The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba ( ), officially known by its

ecclesiastical {{Short pages monitor Immediately inside this rectangular inscription frame is a shorter inscription in a horizontal mosaic band above the ''mihrab'', in dark letters against a gold background, which quotes ''Surah'' 59:23, translated as: More inscriptions are carved into the stone imposts on either side of the mihrab niche's arch, above the small engaged columns. They include a commemoration of al-Hakam II's command to "set up these two supports of what he has founded upon purity and with sanction from God", along with a portion of ''Surah'' 7:43. The "two supports" may be a reference to the columns of the mihrab, but the wider text likely adds a metaphorical and more religious interpretation. An inscription is also included in the mosaics of the middle dome of the ''maqsura'', in front of the ''mihrab''. It runs around the base of the central octagonal cupola and contains verses from the Qur'an ( ''Surah'' 22: 77–78). The translation reads: Nuha N. N. Khoury, a scholar of Islamic architecture, has interpreted this collection of inscriptions in al-Hakam II's expansion of the building as an attempt to present the mosque as a "universal Islamic shrine", similar to the mosques of Mecca and

Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

, 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.

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 A ''sahn'' (, '), is a courtyard in Islamic architecture, especially the formal courtyard of a mosque. Most traditional mosques have a large central ''sahn'', which is surrounded by a ''Riwaq (arcade), riwaq'' or arcade (architecture), arcade on ...

'') 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 The muezzin (; ), also spelled mu'azzin, is the person who proclaims the call to the daily prayer ( ṣalāt) five times a day ( Fajr prayer, Zuhr prayer, Asr prayer, Maghrib prayer and Isha prayer) at a mosque from the minaret. 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 to ...

that is visible today. It 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 A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achiev ...

on the present-day cathedral's Puerta de Santa Catalina depict the tower as it appeared before its later reconstruction.) Cordoba minaret model DSCF7268

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 a 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. Just below the summit of the main shaft on each façade, above the windows, 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 façades, again featuring an arch of alternating voussoirs framed within an ''alfiz''. Cordoba Cathedral 2024 - Tower from the Alcazar

Cordoba Cathedral 2024 - Tower from the Alcazar

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 bell's level but died before its completion. His plans were followed and completed by Juan Sequero de Matilla. The bell tower is 54 meters tall and is the tallest structure in the city. It consists of a solid square shaft up to 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 An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

. Juan de Ochoa finished the structure in a more

Mannerist Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

style typical at the time, finishing the project with an

elliptical dome An elliptical dome, or an ''oval dome'', is a dome whose bottom Cross section (geometry), cross-section takes the form of an ellipse. Technically, an ''ellipsoidal dome'' has a circular cross-section, so is not quite the same. While the cupola c ...

over the crossing and a

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 – with

lunette A lunette (French ''lunette'', 'little moon') is a crescent- or half-moon–shaped or semi-circular architectural space or feature, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be ...

s along the side – over the

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

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 Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

(Carlos V), with an image of

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a female given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religion * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also called the Blesse ...

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 per ...

along the outer edge and an image of the

Holy Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three ...

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 David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

Solomon Solomon (), also called Jedidiah, was the fourth monarch of the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), Kingdom of Israel and Judah, according to the Hebrew Bible. The successor of his father David, he is described as having been the penultimate ...

, Daniel and

Samuel Samuel is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the biblical judges to the United Kingdom of Israel under Saul, and again in the monarchy's transition from Saul to David. He is venera ...

along with the

theological virtues Theological virtues are virtues associated in Christian theology and philosophy with salvation resulting from the grace of God. Virtues are traits or qualities which dispose one to conduct oneself in a morally good manner. Traditionally the theolo ...

. File:Mezquita-catedral de Córdoba interior 13.jpg, The nave of the cruciform core of the cathedral or ''Capilla Mayor'', looking towards the

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

section and ceiling File:Crucero en la Catedral-Mezquita de Córdoba. (17198276242) (3).jpg, Details of the

ceiling over the choir

Main altar

The

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 Acislo Antonio Palomino de Castro y Velasco (165513 April 1726) was a Spanish painter of the Baroque period, and a writer on art, author of ''El Museo pictórico y escala óptica'', which contains a large amount of important biographical mate ...

. The altar consists of three vertical "aisles" flanked by columns with composite capitals. 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 A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...

: ''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 Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

and

Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

, and the central portion is topped by a

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

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, Jesus Christ the Son, and the third person, God th ...

''. File:Cathedral–Mosque of Córdoba (6933169868).jpg, The main altar File:Córdoba 2015 10 23 2737 (25613740144).jpg, The

tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle (), also known as the Tent of the Congregation (, also Tent of Meeting), was the portable earthly dwelling of God used by the Israelites from the Exodus until the conquest of Canaan. Moses was instru ...

(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''

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 of

mahogany 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: Universit ...

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 significant element is the upper part which features a life-size representation of the ''

Ascension of Jesus The Ascension of Jesus (anglicized from the Vulgate ) is the Christianity, Christian and Islamic belief that Jesus entering heaven alive, ascended to Heaven. Christian doctrine, as reflected in the major Christian creeds and confessional stateme ...

.'' The last figure which stands above the summit of the ensemble is a sculpture of the Archangel Raphael. File:Cordoba Cathedral 2024 - Choir.jpg, The choir File:Córdoba - Mezquita-Catedral - Interior - 07.jpg, View of the seats on the upperrow File:Córdoba - Mezquita-Catedral - Interior - 06.jpg, The upper part of the episcopal throne of the choir, featuring a life-size representation of the Ascension

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 Úrsula 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

Doors

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''. Mezquita old east gate at exit of treasury DSCF5745

Mezquita old east gate at exit of treasury DSCF5745

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 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. Susana Calvo Capilla has noted that many of the inscriptions on the 10th-century gates have

eschatological Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of present age, human history, or the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic), which teach that negative world ...

and

proselytizing Proselytism () is the policy of attempting to convert people's religious or political beliefs. Carrying out attempts to instill beliefs can be called proselytization. Proselytism is illegal in some countries. Some draw distinctions between Chris ...

connotations, possibly reflecting a conscious rebuttal of

heterodox In religion, heterodoxy (from Ancient Greek: , + , ) means "any opinions or doctrines at variance with an official or orthodox position". ''Heterodoxy'' is also an ecclesiastical jargon term, defined in various ways by different religions and ...

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 In Christianity, Christology is a branch of theology that concerns Jesus. Different denominations have different opinions on questions such as whether Jesus was human, divine, or both, and as a messiah what his role would be in the freeing of ...

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 Plateresque, meaning "in the manner of a silversmith" (''plata'' being silver in Spanish language, Spanish), was an artistic movement, especially Architecture, architectural, developed in Spanish Empire, Spain and its territories, which appeared ...

façade above the doorway. The facade's statues depict the

Annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...

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 Sabat 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:Cordoba Cathedral 2024 - Portal of the Holy Spirit.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

2000s 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 Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...

'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 The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( , PSOE ) is a Social democracy, social democratic Updated as required.The PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources: * * * * List of political parties in Spain, political party ...

's Isabel Ambrosio, Mayor of Córdoba from 2015 to 2019, defended a model of public and shared management. In July 2019, the subsequent 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

Edwin Lord Weeks - Interior of a Mosque at Cordova - Walters 37169

By leaving the mosque to coexist with the cathedral, the building is a physical repository of power struggles in Spain. Additionally, it is a showcase of architectural hybridity, representing ideological intersections between Christianity and Islam.

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 Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both Secularity, secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Muslim world, Islamic world encompasse ...

. It had a major influence on the subsequent architecture of Al-Andalus and of the

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ), also known as the Arab Maghreb () and Northwest Africa, is the western part of the Arab world. The region comprises western and central North Africa, including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Maghreb al ...

– 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 Georges Marçais (Rennes, 11 March 1876 – Paris, 20 May 1962) was a French orientalist, historian, and scholar of Islamic art and architecture who specialized in the architecture of North Africa. Biography He initially trained as a painter a ...

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 the

Aljafería The Aljafería Palace (; , Romanization of Arabic, 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 day Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. It was ...

Zaragoza Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...

(11th century), the polylobed arches found throughout the region after the 10th century, and the '' sebka'' motif which became ubiquitous in

Marinid The Marinid dynasty ( ) was a Berber Muslim dynasty that controlled present-day Morocco from the mid-13th to the 15th century and intermittently controlled other parts of North Africa (Algeria and Tunisia) and of the southern Iberian Peninsula ...

, Zayyanid and Nasrid 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 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 Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

), 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 Letitia Elizabeth Landon (14 August 1802 – 15 October 1838) was an English poet and novelist, better known by her initials L.E.L. Landon's writings are emblematic of the transition from Romanticism to Victorian literature. Her first major b ...

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 Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

n Muslim philosopher and poet

Muhammad Iqbal Muhammad Iqbal (9 November 187721 April 1938) was a South Asian Islamic philosopher, poet and politician. Quote: "In Persian, ... he published six volumes of mainly long poems between 1915 and 1936, ... more or less complete works on philoso ...

, who is widely regarded as having inspired the

Pakistan Movement The Pakistan Movement was a religiopolitical and social movement that emerged in the early 20th century as part of a campaign that advocated the creation of an Islamic state in parts of what was then British Raj. It was rooted in the two-nation the ...

, 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 Louis Dearborn L'Amour (; né LaMoore; March 22, 1908 – June 10, 1988) was an American novelist and short story writer. His books consisted primarily of Western novels, though he called his work "frontier stories". His most widely known West ...

's '' The Walking Drum'' features a detailed description of the Court of Oranges in the 12th century.

Notes

References

External links

*
Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba
UNESCO Collection on Google Arts and Culture
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 Churches converted from mosques Arcades (architecture) 8th-century mosques 7th-century churches in Spain Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Province of Córdoba (Spain) Cordoba Mosques converted from churches Buildings converted to Catholic church buildings Architecture of the Emirate of Córdoba Architecture of the Caliphate of Córdoba Renaissance architecture in Spain