʿabd āl-Wād'') was a Berber Zenata dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Tlemcen, mainly in modern Algeria centered on the town of ...
and Nasrid
The Nasrid dynasty ( ar, بنو نصر ''banū Naṣr'' or ''banū al-Aḥmar''; Spanish: ''Nazarí'') was the last Muslim dynasty in the Iberian Peninsula, ruling the Emirate of Granada from 1230 until 1492. Its members claimed to be of Ara ...
architecture after the Almohad period (12th-13th centuries). One exception to this legacy of influences was the mosaic decoration of the mosque's 10th-century mihrab, which, although admired, was not emulated by later architects.
The ribbed domes of al-Hakam II's expansion are also a curious innovation whose origins have been debated, but the appearance of similar (though simpler) domes in the small Bab al-Mardum Mosque in Toledo
Toledo most commonly refers to:
* Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain
* Province of Toledo, Spain
* Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States
Toledo may also refer to:
Places Belize
* Toledo District
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Bolivia
* Toledo, Orur ...
demonstrates that this feature spread into architectural designs beyond Cordoba. The domes also served as inspiration for the intricate ribbed dome made of plaster in the Great Mosque of Tlemcen (present-day Algeria), built by the Almoravids in the early 12th century, which in turn probably inspired similar domes built by the Marinids in the Great Mosque of Fes el-Jdid and the Great Mosque of Taza (present-day Morocco) in the late 13th century.
In popular culture
A posthumous poetical illustration by Letitia Elizabeth Landon to an engraving of a painting by David Roberts, was published in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1840. Entitled ''The Mosque at Cordova'', this harks back to 'the Moslem rule in Spain'. The South Asian Muslim philosopher and poet Muhammad Iqbal, who is widely regarded as having inspired the Pakistan Movement, visited the Great Cathedral of Córdoba in 1931–32. He asked the authorities to offer ''adhan'' at the cathedral and was even allowed to offer his prayers there. The deep emotional responses that the mosque evoked in him found expression in his poem called "The Mosque of Cordoba". Allama Iqbal saw it as a cultural landmark of Islam and described it as: Louis L'Amour's ''The Walking Drum
''The Walking Drum'' is a novel by the American author Louis L'Amour. Unlike most of his other novels, ''The Walking Drum'' is not set in the frontier era of the American West, but rather is an historical novel set in the Middle Ages—12th-ce ...
'' features a detailed description of the Court of Oranges in the 12th century.
See also
*List of former mosques in Spain
This is a list of former mosques in Spain. It lists former Muslim mosques (Arabic: Masjid, Spanish: Mezquita) and Islamic places of worship that were located within the modern borders of Spain. Most of these mosques are from the Al-Andalus peri ...
* History of medieval Arabic and Western European domes
* History of early modern period domes
* Timeline of Muslim history
*12 Treasures of Spain
The 12 Treasures of Spain ( es, 12 Tesoros de España) was a project that selected the purported "Twelve Treasures of the Spain, Kingdom of Spain". The contest was conducted by broadcasters Antena 3 (Spain), Antena 3 and Cadena COPE, COPE. The fin ...
*List of the oldest mosques
The designation of the oldest mosques in the world requires careful use of definitions, and must be divided into two parts, the oldest in the sense of oldest surviving building, and the oldest in the sense of oldest mosque congregation. Even her ...
Notes
References
Further reading
* * *D.F. Ruggles, “From the Heavens and Hills: The Flow of Water to the Fruited Trees and Ablution Fountains in the Great Mosque of Cordoba,” inRivers of Paradise: Water in Islamic Art
', ed. S. Blair and J. Bloom (London: Yale University Press, 2009), pp. 81–103 *D.F. Ruggles,
' (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008)
External links
*Mezquita (Great Mosque) of Córdoba at Google Maps
an exhibition catalogue from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba (see index)
The Great Mosque of Cordoba in the tenth century
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Great Mosque of Cordoba Moorish architecture in Spain Buildings and structures in Córdoba, Spain Historic centre of Córdoba, Spain Former mosques in Spain Roman Catholic churches in Córdoba, Spain Conversion of non-Christian religious buildings and structures into churches Arcades (architecture) 8th-century mosques 7th-century churches in Spain Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Province of Córdoba (Spain) Cordoba Religious buildings and structures converted into mosques Buildings converted to Catholic church buildings Architecture of the Emirate of Córdoba Architecture of the Caliphate of Córdoba Renaissance architecture in Spain